Today seemed like the longest day ever. After completing our flight from London (without sleep), we arrive into Hong Kong at about 3pm local time and clear the airport on the way to our hotel.

The Harbour Grand is in a strange location, around the corner from some car repair shops, across the road from some buildings that loom like they haven't been used since before the British gave the islands back to China, and just across from the Harbour itself, although that route is blocked by the major roadworks being carried out.

The hotel itself is beautiful though, a large lobby area with concierge desk to the left, check in desks stretching right across the length of the lobby in front of you and access to a lounge on the right and a sweeping staircase with a harpist position on the landing!

We check in, drop our bags, freshen up and then talk a walk of the surrounding areas. The station is about five minutes away as are all the shops you could need, and the tram service also services the area, we already know what we are doing tonight so it's back to the hotel for a quick nap and then off to the Happy Valley Racecourse.

We take a taxi to the racecourse as it seems the best option and it takes about 15 minutes. Entry to the racecourse is cheap at $10. As you enter, you are struck by two things, the main stand is huge, and takes up one half of the perimeter around the track but must go up about 6 tiers. The other half of the course is open to the city so you get a great view of the Hong Kong skyline as the moon rises between the skyscrapers.

The atmosphere is almost electric, with a live band playing between races, but the place really comes alive during a race, and going by the noise, I would think t here were quite a few winners on the night

We leave after race 7 of 8 at about 2230 so that we can get a taxi back to the hotel before the 55000 in attendance also make their exit. Despite the taxi driver getting lost not once, but twice, we are back at the hotel at about 2300 and planning what to do tomorrow. We only have two nights in Hong Kong and want to make the most of our time.