<b>Nov 2-3 - Getting Organized in Hong Kong</b>

Aside from mundane considerations having to do with how to get from A to B on my OneWorld award, I had two reasons for stopping off in HK. First, I figured that after a couple of months traveling I would need a rest, and second, I wanted to try out some of Cicerone's walking recommendations, especially for the outlying islands. A bad foot and bad weather combined to put a stop to the walks, on the one hand, but to make a rest more attractive on the other.

Someone expressed surprise on one of my planning threads that I would consider HK a suitable place for a rest, but all that a rest requires is that you sit still - in your hotel room or a cafe, preferably a comfortable one. It doesn't much matter whether you're in Hong Kong or Honfleur, you simply need to stop. Now, I'm quite good at doing that at home - I just need a good book or my computer - but I'm terrible at doing it on the road. There's always something else to see, somewhere else to check out. Even with rest in mind, I was planning a trip to Macau and several walking tours...

I'd only visited HK once before, in 1997 just after the handover, at the end of a pricey Smithsonian tour of China - my first taste of Asia. I'd had a big harbor-view room Kowloon side - this was back when I was still working, and wasn't traveling on a budget - I'd been taken on a walking tour of Central and up the Peak on the tram, and I'd ridden a bus to Aberdeen on my own for a boat tour of the harbor. And I'd had no particular interest in returning until I read Cicerone's posts and figured you didn't have to be a shopper to enjoy HK. Having already stayed in a harbor-view room, I decided not to pay extra to repeat the experience, and instead booked a no-view room at Bishop Lei on the island. For most of my visit no views were available, so I was very glad I wasn't paying for something I couldn't enjoy!

The "express" bus to Taipei airport was no better than the cheaper "regular" bus, and the airport reminded me of Newark, but Cathay Pacific business class was as comfortable as ever, and provided food even though the flight took around 90 minutes and good noodle soup had been on offer in the lounge. At Hong Kong airport I had a useful talk with the T.I. people, got some cash, picked up a transport pass (Octopus card) and then rode the sleek and smooth Airport Express to Hong Kong island, where I treated myself to a taxi up to my hotel. (Bishop Lei has a shuttle, but I didn't have a schedule - despite an emailed request for one.)

After I got sorted out at Bishop Lei it was after 2:00, and it seemed a good day for afternoon tea - I didn't need lunch, but I wanted something to bridge the gap to dinner. I don't have much of a sweet tooth - much more a salt and spice one - but I do have weakness for scones and clotted cream, and had asked on Fodors about the best place for them. Although the Penn had been the easy winner, the Mandarin Oriental on the island had been mentioned, so I headed there. I had to wait until 3:00 for afternoon tea to start (and a good 15-20 minutes more for any food to show up on my table), but I enjoyed the five savory and five sweet morsels and the two scones that eventually showed up. I have to say that the ambiance in the Mandarin's somewhat Art Deco lobby was more business-oriented than I expected.

I had also asked on Fodors for a recommendation for someone to cut and color my hair, which had reached the critical stage. Since I would pass Cicerone's stylist at Tala’s on Shelly St. on the way back to my hotel, I stopped off there. Although Renee was on holiday, Lisa did a good job for me. Tala's is right next to the mid-level escalators, which delivered me reasonably close to Bishop Lei. I enjoyed riding the escalator, especially after I found the sky walk from the IFC Mall which kept me off the street, although I wouldn't want to live in one of the neighboring buildings. Not only was it fun to check out the assorted businesses, by watching the locals I discovered I could get a $2 credit on my Octopus card from a machine part-way up.

For dinner that night I walked down (rather too far down for my bad foot) to Elgin St. in search of India Today, from Cicerone's restaurant recommendations. Since it seemed to have closed, and I wasn't very hungry, I ate tapas at Enoteca instead. Very good chicken strips and wild mushrooms with wine, but a little pricey, I thought.

