Wham! We're in Hong Kong and it's a real shock to the senses. Superficially it can appear quite familiar. They drive on the left, the buses are double deckers and the signs are in English. But they're also in Chinese and that tells you something. This is not like any Western city. It has more skyscrapers, apparently, than New York. When we were last here in 1984, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank building, designed by Richard Rogers, was just being finished and towered above everything around it. Now it is dwarfed by its new neighbours and they're not the tallest buildings in town. Over the harbour in Kowloon is the 4th highest building in the world. And at night many are lit with spectacular light shows, as if the architects employed Pink Floyd for a bit of added effect.

And down in the canyon like streets people throng and dawdle. Yes, surprisingly, Hong Kongers seem to be the slowest walkers I've ever come across! It's not unusual to find a young couple sauntering along, hand-in-hand blocking the whole pavement - but no one seems to mind. Everyone else just saunters along behind.

Another strange habit seems to be picnicking on the street. Leaving our hotel early evening we came across hundreds of young women sitting on sheets and blankets on the pavement having a picnic! Many were Muslim - from Indonesia and Malaysia judging by the signs in the money changers. There is a lovely park nearby but they appear to prefer the street. We opt for the slightly more comfortable Rosie's Restaurant. Basic, hardly any English spoken, knives and forks (especially for Westerners) kept hidden in the table drawer but good - and cheap - Chinese food.

No visit to Hong Kong would be complete without a trip up The Peak, the mountain in the centre of the island, on the Peak Tram. Once the preserve of the island's elite the summit is now the home to the 'Peak Tower'. Supposedly one of HK's architectural highlights it's home to an array of rather tacky tourist shops and eateries but the view from the roof terrace over the city and harbour at night is spectacular.