High living in Hong Kong and Macau!! With a pro- democracy demo thrown in!!!
Well, we had time between our jungle trekking and flying home for Hannah's graduation so we decided to take a couple of trips. It is very hot and hazy at present in Penang apparently due to illegal forest fires in Sumatra so we wanted to experience some cooler temperatures. We set off by car and drove a couple of hours south to Ipoh, a former colonial town known for tin mining and rubber plantations. It is well worth a look as it has many Chinese shop fronts,some prominent colonial architecture (a spectacular train station) and a large central mosque. It had a feel of Penang but without all the tourists and the money they bring in. Enjoyed wandering along the Chinese streets with old businesses, such as Eu Yan Sang - a traditional pharmacy, an ancient Sinhalese bar and 2 old men making Chinese wooden signs. There were a few examples of street art which must have filtered down from Penang and we saw some new coffee bars and art cafes which indicate a effort to attract more visitors. Leaving Ipoh, we stopped at Kellie's Castle. This is an unfinished mansion 12 kms from Ipoh commissioned by William Kellie Smith who made his money through the rubber and tin industries in the early 1900s. A flu epidemic killed many of the Tamil workers building the castle in 1920 and 5 years later, Smith fell ill and died on a trip to Portugal. His wife and children never returned to the castle and it was left unfinished and recently turned into a museum. If completed, it would have been beautiful with great living spaces, a large tower housing the first lift in Malaysia, an indoor tennis court and fantastic views from its Moorish colonnades. We both felt a sense of what it would have been like to live here as a colonialist at this time. Nearby is the Hindu temple Smith built for his workers. The pith helmeted figure on the roof with all the Hindu deities is presumed to be him.
Our overnight stop was between Tanah Rata and Brinchang in the Cameron Highlands. We have visited this area famed for tea and fruit in the past with the children so were keen to see how it had changed as well as glad to escape to cooler climes. The first thing we noticed were the huge swathes of rock carved out and then covered with polythene tented structures for growing fruit and vegetables. The jungle is disappearing and therefore the habitat of the indigenous people, the Orang Asli. They have stalls on the side of the main road selling vegetables, orchids from the forest and a bottled liquid that we didn't dare try!!!! The 2 main towns, Tanah Rata and Brinchang are scruffy and full of tourist tat which the Asian tourists seem to love. Strawberries are a huge industry here and l have never seen so many large strawberry statues in my life. You can buy strawberry pjs, slippers, visors, bags..... you name it, they have it. We managed to find ann old fashioned tea shop called the Lord's Cafe (yes, a Christian business) which served some great scones and strawberry jam so we could tick the strawberry box. We stayed in a mock Tudor house called The Old Smokehouse.. We realised as we booked in that we had visited it 15 years ago for a cream tea. I should mention that this area was the hill station for the British in the last century and they all escaped up to the hills in the more humid months. Scores of mock Tudor houses were built and many of these are now hotels although tower blocks are being built which to me is such a shame.
Anyhow, the hotel turned out to be enjoyable if a little bizarre. We sat down to roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with a decent bottle of red wine, surrounded by horse paintings and horse brasses served by the owners, an Indian couple. Next to us was a large Chinese family group also having the beef. They didn't say much at all so not sure if they were speechless in awe or horror! The garden was lovely and l felt as if l was in Surrey as l wandered around the flowers. We went for an early morning walk and then headed back to Penang choosing not to visit any attraction ( the Rose Centre, the Butterfly Farm, Big Red Strawberry Farm....) The tea plantations were great last time we visited but we have seen a lot of tea growing this year so passed on that. I left disappointed with the changes l saw but the jungle is awe inspiring and that alone makes a trip here worthwhile.
Back to Penang for a couple of days to pack our bags then off we flew to Hong Kong. This trip started badly when Dragonair insisted on charging us 500Rm(£100) as they said we hadn't put our middle names on our online bookings so the tickets didn't match our passports! We have not been using our middle names all year and to make matters worse, we had flown Dragonair a few weeks ago from Hong Kong without this being a problem. We had to pay up but a letter is being written. We touched down in that hectic metropolis of Hong Kong and used its efficient airport express to Central. We stayed at the Mira Moon, a boutique hotel with 35 floors but no 13th floor or any floor or room with a 4 in it as it is unlucky. That was difficult enough but then each room had its own tablet and smartphone to use during the stay. All very high tech and tricky to use. They phoned us from reception and we couldn't work out which button to press so missed the call! All the staff were young and very polished and the decor was very cutting edge. Obviously, we fitted in very easily!!! We had great views of the Happy Valley racecourse and the Wan Chai end of Victoria Harbour from our room on the 30th floor. It was hot and humid when we were there and l needed an umbrella to shelter from the frequent downpours. We were near Lockhart road with its bathroom shops, mahjong halls and girlie bars. We used bus, tram, ferry, the mid level escalators and walking to get around. We spent time exploring local areas like Bowrington Road market, the Western Market hall with its fabrics, the antique and curio shops of Hollywood Road and Cat Street. We visited the Man Mo Temple with its burning coils of incenses and found a wonderful old calligraphy shop, Man Luen Choon. We had cocktails at a bar at the mid levels, walked up and down passageways and gazed upwards at skyscrapers. Tried to revisit the Peak but the weekend queues were too long and the weather was too hazy after that. We browsed for pearls at a shop in Mody Street and bought some pearl presents at the Jade Market.... I don't like jade!!!!