The next morning I continued working my way down my things-to-do-list, calling the Adventist Hospital for an appointment with the on-duty orthopedic specialist. (Adventist was another Cicerone rec - THANKS, Cicerone!) The taxi ride to the hospital was longer than I had expected from the map, but the views were good. The verdict on my foot was that it was still recovering from the sprain in Vancouver. Good news - no permanent damage likely. Bad news - I would keep limping for a while.

The last item on the list, buying guide books for Nepal and India, didn't work out. Warnings that books were expensive in HK turned out to be all too true - I should have bought in Taipei. After seeing what Dymocks at the IFC Mall wanted for Lonely Planet Nepal, I figured that since my Kathmandu hotel would pick me up at the airport I could wait. Then I headed back to the Pret a Manger I had seen on my way into the Mall for lunch. I am very fond of Pret, especially their crayfish and rocket sandwiches, and don't understand why I have an abundance of McDonalds in my town and not a single Pret, when McDonalds now owns Pret. (Even worse, the US Prets I have visited don't seem to stock the crayfish sandwich.)

Just checking in to let you know how much I am enjoying traveling with you! You certainly are a trooper. Enjoy, and keep up the bulletins! eks

Hello Thursday, I'm still here too.
Your HK bit reminded me of when I was there last April. I too had used it as a 'rest' though I stayed with friends out on Cheung Chau. I guess you didn't get out there with the bad weather? It was bad in April too.
I have to say you have had really bad luck with weather this trip. I would have hated it, always moan about the rain.
Your tales of the mid-levels escalator and Dymocks brought it all back, I can see, hear and smell HK all around. You were right in the middle of things there.
And yes, it's hard to find hairdressing facilities when on the road. I've often thought that would be a useful addition to Lonely Planet.
Good to hear the ankle is no worse than a sprain that will recover though it doesn't sound like rest and recovery is on your schedule right now.
Looking forward to the next bit.

Hello eks - nice to see you here!

Hi gertie - yes, LP is remiss on the hair dressing front - too many male authors, maybe. My usual technique is to head for an expensive hotel and ask there. Cheung Chau coming up.

This next piece was written (in pen) over an after-dinner Cointreau - hope it makes sense.

<b>Nov 3-5 - Hazy Hong Kong</b>

I arrived in HK on a sunny, clear day. For some reason I expected this desirable state of affairs to continue. How naive. Aside from the day I left, sunny but hazy, the weather got progressively worse each day. I abandoned thoughts of visiting Macau altogether, although I did take a ferry to Cheung Chau after visiting the hospital and lunching at Pret my first full day.

Despite the sun the views quiet from the ferry were much obscured by haze. After walking past a long line of waterfront cafes on the port side of Cheung Chau, I discovered the completely (in November, at least) beach side, a short walk away. I thought the island quite scenic - a good escape from HK if needed.

When the next morning dawned grey I set off for Kowloon-side markets. Finding the first, the bird market, took more walking than I expected. As I followed the signposts provided by the T.I., I even imagined I might be walking in circles. When I eventually reached it, the market seemed to be shutting down for the day - or perhaps for lunch. I thought it sad - the birds beautiful but caged. I couldn't quite figure out the pecking order that gave one bird his own cage, and condemned others to crowded quarters. Although I had come to see the birds, I noticed that everything to do with their care and housing (and display) could be bought there - including live food.

The flower market, equally small, at least raised no moral questions for me. At the jade market, reached by a short subway ride, I actually spent some money - all of $5. The adjustable string holding the jade pendant I bought in New Zealand in 2005 had finally given way in Taiwan, and it had occurred to me that the jade market was the perfect place for a replacement. This market filled two big halls, but I saw little variety in the merchandise.

As rain set in after lunch I headed for the Art Museum, only to find it closed. (My fault, it's always closed on Thursdays.) So, what to do on a rainy afternoon in Tsim Sha Tsui? Tea at the Penn, of course! Tea there runs from 2:00 to 7:00,and at 2:45 I was third in a slow moving line. Here I chose not to get the full tea, just scones and cream, but they were bigger and better than those at the Mandarin, as was the setting - a white and gold colonial confection. I could have used more cream, but can't you always use more cream?

