China

Apr 23rd - May 19th 1997

Wednesday 23rd April 1997

Home to Beijing

The day has arrived. Up with the larks - raining - good for the garden which looks splendid.

Margaret arrived spot on 8am to take us to Cardiff - journey took an hour so we were in plenty of time for coach. Journey to London very comfortable - no hassle.

Margaret & Joan met us at Terminal 4. Jules Verne rep turned up not long afterwards with tickets & visa - all in order. Met other travelling companions - David & Joan Taylor from Coventry. Light lunch - anticipating dinner on aeroplane at 6:30pm.

Flight delayed until 6pm due to catering problems. No window seats - sat 4 in middle. Lovely dinner - disturbed night. Day arrived Beijing 3:20am British time after 9.5 hour flight. Flight smooth - hardly felt it moving.

Thursday 24th April 1997

Beijing

Met outside airport by Carol - our local guide and Tiger-Lei, our national guide.

First impressions of city - very hot, lots of traffic and lots of bicycles!! Hotel - 5 star - splendiferous - flopped out for 2 hours - breakfast at 3am does not suit us.

After rest met Carol and Lei in reception - snack & coffee and went by mini-bus to visit Summer Palaces of Dowager Ci Xi and her husband. Very powerful lady - rebuilt palaces after destroyed by fire - second time. Wonderful paintings on most of surfaces especially ‘under eaves’ - beautiful 3 tiered ‘opera house’ and ‘long walk’ along the side of lake - all colours in paintings. Marble boat.

Dined in hotel - Cantonese Cuisine - very eager to please. David had crispy chicken - the best choice - rest had steamed chicken and ham - a bit wishy-washy and swimming in chicken stock. Early to bed - tired out.

Friday 25th April 1997

Beijing

Beautiful morning. Slept well. Bathed before breakfast at 8. Typical English Breakfast - fruit, cereal, buns etc

Left at 9am for the Temple of Heaven - beautiful restored buildings - lots of visitors including many groups of children from 3 up to 12/13. Shapes interesting - lots of gargoyles, dragon and beautiful gold leaf and painted ceilings and eaves again - typical Chines architecture of 14th & 15th Century.

Lunch very good - still no good with chopsticks. Chinese tit-bits - soup, rice, green veg, chicken, pork etc.

After lunch went to Tiananmen Square - one place where all Chinese want to visit. Saw Mao’s Mausoleum but did not go in - appointment only - they have raising and lowering flag ceremony - something of ours they admire.

Walked across square dominated by Mao’s picture - over gate leading to Forbidden City - Imperial Palace - beautiful palaces - in a straight line.

Left via Imperial Garden - beautiful trees - bonsai and others. Visited Friendship Shop - did not buy anything.

Evening meal - not as good as lunch - quite messy. Finished evening with Beijing Opera - very good - miming? - excellent acrobats, Monkey King.

Journeys all day in heavy traffic - horrendous. Evening completed with tea & cake in room and so to bed. Very hot, dry & dusty today. Thank goodness for cooling breeze.

Saturday 26th April 1997

Beijing

A beautiful sunny morning - disturbed night - couldn’t get to sleep but felt on top form. Today we are off to the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs - but first we have breakfast.

Left at 8:30 for journey to Great Wall - along with what seemed like all the inhabitants of Beijing - traffic horrendous - queues in every direction - everybody driving to suit themselves - no heed given to rules of the road - no wonder visitors not allowed to drive in Beijing.

On way - building new motorway - little machinery - but lots of manpower - no-one working with any gusto.

After 2 hour journey arrived at Great Wall - hordes of people - all doing the same thing - walking ‘the wall’. Super views in every direction - quite strenuous in hot sunshine. Looked after by a Chinese couple - man wanted to practice his English!!! Spent about 1.5 - 2 hours on the wall. Lunched in local hotel - very good Chinese food yet again - different flavours today - ginger, garlic, soy, chilis!!

After another drive - this time downhill - hazardous - traffic impossible - through mountains - some 2000 feet high and wooded - arrive at Ming Tombs.

Touched turtle at entrance of tomb - 

head = good luck, 

back = free from pain, 

tail = long life.

Lots of evidence left - coffins destroyed by Red Guard. Jewels & gold removed earlier. Walked along Sacred Road - lined by multiple statues of men & animals - horses, camels, elephants. This road led to gateway to ‘Paradise’ and Ming Tombs. All crowds gone - beautiful evening - very enjoyable stroll. 

Visited Cloisonné factory where we also had dinner - delicious. Journeyed home in dark - very busy but enjoyable day. Tired - washed hair, did washing and so to bed.

Sunday 27th April 1997

Beijing

Where does the time go - free morning today - very leisurely breakfast - walked to Beijing Zoo just to see the Pandas - managed to negotiate road in both directions.

Pandas almost ‘humanoid’ - breakfasting on carrots & bamboo shoots - much admired by masses of Chinese families out on a Sunday outing.

David went out earlier to watch the dancing and breakfasting by the roadside - all very different. Walked back to hotel through park - traffic much less - but crossing the road still difficult. We attracted some attention from Chinese and had a photograph taken by one group.