Kevin doesn't like shopping and HK is all about shopping so he concentrated on finding our nightly eating spots. He did a great job as we ate very well at Spring Deer in Kowloon and the American Restaurant near the hotel, both Peking and staffed by men who looked to be in their 80s. We had some memorable Peking Duck. We ate roast meat in the Cantonese, Yung Kee in Central and had spicy crabs and prawns at Temple Street Market. We dressed up to go to Aqua which l discovered 2 years ago when l was with my friend, Karen, en route to China. It is near the Kowloon waterfront and on the 29th floor of 1 Peking Road. It serves Japanese and Italian food which is great but the most fantastic thing is the illuminated view of Hong Kong island. This rates as my top urban view of the world at night. You can see all the lights on the boats crossing the harbour including the romantic lit up red sails of the Aqua Luna, a tourist junk that cruises the bay. Add in the constantly changing colours and lights of the skyscrapers lining the shore and it is magical. I wish l could bottle that image!!!!
There were 2 more serious images from last week that will remain with us. Every Sunday, thousands of female Filipinos gather in the Central area of the city and basically camp out and socialise in the parks and walkways, eating, chatting, playing cards, threading beads, doing each others hair and nails.... There are more than 200,000 of them in the city without their families working as maids and amahs and sending home most of their money. They seemed to be blocking off roads the day we spotted them so imagine they were protesting about their lack of rights.
On 1 July, the anniversary of the British handover to the Chinese, thousands of Hong Kong citizens took to the streets to protest about Beijing trying to control the freedom they have enjoyed for decades. We didn't see any trouble as we crossed through the crowds but over 500 were arrested later that day. Will be interesting to see how the battle develops watched by the world's media.
We chose to avoid Central district that day and caught a bus to the south side of the island. Stanley was disappointing with a ugly sea promenade and a very Western tourist market and restaurant area. We much preferred Aberdeen which was almost totally Chinese. We walked up and down the waterfront and took a local sampan around the harbour after saying no to a few hard nosed women trying to sell us rides on the tourist boats.The water was crammed with local fishing boats of all sizes all with flags flying. One community was preparing to celebrate a festival so were decorating their boats with more flags and banners. Further down, we saw a huge floating restaurant and massive sun seekers. Someone is doing well here!!!
We couldn't miss catching the 55 minute hydrofoil to Macau for an overnight trip. I thought it would be a chance to see the Macau of Skyfall fame - glitzy, sophisticated casinos. A bit of a disappointment to goggle and find that casino was a designer's creation in Pinewood Studios and doesn't exist! Still, we checked into the Grand Emperor and l thought maybe this is the Chinese equivalent!!! Outside, our high hotel room l could see the huge golden lily shaped tower of the Grand Lisboa, the largest casino and the blocks of the MGM and the Wynn. We set off to explore the city leaving the entertainment until after dark.
The old Portuguese parts of central Macau are a delight. We visited the main Senado Square, the ruins of Sao Paulo which is just the front facade, the Mount Fortress, the Red Market and the Three Lamps area and Lou Lim Leoc Garden and the Camoes Garden. The gardens were full of locals doing exercise, having their fortunes told, playing games and chatting. We had custard tarts and coffee in an old Portuguese cafe, Ou Mun followed by dinner in the old atmospheric A Lorcha. The following morning, we strolled around the Barra, a district full of 19th century Portuguese houses. There is a lovely old church, Sao Lourenco and an ancient Chinese temple, A-Ma.
We didn't find any glitzy casinos. Walked through the 4 floors of gamblers in our hotel and found it very depressing. Rows of people mindlessly losing money on slot machines and card tables. Felt the same when we went to Las Vegas. Had planned to play a little but couldn't bring myself to join in as everyone looked so miserable!!!
So , now back in Penang where Ramadan is under way. Muslims fast during daylight and here break their fasts by eating at the very festive Buka Puasa buffets laid on in the hotels and restaurants. Everywhere is decorated with coloured lights and raffia decorations. The chefs all try to outdo each other by producing more and more delicacies. Not what l expected during the month of Ramadan.Yesterday, was a festival celebrating the heritage of Penang and there were stalls to learn handicrafts and buy food. This city is brilliant in organising events and you see all cultures interacting happily together.
Off to Istanbul on Friday to spend the weekend with Sean and Lisette, then we all go to Hannah's graduation. Can't wait to see the children again. Will continue blogging and let you know how the UK feels as a tourist Xx