Then I completed my market survey by getting off the escalator at Hollywood Rd. for antiques, and I could not believe how many Tang-era artifacts - or at least Tang-style artifacts - I was seeing. (Perhaps Cicerone can explain if she's reading this.) The night before I had eaten Thai food at Soho Spice on Elgin St. - not up to the Thai food in Taipei, I thought. This night I made a reservation at Red on the top floor of the IFC Mall (good service but slightly overcooked sole) before riding the Star ferry to Kowloon and back. All for the views, of course, but the weather did not co-operate.

The next day I actually got to visit the Art Museum, but concluded that I might have temporarily overdosed on Chinese museums - although the "Tour Guide to Canton II" kept me amused for a while. Afterwards I really started to slow down. With the museum cafe closed, I ate lunch at the Union Bar and Grill in the IFC Mall (yes, I was there a lot), and while the food wasn't great the large - and I do mean large - glass of very good Shiraz was above reproach and kept me occupied well into the afternoon. After coffee at Starbucks I picked up salad (crayfish and smoked salmon) and a sandwich (chicken and avocado) at Pret, and ate dinner in my room.

After Taiwan I found the room at Bishop Lei decidedly small - I wouldn't want it as a double - but I ate breakfast there every day (coffee, OJ, yogurt and energy bar) and dinner (from Pret) twice. After two solid months of restaurant meals I enjoyed eating "in".

Istanbul calling. Too jet-lagged to write. Too confused to write but let me congratulate you on your post-Cointreau prose. Write more drunk. It works for me.

The whole world is watching.

See how jetlagged? I wrote virtually the same sentence twice. Hopeless.

Hi Thursdaysd - I am still following along as well and am happy to read that your foot is improving.
Speaking of Pret a Manger, I am a big fan as well - the first one in the US opened in NYC down the block from the Stock Exchange when I worked close by a few years back. Now there are many in Manhattan and I was at one today. Back then I used to ask the Manager about the crayfish sandwiches and was told it was a problem keeping the fish fresh while importing them. They were sold briefly in NYC also back a few years. FYI, MdDonald's didn't own Pret, only had an investment which they sold to a British private equity co in 2008. Sorry to go off topic.....continue to enjoy your wonderful trip!

OK folks, quick check in to let you know I made it to Lumbini, and the Hotel Kasai is in no way a hellhole. The bus ride, on the other hand - 'fess up dogster, did you take the bus or a car and driver?

Anyway, no wifi here, I'm typing on the computer behind the reception desk! Unless I find a 'net cafe, you won't hear from me again until Lucknow on the 22nd. Play pretty.

Car and driver. lol. I'm no fool. You'll find internet somewhere. All those monks love a computer.

I had a strong reaction at Lord Buddha's birthplace. I'm not quite sure why. You'll see the stone. Hopefully, the place will be full of pilgrims for you. I think it's pretty damn boring otherwise. Replicas don't do it for me, particularly as I've been to most of the originals.

That said, I bet you have a magic time. We'll all be waiting.

I'm in Bangkok, but still following your adventures. You are gutsier than I am, taking a bus in Nepal... glad you made it to Lumbini.

I always seem to be behind here! Nice to hear you got to Cheung Chau Thursday. I spent a lot of time hanging out in those restaurants near the port and consuming vast quantities of fish! Also managed to spend half a day in the Art Museum and the rest in the posh new development on Kowloon side. Not as lucky as you at the Penn for tea...the queue was long and hardly moved at all. I guess once you get a table there you hang on to it like grim death. Gave up and went somewhere unmemorable.
Your travels in Nepal are all new to me, never been, enjoying the trip.

My Lumbini hotel just got its wifi working, in the lobby, at least, so here's the last Hong Kong piece. Off to India tomorrow.

