It’s about a dozen years since I last visited Hong Kong so when Jess, daughter-in-law-to-be, suggested I go there with her and meet up with her parents who were on their way home from a holiday in China, I thought “Why not?”
We had a week there – with a two-day side trip to Macau – and it’s certainly one of the most action-packed holidays I’ve had in a long time.
My earlier memories of Hong Kong were of constant jostle and and pushing in busy streets. But that was not the impression I brought back this time. However, as The Spouse pointed out, last time I visited I was living in Christchurch, hardly one of the world’s busy cities. Now I’m in Melbourne and I’ve got used to sharing the footpaths with plenty of people and making sure I get myself on the tram when it comes along.
We hit the ground running. Our Saturday flight arrived in the evening and it was about 11pm before we were ensconced in our hotel. Jess had arranged with Kiwi tour guide Jackie Peers from Walk Hong Kong to meet the four of us at 9am next day for a walking tour of Kowloon markets and other points of interest and on the Monday to take us on another four-hour walk of Hong Kong Island to get an appreciation of the place’s history
Jackie learned of my food interests and included a visit to the dried goods market in the second day’s sightseeing. She has lived in Hong Kong for the past eight years and knows the place well. We couldn’t have had a better escort. She was knowledgeable about its history and people and had plenty of suggestion for further activities and eating places when we were on our own. I can certainly recommend her.
With her guidance, we soon mastered Hong Kong’s public transport. We’d bought Octopus cards at the airport. Most of the trams, trains, buses and ferries we used during our stay accepted these pre-paid cards and it was easy to top them up at 7-Eleven stores along the way. Plus we were able to surrender our cards for a refund at the airport when we left for home.
Join us for a wander round the fresh produce, meat and fish stalls at Kowloon market and then have a brief look at the dried goods market on Hong Kong Island. A pity I didn’t have a kitchen at my disposal…
