April 3

Another cloudy morning, there’s a surprise. Since I arrived, the weather has been dull and the temperature in the low 20’s. Very pleasant conditions for walking but not very helpful for photography. There was no sign of rain. Whilst reorganising my things, I did manage to find my UK mobile phone. That saves the dilemma of whether or not to buy a new smart one that I don’t really need.

The Old Marine Police HQ, ...	... but fake flowers

The Old Marine Police HQ, now done up as a super smart mall, was bedecked for Christmas when I last saw it. I’m not sure what the current theme is (spring flowers perhaps) but the pretty ones were all fake.

Outside the ferry terminal, the pigeons were being given a shower. I’m not sure that their pleasure was the main aim of the exercise but they seemed not to be unduly disturbed by the blasts of water from the municipal cleaning team.   Right: Bath time for the pigeons

I crossed the water, found the station, found the restaurant, Tim Ho Wan,  inside the station and found that it was still in darkness. Opening time was in 15 minutes. Having got this far, I decided that the sensible thing was to wait.

I entered at nine, joined a handful of other people and watched the staff of about eight working frantically in the tiny kitchen. More people did arrive but there was still time and space to dawdle over the morning paper.

The rice with beef and fried egg was exactly what it said it was, but larger than I expected.

The bitter melon was bitter, like the bad end of a cucumber, but the pork and bean sauce (not many beans) was interesting. Lastly, the pork and shrimp dumplings were excellent. As ever, this was washed down with copious amounts of tea. The total cost this time was about £6.

The train to Lantau was packed with children, not surprising given that it goes to Disney Land. This made it ever so noisy. At one of the stations I noticed a sign saying that the cable car service was suspended. As this was my intended destination, things didn’t look promising.

Seeking for further amusement, I alighted at Tsing Yi, which I pass through every time I travel to and from the airport. The station is incorporated into Maritime Mall, a vast shopping complex, which even has a Marks & Spencer.

Maritime Mall, Tsing Yi

Outside, on the promenade which runs along the sea front (which looks like a river bank), I sat and watched the water and the buildings on the opposite bank peering out of the smog. It is an area of huge bridges and there are thousands of containers piled up along the water’s edge.

Tsing Yi	Tsing Yi Promenade

By Hong Kong standards, it was quiet and peaceful. A few people were walking along the promenade, the trains hammered along overhead and some very noisy boats passed along the river but you could still hear the birds sing. I didn’t actually manage to see any of them.

The sun started to become rather hot so I returned to the train. Once again, it was full of children but, at the penultimate stop, they all got off and took the shuttle to see Mickey Mouse.

The station at Tung Chung is also part of a huge mall. I ignored the row of outlet stores and searched, almost in vain, for a source of a relaxing drink. I thought that I might have to break the habits of a lifetime and venture into Starbucks, but then found a DeliFrance. Much better.

Citygate Outlets, Tung Chung	Not the right place for a cold drink

Outside the cafe was an open space with trees and some people practising martial (or marital) arts. It was probably some form of Tai Chi and looked very gentle.

	Tai Chi or similar
Peaceful square	Large queues for the replacement bus

The sign at the cable car said that it would be closed for two months and the queues for the replacement bus were very long.

I decided that the Big Buddha and the vegetarian lunch at the monastery would not be a happening thing so wandered into the bus station in search of a bus to somewhere. After finding several going to an assortment of housing estates, I saw one going to Discovery Bay and leapt aboard. The Good Book says that it is a very posh but boring settlement for the rich and that it resembles the set for The Prisoner – ie Portmeirion. That is probably a fair assessment.

The beach is stunning, the sun shone and the cafes all had views that would have graced Nice or similar. It is also known as a place where the locals drive around in golf carts.

There were more gweilos than I had seen since leaving New Zealand and Chinese food seemed to be a no no. (Later on, I spotted a dumpling and noodle establishment at first floor level). I found a cafe offering Singapore noodles (huge) and a large glass of Hoegaarden (lots of glass but only 50cl of liquid). Both were good but hardly Chinese. I should probably have gone three doors down the road for a sandwich at the Pacific Coffee Co.

Restaurants with views to die for

I walked a bit further round the village centre, with the tables in the square being very European in feel. It’s a lovely spot but it isn’t Hong Kong.

The ferry terminal reminded me of Manly. Yet again, it isn’t Hong Kong. The ferry was large and not at all busy. Not surprising in mid afternoon, I suppose. We raced back to Central at a good speed with the windows being in their usual opaque state, thus preventing any photography.

Back on dry land, I came across a small bar specialising in English beers. I thought about paying it a visit but it would be more sensible to leave the English stuff until I am back there.

A sight for sore eyes - and parched throats	Free perfume?

Feeling very hot and sticky, I returned to the hotel for my usual afternoon rest, shower and change. On the way back from the ferry, I was fascinated by the queues outside some of the luxury good shops. Chanel must have been giving the stuff away in buckets to generate such interest.

After my rest, I emerged and walked past a shop that I had noticed before. The wine in the window, if it was genuine, was worth about as much as my house. There were enormous bottles – Jereboams perhaps – of lots of first growth clarets. I know that China, Hong Kong and Singapore are huge consumers of these wines but to see them on display ...

What a window full!	Photographs of photographers

The display at the Old Marine Police HQ was doing a roaring trade, with people crawling all over it to have their photos taken. I decided to take photos of people taking photos. No one seemed to mind.

I took photos at the waterfront, failed to find the small Vietnamese restaurant suggested by Sue & Wayne, and wandered around some shops, where I found yet another Easter Bunny. This too was serving as a photo opportunity. As before, I find it difficult to accept a display of Easter in a place like Hong Kong. It doesn’t seem proper. Right: Yet another bunny or two

Heading for the train, I suddenly spotted an advert for Pho 24 in a posh mall. I scaled lots of escalators and found it to be part of a large international chain. I have to say that it was OK but not brilliant. The cold spring rolls were perfectly constructed but a bit dull. Mine look worse but taste better! The seafood curry was fine but not very exciting.
	Pho 24
Cold spring rolls	Fish curry

I explored a few more shops, failed to find a green tie (the man at the tailor’s looked as if he considered the concept obscene) and found lots of things that I could neither afford nor justify. The streets were teaming, People everywhere. One shop had a huge stack of milk powder (infant formula) on display. This has become an increasingly political product with regular health scandals in China meaning that large quantities of infant formula are being exported in a semi-legal fashion from NZ to China.
People everywhere	Milk powder - a political substance

Back at the hotel, I succumbed to a coffee – OK but luke warm – and a Portuguese custard tart, which was good.