<b>Nov 6-7 - Hong Kong Wrap</b>

My last full day in Hong Kong I looked out my window to see another grey, wet day. Pulling up Cicerone's list of "off the beaten path activities in Hong Kong" on my computer, I decided to visit Sam Tung Uk Museum - a restored Hakka village - at the far end of the red subway line. Fortunately, the museum was only a short walk from the station, as the rain was coming down in sheets. Unfortunately, part was being renovated. But I found it interesting anyway, with a typical front-to-back, public-to-private orientation, and a small exhibition chronicling the change from farming to industry to high-rise housing in the surrounding area.

The subway had surfaced briefly at Kwai Fong station, near the end of the line, and I had noticed a large mall with covered access. I decided to stop off there for lunch on the way back to the island, thinking I might eat where the locals ate. But it turned out that the locals liked to eat dim sum, while I don't. I finally settled for so-so green curry at a Thai-Viet-Malay place. In the course of the ride out and back, I realized how seldom (as in almost never) I had seen "mixed" groups - just Westerners with Westerners and Asians with Asians. And aside from one British family also eating Thai, I saw no other Westerners in the mall or on the outer reaches of the subway line.

I devoted the remainder of my last day in east Asia to the "rest" part of my program, with coffee and chocolate cake in the IFC Mall, and dinner in my room. Then I packed. The next day I would fly Dragonair to Kathmandu, but not until the afternoon. I still had a morning in Hong Kong, and when it dawned sunny, I went up the Peak in the hope of finally getting a good view. Since I'd already been up by tram I took a taxi, but this turned out to be a very slow way of getting there. Perhaps because it was a sunny Sunday, there was a major traffic jam on the way up. And even though it was a sunny day, the view wasn't that great as the persistent haze hadn't cleared.

I took a bus back down, getting off earlier than I needed to for the restaurant I had picked for lunch: La Creperie, on Queen's Road East. Here the savory crepe wasn't bad at all, but my crepe Suzette was served cold. It was a good thing I arrived a little early, as people were waiting for tables as I left. I rode a tram back to Central - a packed tram, in contrast to one I had ridden earlier in the week. Then I realized that I'd run out of time for a last ride on the escalator, and flagged down another taxi.

At Bishop Lei I reorganized my luggage and then took the shuttle back down to catch the Airport Express. Dragonair didn't have a business class check-in line, so for the first time this trip I had to use a kiosk and then drop my bag at the counter. But I did get to use the Cathay Pacific lounge. And have a shower.

Heya from somewhere near Turkey. Looking forward to KTM.

Hi dogster - you at sea? How was Istanbul?

Thursday,thought it was appropriate to continue here..I arrive in Mumbai & will be attending to business for a couple of days & then will meet up with friends in Goa,till Christmas.Will be in India for a week after,maybe till New Years.Plans still fluid.
I still find Hyderabad crowded.Don't miss the Salar Jung museum,the sound & light at the Golconda Fort (Call to check for timing;Ph;23512401)& well of course,to tickle your taste buds, the Hyderabadi Biriyani at Biriyani Paradise(the Sunday Brunch at the Nizam's Club is fantastic,but one has to be taken there by a member).Eagerly waiting for your report.

Hi inquest. I'm getting ready to start a new thread for south Asia, this one's taking too long to load, and I can't tag more than five countries. Thanks for the info on Hyderabad - Gorakhpur and Lucknow were/are incredibly crowded - 30 minutes to go less than a mile! Did have very good mutton kebabs at Fordors rec Tunday Kebabi.

Yes start a new thread! We leave tomorrow for Seoul and don't know what kind of connection we will have for download speeds :)

Aloha!

ht - best wishes for a wonderful trip! And stay safe - the latest news could be better. Have a brandied pistachio macaron for me.

OK, I have just started the south Asian thread: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...an-sojourn.cfm - let's move the discussion over there.

bookmarking

Hi, thursdaysd -

I'm considering making South Korea my next destination and so have just re-read this very entertaining report on your adventures -- and misadventures -- there. I've also looked at your wonderful photogalleries and your blog (I didn't see much there on Korea -- maybe I didn't look under the right month?). Thanks so much for this wealth of information! I'm still in the earliest stages of research, just deciding where to go (I will likely travel in May); any thoughts you care to share will be most welcome.

Thanks!