21/2 – The day after New Year

Today is the first normal day in HK since the Lunar New Year. The streets are considerably more crowded, even in the non-scenic areas. I spent two-three hours getting and mailing a big box with souvenirs I’ve picked up so far to myself. Don’t wanna carry it, don’t wanna pay the airlines for it. It’ll take two months to arrive. I hope it gets there, or we’ll all be sorry. There’s some stuff for the readers in that box as well ☺



After that I take the nice little tram to Pacific Place, HKs most famour mall. After the Siam Paragon it looks like Dukenburg. Ok, that’s not very nice… it’s got not one but two Starbuckses. Dukenburg has zero. Holland has zero!!! I hate Holland ☹ I get a fast food meal at an upscale burger joint. ‘Fast food’ is obviously called that because it’s sold as fast food at real fast food joints. This joint takes 35 minutes to prepare a burger, some fries and a shake! It’s a lot better than McDonalds, but it takes soooooooo long… After that I some more shopping. I get two DVDs, which cost me about as much as 15 DVDs in Bangkok (true statement). One of them is Curse of the Golden Flower, which hasn’t reached cinemas in Holland yet I think. It’s by the guy who did Hero and House of Flying Daggers (which I got for 200B in Bangkok btw).

After that it’s back to the Peak Tram. I will see that vista. When I get to the station, I am dismayed. Last night it was deserted, now it looks like the que for the Python in the Efteling on a warm summer’s day. I stand in line for ten minutes before I see a line of cabs waiting. Why not? I’ve already been on the tram. I just wanna see the vista.

Ten minutes later I’m at the Peak. Although the fog severely limits the view, it’s still an amazing sight. I can see most of Central on HK Island, and I can just make out Tsim Sha Tsui across the habour. On a clear day you see most of HK here, but I’ll have to come back for that.



I take the cab back to Central. Last sightseeing stop before I get my stuff from the hotel is the Mid-level escalator, the longest escalator in the world as it’s called. This is not strictly true; the escalator is in fact a series of about 15 escalators that run from Central all the way up to the mid-levels, the last ring of urbanization on HK Island. It’s a nice road up the hill, along the escalator are many streets with shops and restaurants. One of them is called the Orange Tree, and it’s a Dutch place! According to LP it’s run by a Dutch guy. I go in for a Heineken and a chat, but there’s only a Chinese waiter who tells me ‘no drinks, only diner’. Sigh. At 170 HKD or 17 euros for a plate of boerenkool? I think not.



Going up the mid-level escalators is one thing, going back is another. You see, there is only one set of escalators. From 6am to 10:20am they go down, to allow residents to get to their work in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui. From 10:20 until midnight to go up. So when you get to the top at Conduit Road, and you want to go back, which you do, because Conduit Road is very boring unless you live there, which you don’t as far as I know… you have to walk. And it’s a long way down, and a lot of stairs. For Shell people (and all people if they have any sense), lots of stairs means lots of handrail holding. Which is a rather disgusting activity unfortunately, my hands were totally black when I got down. Drop by at Mix for a smoothie and a wash.



Time is now running out. I get a quick dinner at a thai restaurant, and I’m off to the hotel. I take a cab to Hong Kong station, where you can already check in and leave your luggage (nice) and take the airport express to, well, the airport. When I check in, I hear my plane is late. I still have two and a half hours. Since I’m already checked in, why go to the airport and just sit there? I could do a teeny bit more sightseeing ☺

Now some of you may think this is unwise. You still have to get to the airport, a 30 minute trip. If you’re unlucky, you miss the train and it takes you 45. When at the airport you still have to go through immigration and get to the gate, which could easily take another 45 minutes. So is it stupid to take the ferry to Kowloon once more to take a final look at that magnificent skyline? Of course not. I drop my backpack at the luggage counter, glancing at the sign that says ‘payment cash only’ and take the ferry.



Things are going my way. I get there at eight on the dot, and 8pm is the hour at which a fireworks show is given this New Year’s week along with a fantastic light show, created by the buildings forming the skyline. It’s very busy and very pretty. A great farewell gift from Hong Kong! By now it’s approaching 8:30. Check in closes at 9:55, so it’s really time to leave now. I take the ferry back, and as a last impulse buy I get a nice Hong Kong mug at Starbucks.

Back at Hong Kong station I am a little hurried. It’s 8:50 now, and I need to get to that airport. I go to the luggage counter and fish out the little receipt. Then I see the sign ‘Cash only’ again. Drat. Spent my last cash at the Starbucks. I only have 30 dollars or something, and I need 35. That means a trip to the ATM. I’m getting hurried now. When I get to the ATM, a vague notion forms itself… something about limited guest use of ATMs? I used one twice today… the full horror strikes when the ATM does indeed spit out my card. I try again, but to no avail. I try another ATM, but no. I now have a serious problem. An hour to get to the airport, I need cash and my card is not working. My only other card that can be used to get cash from ATMs is my credit card, and I don’t have the pin to that in my head… I rifle through my wallet. The Malay cash! I can change that at an exchange bureau! I run to the information desk, but no, sorry sir, no exchange bureau in the vicinity. I explain the situation to him, count the coins in my palm and tell him I’m 5 dollars short. ‘You need five Hong Kong dollars? I give you five dollars!’ With a broad smile he gives me a five dollar coin. I resist the urge to hug him, thank him profusely and run to get my backpack.

Thirty minutes later I’m at the airport with another half hour to spare. The plane is even later than announced, and I get to wait for twenty minutes, thinking how silly I’ve been to let this happen to me. I realize the US dollars I have in case of emergency would have bought me some HK dollars from any passerby I would have asked. Still, the situation looked rather bad at the time, and I’ll always be grateful to the nice information desk guy for solving my problem so quickly.

When the flight finally takes off, I wave Hong Kong goodbye and thank it for giving me a wonderful time. Totally different from Bangkok, but a stunning city in it’s own way. The city quickly disappears in the fog, and the bumpy ride back to Thailand begins.

I arrive rather late, and it takes a while to get to the airport hotel. It’s 2AM before I go to sleep, and I need to get up at 5:30…