Hong Kong – who’s paying the electricity bill?!

The HK skyline across the harbor

This smallish country is a sensory overload of exciting measures! From stepping off the plane our first impressions of the country is that it is very clean and so well organised, from buying our tickets for the train, to the free shuttle bus to your hotel – it’s fantastic!

Designer shopping heaven!

The city buzzes during the day with packed canteens, bustling shoppers and hawkers on every street corner trying to sell you tailored suits. This place is a shopping mecca!

Designer shops galore, replacing the humble corner shop with a Cartier store instead!! Public walkways including their underground subway system is designed as such that you walk though shopping malls to reach your destination. Even our hotel was attached to a mall that had its own entrance to.

Busy streets with busy shoppers

Yes siree, this place is the pinnacle of consumerism with anything within the shopper’s reach..



Aesthetically pleasing landscapes



Gourmet restaurants, pampering spa’s, bedtime bliss with beautiful hotels, suprising sights, stylish bars and cultural encounters including art , opera, history, space and science museums – there is something for everyone.



Our bedroom was stylish



And bathroom had a luxury power shower!

Our hotel was gorgeous and room and bathroom were very modern, although they were tiny reflecting Sam and J's budget in HK!! LOL

The skyline at night was even more dramatic

At night the impressive skyline, also reflected in the water of Victoria harbor has you captivated and reeled in further by the ‘Symphony of Lights’ show.

During the light show

At 8pm sharp the sky scrapers light up in accordance to a classical piece of music that is played over loudspeaker, with laser lights being shot off the top of the tallest buildings. 

Hong Kong at night.

The neon city!



Jason and I definitely enjoyed exploring this city whether it was by subway, MTR (metro), open top buses, sky ferries or just plain old fashioned walking!

The Star Ferry pier

The Star Ferry

The tram on Hong Kong Island

The subway that leads onto
and through various shopping malls

The nightlife was equivalent to a typical London night (including the prices!!) The first night we were there we had a few drinks in a bar before entering the M1 club, very modern interior and featured live music. Both artists that preformed were good, singing and dancing their socks off!

He danced his socks and one glove off for us!!

Live music in most clubbing
venues we visited

On the tables the locals play a game with 5 dice in which you have to bluff your companion, J totally got involved in but had some problems due to his companion not speaking any English.

The second night we jumped onboard a star ferry and headed to Hong Kong Island central where there is a cluster of bars and clubs in Lan Kwai Fong and bar hopped before finally landing up in a club with a really good live band. Through socialising in this manner, you were able to see the diverse groups of foreigners that were residents to HK, people that have come there for business as well as pleasure.

We took in some history when we visited the museum that told the ‘Hong Kong story’ It was fascinating to learn how The British Empire gained control of the country through a condition of the Nanking Treaty after the first Opium War.

It was also interesting to learn off the various ruling dynasties and the originating 4 groups of natives. We also learnt about reclamation of land, which surprised us to find out that HK was developing this technique back in the 1800’s, when we thought Dubai with its ‘Palm Island’ and the ‘World’ was pioneers of this field.

More landscaped beauty

As a last destination before returning home it was a great choice as it brought us inline with our cosmopolitan home of London (such a contrast to the plains of Africa!), not to mention the festive celebrations leading up to Christmas with the carols playing in the shopping malls and hotels.

Jason getting in the festive spirit!!

The Swarovski Crystal Christmas tree

HK have this annual festival called ‘Winterfest’ to celebrate this special time of the year with this year, having an 8 foot tall Swarovski Crystal Christmas tree on display among other cartoon and cute exhibitions.

The tall sky scrapers are even lit up with Christmas greetings that makes you wonder about the enormous electricity bill!! LOL But it all worked to get me in the mood for the Christmas fun, J and I will have on our return home, to cold and wintery Englan



The war memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives during WWII when Japan occupied HK for 3 years



The Happy Valley horse races, a very popular past time, with late night racing on Wednesdays







HK was a real delight, and has its eyes firmly set on the future



Water puppetry – a Vietnamese cultural art form



Arriving at the show!



The stage set

This art form was developed in Northern Vietnam and originally was played out by farmers who, while up to their knees in water passed the time by puppetry.

It is now classified as an art form and has been preformed globally.

It really is, a unique form of theatre that allows a great insight into peasant farming life in different regions of the country.

The band plays traditional Vietnamese music on traditional instruments including a Thang Bo (not sure of spelling..!) which is an instrument constructed of one chord but yet plucked at different points creates numerous notes.

