Hong Kong is looking like a go
#42
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That is great news. If I have not mentioned it in your other posts, September 22 and 23 are special holidays here. (I can’t quite tell what dates you are here, as the dates you give above are September 17 to September 15, which does not seem to make sense to me.) It is the Mid-Autumn Festival, also called the mooncake or lantern festival. In the week leading up to the festival, if you go to Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island, you will see elaborate lantern displays (evenings are best for this, as they are lit). You will also find paper lanterns for sale in local markets, these could make nice souvenirs. You can also go to Victoria Park on September 22, the actual festival day, to see people out (esp with children) with their lanterns in the park – it’s like a fairly land. For some information on the Mid-Autumn Festival/Lantern Festival, please see http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/...id-autumn.html (It appears from the website that there will be lanterns on display along the Kowloon waterfront as well.) If you are here on September 22, a good place to go in the evening is the bar on the top floor of the Park Lane hotel so you can see all the people down in Victoria Park with their thousands of lanterns. Your hotel may have other suggestions for where to see similar displays on the festival evening.
The other “event” during this festival is the exchanging of mooncakes. You will see them for sale everywhere, include Starbucks. Traditionally, these are lotus seed paste with a salted duck egg yolk centre; however these days they come in very many (more palatable) versions like red bean paste or even ice cream versions from Hagan Daz and the aforementioned Starbucks.
September 23 is a public holiday, but shops, restaurants etc will be open per normal. It’s schools, banks, the stock exchange and most offices which are closed. Public transport is running on a holiday schedule, which in many cases means more frequently than weekdays (esp for buses in the New Territories or Lantau).
October 1 is National Day, not sure if you will be here, but there may be fireworks in the harbour that evening. Check with your hotel, I have not been able to confirm yet if there are fireworks (somebody has to pay for them, not sure anyone has stumped up). They would be at 8 or 9 pm.
There are ATMs in the Arrivals Hall near the Airport Express station tracks. (There is also some sort of universal currency cash machine in the middle of the baggage claim hall, but they may charge fees for use, I have not used it.) To get to the ATMs near the Airport Express tracks, after you have gotten off the plane, been through Immigration and collected your bags, you will exit through two sets of doors into the huge arrivals hall. Walk to about the center of the opposite side of the hall, where you will see signs for the Airport Express and Taxis. Follow this short hallway toward the tracks. There ATM machines on the right, before a set of stairs leading up to the Airport Express entrance.
There is a good bit of stuff to see and do around the Courtyard Marriott. Run a search here, as I believe I have posted before. I can hunt for posts as well tomorrow. It’s a very interesting neighborhood.
Should you need medical care while you are here, I would suggest the doctors at either Adventist Hospital (see http://www.hkah.org.hk/) or Maltida Hospital (see http://www.matilda.org/eng/index.php). These are probably the two best private hospitals in Hong Kong. They are both on Hong Kong Island. Also ask your doctor if they have an reccos or affiliations in Hong Kong.
You can also drop me an e-mail at [email protected], however I will be in Vietnam for part of your time here.
The other “event” during this festival is the exchanging of mooncakes. You will see them for sale everywhere, include Starbucks. Traditionally, these are lotus seed paste with a salted duck egg yolk centre; however these days they come in very many (more palatable) versions like red bean paste or even ice cream versions from Hagan Daz and the aforementioned Starbucks.
September 23 is a public holiday, but shops, restaurants etc will be open per normal. It’s schools, banks, the stock exchange and most offices which are closed. Public transport is running on a holiday schedule, which in many cases means more frequently than weekdays (esp for buses in the New Territories or Lantau).
October 1 is National Day, not sure if you will be here, but there may be fireworks in the harbour that evening. Check with your hotel, I have not been able to confirm yet if there are fireworks (somebody has to pay for them, not sure anyone has stumped up). They would be at 8 or 9 pm.
There are ATMs in the Arrivals Hall near the Airport Express station tracks. (There is also some sort of universal currency cash machine in the middle of the baggage claim hall, but they may charge fees for use, I have not used it.) To get to the ATMs near the Airport Express tracks, after you have gotten off the plane, been through Immigration and collected your bags, you will exit through two sets of doors into the huge arrivals hall. Walk to about the center of the opposite side of the hall, where you will see signs for the Airport Express and Taxis. Follow this short hallway toward the tracks. There ATM machines on the right, before a set of stairs leading up to the Airport Express entrance.
There is a good bit of stuff to see and do around the Courtyard Marriott. Run a search here, as I believe I have posted before. I can hunt for posts as well tomorrow. It’s a very interesting neighborhood.
