Treve & Katrina Travel The World

... and so to Hong Kong - the bright lights of this gadget-filled city, with it's melange of smells, noises & life in the fast-lane!

Ultra modern architecture

We really fell on our feet when we checked into our spankingly clean new home for the next 4 nights - Rent-a-Room just off Nathan Road in central Kowloon district. En-suite bathroom, remote-controlled air-con - not bad at all & a welcome escape from the humidity and the chaos outside!!

Information overload

Meaning "nine dragons", Kowloon is the neon-lit shopping area of the ex-British colony. Tourists flock here to pick up a bargain camera & the whole area comes to life at night when the gaudy neon signs hide the grubbiness and light the way to shopping heaven!

Kowloon at night

And boy, do they shop 'til they drop! Consumer heaven, complete with your Gucci, Versace, Boss & Miffy (real and fake alike!)

Finding something decent to eat from the menu proved a process of trial and lots of error.

BBQ pigeon... mmm!

Our first meal, after a browse around the delights of the night market, consisted of rice and floppy boiled chicken, washed down by a 70p bottle of your cheapest local brew.

Katrina "2 sniffs" Lomax at work

We were nearly throwing our boots up, but of course it's impolite to leave food - in fact the more food you can throw on the table, the better.

Treve getting into the Hong Kong spirit

Gadget purchases out of the way (Katrina had the patience of a saint! TK), we crossed over to Hong Kong island on the famous Star Ferry and took the tram up the Victoria Peak. Tourists have been taking this tram ride since the late 1800's to enjoy the outstanding view over the amazing skyline of central Hong Kong.

We walked around the peak and couldn't believe how fit the Chinese are - there were parallel bars and other gymnastic equipment everywhere you looked around the circuit - of course, we did a few press-ups on the way around! No wonder they live so long!

As the sun dropped we were treated to a view of the bright lights of the Hong Kong business district.

Bright lights, big city

Central business district by night

During the day, we wondered around the temples of Kowloon where the locals passed by to pray to Buddha and then lounged around outside reading the paper.

Temple in Kowloon

Even in this ultra-commercialised society, the shops closed early on Sundays. Everyone took the chance to escape from the pull of the shops to wander along the promenade down at Tsim Sha Tsui, facing Hong Kong island.

Katrina on Tsim Sha Tsui promenade

There was even their version of Hollywood Boulevard called Avenue of the Stars where the heros of Chinese & Hong Kong cinema had left their handprints on the floor.

Treve & Jackie - best of pals

Every evening at 8pm we were treated to an impressive light display with lasers on the tops of the highest skyscrapers over the water on Hong Kong island.

Looking across to the Hong Kong Island evening light display

We would always stagger back to our guest house in the evening, tired but buzzing from the energy and chaos of the place. You can't fail to get sucked in by the neon lights and the persistant patter of the salesmen lurking in the doorways of the shops. Everywhere we turned, we were being offered tailored suits and knock-off handbags by Indian men. Strangely enough, the Chinese guys running the gadget shops were very laid-back - suppose there are plenty more tourists where we came from!

There was a real contrast between the commercialised Kowloon peninsula in the north and the smart business district on Hong Kong island. The Brits and other Europeans working in the "colony" seemed to have taken stock of this and firmly positioned themselves in Hong Kong where they could enjoy the tranquility of the parks and the Euro-style cafes & restaurants that had obviously been set up to service them. If you were to live and work here, you'd really need to be able to retreat from the chaos each evening!

Crashed out up at the Peak

After 4 great days, we said good-bye to Hong Kong feeling as though we'd had a buzzing time. In a way, it also felt like good training for Bangkok (about which we'd been fore-warned!) and the rest of Thailand.

We are writing this absolutely dripping with the humidity on the famous Khao San Road in Bangkok! See you later - got to get out of here!!

Treve & Kneebone xxx