This is going to be the temporary address for my blog whilst in China as wordpress is blocked...
I can’t remember exactly where I left the blog and I can’t check because I can’t log into wordpress at the moment...so I’m typing this out on the word processor and when I get some better access I’ll update it.
Macau was on the agenda for Wednesday, but after walking out of the Tsim Sha Tsiu MTR station in Kowloon I remembered that passports would be a handy little item if one wanted to leave Hong Kong and enter another ‘country.’ Passports were in the drawer back at Bec and Ryan’s, and the thought of catching the train back to Central to then catch two cabs to the Peak and back before jumping on the train to get back to Tsim Sha Tsiu to then catch the ferry was at least one step too far.
Given that we’d planned a full day in Macau we found ourselves searching for something to do in Hong Kong instead - enter SoHo and a couple of buckets (that passed themselves off as glasses) of Hoegarden. In a week in Hong Kong I didn’t once find a bar that served a beer at prices comparable to Australia; happy hour is far from it, more like a couple of hours of a $1 off the already inflated price.
Thursday we were back to normal with a bit of a battle plan and we went out for Dim Sum for lunch - I can rate the pork belly steamed bun with red bean sauce extremely highly. I’ll dig up the address and name of the place so that others can enjoy the hospitality of the white-coated waiters and company of local diners that are bound to be sharing your table.
I had a meeting with an agency that afternoon and was spoilt with views of Hong Kong and Kowloon from their office on the 62nd floor of Central Plaza in Wan Chai. In a city which I spent a week straining my neck looking up it was a privilege to actually look down for a change. I discovered that another world exists in Hong Kong with rooftop pools, gardens, playgrounds and tennis courts, at least for those that can afford these luxuries.
Later that night we treated ourselves to a glimpse of glamour when we went to the races at Happy Valley Racecourse. As someone who normally watches the nags at Morphetville, Flemington or Moonee Valley it was incredible to be literally on top of the action; looking down at the races rather than across to the track. A fantastic buffet coupled with wait staff who never let my beer glass get empty was the perfect complement to winning on the last couple of races. I’m sure the Jockey Club cringes every time Number 8 in Race 8 gets up and I’m sure there was wincing Thursday night as it all came into place.
We’re in Guangzhou at the moment, but I’ll update the blog with stories and photos from our time in Macau (yes, with passports we made it!) once we’re in Yangshuo as we intend on spending a few days there.
In the meantime www.jamiemcdonald.com has been updated with some new pics from Hong Kong.