Should you need medical care while you are here, I would suggest the doctors at either Adventist Hospital (see http://www.hkah.org.hk/) or Maltida Hospital (see http://www.matilda.org/eng/index.php). These are probably the two best private hospitals in Hong Kong. They are both on Hong Kong Island. Also ask your doctor if they have an reccos or affiliations in Hong Kong.
You can also drop me an e-mail at [email protected], however I will be in Vietnam for part of your time here.
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We will be in HK from 9/18/10-9/25/10. The Festival will definitely be part of our trip. Having eaten Mexican with His Bobness, we can skip that in HK, but Italian is definitely on the menu. Any Italian suggestions?
#44
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Panda, really glad that you are thinking HK again. I understand your concern. It's really good that you are asking questions so ask away.
Cicerone's 'ask your doctor if they have an reccos or affiliations in Hong Kong' is very good advise.
I think your choice of hospital depends on what your type of care you need. Let's say you were experiencing stomach problem, you can go to the any of the private hospital and stay overnight for observation if needed. Adventist hospital on Stubbs road is a good looking hospital, I used to live five minute walking distance from there. In case you are in the neighborhood, you can take a taxi or bus(go upstairs stay in front) to Stanley bay for a nice walk on the beach(not much beach to speak of but it's nice there) and eat in a restaurant with a balcony overlooking the bay, it's relaxing. If you need to receive a specific new chemo drug still on trial, your best bet is the HK Queens' Mary hospital as it is a teaching hospital. The hospitals in BKK cater to medical tourism, in order to get more business, the hospitals do need to look and feel like hotels and getting accredited by Jachco is a super smart business move. My HK friends go to BKK for their annuals too because it's cheaper (not better) and it's a fashionable thing to do. The HK hospitals don't cater to tourists so they don't invest so much on the interior decoration and services. Queen's Mary being a public hospital looked less than basic(20years ago, haven't been there recently), but some of the best specialists are affiliated with that hospital. HK people choose the doctors first and go to whichever hospital that Dr. asks them to go. The problem is I don't know if that hospital take tourists. You may need to email them at http://www3.ha.org.hk/qmh/index.htm. to find out.
Cicerone's 'ask your doctor if they have an reccos or affiliations in Hong Kong' is very good advise.
I think your choice of hospital depends on what your type of care you need. Let's say you were experiencing stomach problem, you can go to the any of the private hospital and stay overnight for observation if needed. Adventist hospital on Stubbs road is a good looking hospital, I used to live five minute walking distance from there. In case you are in the neighborhood, you can take a taxi or bus(go upstairs stay in front) to Stanley bay for a nice walk on the beach(not much beach to speak of but it's nice there) and eat in a restaurant with a balcony overlooking the bay, it's relaxing. If you need to receive a specific new chemo drug still on trial, your best bet is the HK Queens' Mary hospital as it is a teaching hospital. The hospitals in BKK cater to medical tourism, in order to get more business, the hospitals do need to look and feel like hotels and getting accredited by Jachco is a super smart business move. My HK friends go to BKK for their annuals too because it's cheaper (not better) and it's a fashionable thing to do. The HK hospitals don't cater to tourists so they don't invest so much on the interior decoration and services. Queen's Mary being a public hospital looked less than basic(20years ago, haven't been there recently), but some of the best specialists are affiliated with that hospital. HK people choose the doctors first and go to whichever hospital that Dr. asks them to go. The problem is I don't know if that hospital take tourists. You may need to email them at http://www3.ha.org.hk/qmh/index.htm. to find out.
#50
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,614
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's Dr. Wai Sang Poon at Chinese University:
http://www.surgery.cuhk.edu.hk/staff/default.asp
He's the chief of neurosurgery there.
BC
http://www.surgery.cuhk.edu.hk/staff/default.asp
He's the chief of neurosurgery there.
BC
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Same info, I got from my oncologist, who passed along the reccos from Dr. Philp Wen, the head honcho in brain cancer at Dana Farber. Hopefully, all this is extra information.
Trying to get all my drug prescriptions filled and interfacing with insurance companies. Loads of fun.
Trying to get all my drug prescriptions filled and interfacing with insurance companies. Loads of fun.
#52
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A colleague of my husband's was treated at Queen Mary's (HKU hospital) a couple of years ago. In fact, I think he was there twice, although he was a scholar in residence at HKU at the time. HKU is in Western. Don't know where CU is located.
Good luck and have a fabulous trip!
Good luck and have a fabulous trip!
#55
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We took the airport shuttle service. Takes a bit longer because it stops at various hotels, but the bus was comfortable and much cheaper than a taxi (about 140 HKD if I rememeber). Think a taxi is closer to 350 HKD but obviously a tad quicker and convenient.
Mooncakes: blech.
Mooncakes: blech.