The band

The lady to the left is playing the Thang Bo

A part of the show includes Quan ho singing, whose songs are exchanged between men and women during yearly festivals mainly in the Kinh Bac region, north of Hanoi. In 2009 Quan ho was recognised by UNESCO (United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organisation) as immaterial cultural heritage of humanity.

J and me enjoyed it as an alternative night out at the theatre!

The puppets in the water

The puppets performing the 'Village guardian God procession'

The puppetiers take a bow at the end of the show

Hanoi – Vietnam’s cultural capital and land of the soaring dragon!

Fancy going for a drive?!

Xin Chao!

This place is crazy! The streets are chaotic with cars, motorcycles, bicycle tuk tuk’s, buses and people all doing their own thing. To cross the road its so scary the traffic will not stop for you, you actually just have to walk in front of it, yes it sounds suicidal but believe it or not the traffic just goes around you, somehow..?!



Traffic is the scariest we ever experienced!



The streets are live with energy

When settling here, roughly in the 15^th century the current Emperor of the day Ly Thai To saw a golden dragon in the clouds therefore named Hanoi, Thanh Long, ‘City of the soaring dragon’.

Eating out, literally on the pavement!

This city is so busy and buzzing with life, it’s brilliant! There are many street sellers walking around with two baskets balanced over their shoulders selling local cheap food, while the street cafés are packed with people sitting on the smallest stools, scattered across the pavements - you can barley walk on them, spending more time walking in the road, trying to avoid the many motorcycles speeding your way.



A memorial statue sitting alongside an electonically digital TV



The city is a beautiful mix of old Asia, seamlessly merged with the new, with their boutiques and designer shops alongside souvenir shops selling everything including wine with cobra’s and scorpions bottled in them!

The cities temples all built centruies ago sit alongside homes and shops without looking out of place.



Hoan Kiem Lake



Hoan Kiem Lake is great focal point and is named as such by Emperor Ly Thai To who, as Vietnamese legend goes was given a magical sword from heaven that he used to drive out the Chinese, (who occupied Vietnam for 1000 years).

 


Jason with a model of the golden Goam tortoise



One day while boating he saw a golden Goam tortoise, which grabbed his sword and disappeared back into the lake. After restoring the Emperor’s divine sword the lake is called Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the restored sword).

Jason and I visited the Ngoc Son Temple, which is on the lake and has the embalmed body of such a giant Goam tortoise, founded in the 18^th century.



The temple gates



Ngoc Son Temple

Inside the temple

The old quarter is where we stay and is decent living for $20 a night, wi-fi, satellite TV, hot shower and breakfast included, not bad J





With so much to do and see this city is by far the beating heart of Vietnam. It even has their great leader Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body on display in his own mausoleum complex, where three months out of the year it is flown to Russia for re-embalming.

Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam’s hero and founding father of Communism, a well travelled man and humanist, his picture is everywhere.



The complex entrance

 We visited the complex however just our luck chose the wrong day – Monday, which is when its closed, doh! The complex is grand, with well attended gardens and Vietnamese army officers performing their drills all around, you feel the communist vibe.

The One Pillar Pagoda, very cute.

Just to the side of the complex is the ‘One Pillar Pagoda’ built by Emperor Ly Thai Tong and is supposed to represent a blossoming lotus flower out of a sea of sorrow..well it looks pretty anyway!

The temple of the One Pillar Pagoda

Mother Buddah inside

We also visited the Temple of Literature, which is also known as the first University of Vietnam.

J at the entrance of the Temple of Literature

Originally dedicated to Confucius in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong it was later used as an educational institute.

Little models of Confucius under a large bell

In one of the courtyards

Students would learn various disciplines and had to pass exams, in the form of questions asked by the King himself. It is interesting to note that as early as the 11^th Century, Vietnam’s rulers understood the importance of educating their future generations for the success of their beloved country.

The temple has five courtyards and the architecture is of the 11^th century and is distinctly oriental, very beautiful, very Asia J

In 1484 Emperor Le Thang Tong ordered the names of those who received doctorates to be honored in the form of stelae’s created with their names inscribed on them to stand on top of stone tortoises. All 82 of them dating back to 1442 line the sides of the courtyard and make for inspirational viewing.

 







The pretty ladies



Jason and his new friends!! ;D

We realy enjoyed exploring the city by foot, taxi and bicycle tuk, tuk however there is still so much to do here. We just wish we had more time!

Jason was quite the favourite with the local Vietnamese ladies who all wanted to have their photo taken with him, being all so pretty I don’t blame him!!