Our Holiday - the Hong Kong Visit

As I sit in a warm hotel in Helsinki, Finland waiting for a flight to take us to St Petersburg I wonder if I an really prepared for the cold.

Hong Kong was warm, not hot. Ideal for staying there - December, that is.

As soon as we arrived at our hotel, Chris' dancing partner phoned to take him out. But he does not dance! Rae waited and waited for someone to take her out, but, no phone call. But she did find a place where ladies are welcome to dance on the bar....


What an interesting city HK is! Shopping, walking, street signs, busy, bustlng. We stayed at Novotel, in the middle of 'bathroom alley' where every second shop sold baths, baisins, plumbing. toilets, fittings. Other shops were small factories of various types, and people used trolleys along the footpaths for deliveries.

Interesting smells, too, off dust, spices, occasional tobacco and occasional sewerage. Also iteresting to note was the number of parks, smoke free, with designated places for smokers. Some gardens were made up of pot plant. I cant remember the name - a common one which has red leaves on the top.

While HongKong is squashed and crowded building wise Kowloon is more open with wide streets and more spaced out tall and smaller buildings. The Ladies Market is worth a visit for copies of handbags, watches etc, and the 'golden mile' is great for duty free shopping, And the sales are on in December, too!

On one day we travelled to Macau, and hour away by fast ferry. Many casinos, all sumptuous in decor. The newly opened casino just this month, is shaped like a huge lily. In Macaw there is a skytower, built by the New Zealander who built Auckland's sky tower. Yes A J Hackett offers bunjy jumping there too

It is after 5pm and it has been dark for ages. I have been to the gym as we had a 10 hour flight today, repacked my suitcase, done my nails - what else does one do at an airport hotel??? Hit the hotel bar I suppose...

What busses advertise in Hong Kong

Arrived after a 9 hour trip - that is, 2 movies, 2 meals a doze or two then listing to some relaxing classical music, we finally arrived in 'misty' I would call it hazy myself, city of Hong Kong. Exactly as on the telly - many tall concrete appartment buildings, stunning glass commercial buildings with a sprinkling of shabby apartment blocks which are well passed their useby date.

We travelled into the HK city by bus expecting to see all the touristy places on the telly screen. But no, it was an item to enourageback packers to go to the Ukraine, and to Cherynoble!! Known as the place for the biggest nuclear reactor explosion ever, in 1986, the deserted city and reactor plant is open for tourists. Yes, don boots and a mask and a tour guide will show you through the disused reactor plant, and walk around the surrounding city, which was immediately made out of bounds to citzens at the time. Back packers may stay at the 13 room hotel on the Chernoble site. So if you enjoy modern ruins and desolation,Chernble, The Ukraine is the place to visit.