Day 03 04-09-2013 Wed Hong Kong

For a change of pace we had breakfast in a Delifrance across from our hotel. Not bad, and the coffee was good

Setting off, we made our way over to Hong Kong Central by train. The trains are unusual in that there are no doors between the carriages. It’s interesting to watch the train move like a snake as it follows the bends and dips. It took us a while to find Exchange Square where the bus to Stanley leaves from. Stanley is a seaside town on the eastern side of Hong Kong island. 

Seahorse topiary in mountainside

The latter half of the journey was quite exciting – a narrow winding road with steep ascents and descents and the mountainside within grasping distance. We sat at the front on the upper deck and were surprised/alarmed to see overhanging branches drooping through wetness repeatedly crash into the top of the bus. We had the greatest respect for the skills of our drivers. The scenery here is really quite outstanding, with occasional great seaward views of smaller islands dotted in the bay.

We alighted at Stanley Plaza, a modern four or five storey shopping mall. We had a good coffee served by a Swiss lass on the top floor, affording a good view of Murray House. This building was moved from Central to its present location in 1998. One surmises that the land at Central was desired for more profitable use. At the bottom of the Plaza we had a close up view of Murray House and had a look inside. It is filled with a number of restaurants, including one Bavarian Beer establishment.

Murray House

Stanley Pier

Stanley seafront from Murray House

Murray House ceiling

Murray House

We strolled along the seafront toward what seemed the commercial hub. We were actually looking for the Stanley Markets. We passed a number of restaurants along the seafront, all with touts out front. In a good example of price-fixing, they all charged HKD 128 for a meal including a soft drink or beer. We found the Markets and browsed our way through them. All manner of clothing, electrical, electronic, jewellery, souvenirs, etc., much like at yesterday’s Night Market.

Lunch was at one of the aforementioned eateries along the seafront – the Ocean Bar. We had ordered and were enjoying our drink when we observed an older gent carrying two food containers in a plastic bag into the premises. Less than two minutes later, our meal was served. It seemed that the establishment outsourced at least some of the food preparation. Singapore fried noodles – very good.

The trip back was along the same branch-slapping route – great fun.

We are still in awe of the engineering involved in building the underground rail stations - they are simply vast. We like the fact that whenever you clock on using the Octopus card, the machine display the amount of credit remaining. This is by far the best system we have encountered in our travels.

We spent an enjoyable evening with Sarah, the niece of friends in Sydney,  over dinner in a starred Michelin restaurant followed by drinks on the Mid-Level.

Hong Kong skyline from Star termainl in Kowloon

Joan and Sarah