Had elevenses and prepared ourselves for visit PM to Lamasery - Palace of Harmony & Peace. This was a beautiful palace - with exquisite carved and painted wooden eaves topped by glazed tiles - statues of Buddha much in evidence. In 3rd ’temple’ an enormous Buddha - carved from one trunk of Sandalwood - covered with gold leaf.

Peking duck dinner - excellent.

Monday 28th April 1997

Beijing to Najing

Up and out by 5:30am. Left Beijing at 7:30am to fly to Nanjing!!

Smaller city than Beijing but still very busy. Stayed at Junheng Hotel in city centre. This is ’The’ hotel in China - very plush.

Everywhere very hot - 80s - a bit of a ’no day’ - could have done without - visit to bridge - double-decker over Yangtze - motorway over railway. Started with Russian help - but these withdrew and Chinese finished it - no building another in near future further up river - costing billions of Yuan!!

Good lunch in Palace Hotel. Afternoon - visited mausoleum of Sun Yat-Sen - founded the Chinese Republic - overthrew feudal system. Very impressive - beautiful trees liming stepped approach. Very hot - masses of people.

Visited Pearl farm - fresh water pearls - no takers.

Saw wedding - evening dined in hotel together - outburst from Joan Taylor!! Good meal - better atmosphere . Ventured out in evening - braved fumes and traffic to visit very up market department store.

Tuesday 29th April 1997

Najing to Wuxan

Breakfasted on top floor of hotel - revolving restaurant - the ultimate - superb views over city and superb breakfast.

Left on train to Wuxan - soft class - special entrance and exit - double decker train - smashing - absolute luxury. Countryside like Holland - flat with many lagoons and ditches. Land intensively cultivated - up to 5 crops a year.

From Wuxan left on boat on canal - had lunch in boat - Captain and crew were cooks and ‘drivers - pleasant meal. What a journey - goods of every description transported in barges - families lived on barges - saw how washed clothes and selves - how cooked and cleaned and did everything - hard life. Flotillas of barges - high in water when empty - low when full! Plenty to see. Kuoni party on same boat - passing craft waved and blew horns!!

Super hotel - ‘Aster’ - very good meal - dined dirty as luggage didn’t arrive until late. Had pre-dinner drinks - excellent atmosphere over dinner - walked around block - repacked bags.

Wednesday 30th April 1997

Wuzan/Suzhou to Shanghai

This morning breakfasted in the “Venice’ room - very good.

Left at 9am to visit The Gardens. The first garden - Garden of Lingering was excellent - rocks, water etc - superb specimens of Bonsai - David very much in his element.

From garden to ‘Silk Factory’ - saw all stages from eggs to finished article - very interesting. David bought a shirt.

Lunch disappointing - even DT admitted not up to usual standard. WC - cubicle type out of this world.

Afternoon ‘Garden of Master of Nets’ - smaller than morning visit - followed by visit to Silk Embroidery Institute - research. Absolutely wonderful - skilled crafts women - pictures beautiful - especially scenery. Then went to visit Pagoda - wasted an hour.

Left Suzhou - on train to Shanghai - soft class of course.

First impressions of Shanghai - high rise buildings, masses of people, horrendous traffic - lots of advertising. Hotel Radisson SAS - out of town. Arrived before luggage - dined dirty.

Had a super meal - free from chopsticks - stuffed tomatoes, mushroom soup, steak etc. Desert - very good. Head in lounge - not worth it - and so to bed.

Thursday 1st May 1997

Shanghai

A beautiful morning. Joan’s birthday - gave her a card & present at breakfast - she was moved to tears. All clean for Joan’s birthday.

Left at 9 for garden built by Mandarin for his parents - Ming Dynasty. Exciting trip to destination Yu Yuan Garden - through very busy streets - holiday today - Labour Day. Walked through narrow streets - people selling their wares - food for all description cooked on the spot.

Crossed over zig-zag bridge past Tea House - where elderly residents take tea & gossip with friends in the morning & take caged birds for an airing. 

Garden typical Chinese design - water, rocks, flowers etc & rooms. Wooden buildings - unique furniture - some of roots on Banyan Tree. Roofs again heavily carved - splendid Dragons - with people in mouth, head of Ox - tendrils from nose, horns and tail of snake. Underneath ‘toad’ - lived together in harmony.

Again picture windows - screen covered. No pattern repeated. Azaleas, Ginkgo Trees - rocks of intricate design - looked man-made - but not - a very good leisurely visit to a beautiful garden.

This followed by another hair-raising journey - motorists, cyclists & pedestrians understand each other very well - a few what looked like to me some near misses!!

Walked along the ‘Bund’ - waterfront to lunch. Buildings English design - traditional of 1920s - many high-rise buildings and advertising. Masses of people - we attracted much attention - ladies wanted photograph taken with David. Guide Angela very good - explained everything and took time.

Tallest building ‘Pearl Tower. River Huangpu (Yellow River) very busy. Ferry, barges, ships. Shanghai very busy port - junction of Yellow and Yangtze River.

We dined - very good hotel overlooking river - good food - fish, pork, green veg, fried rice etc. Seagull Hotel.

In afternoon visited museum in Shanghai - very impressive entrance hall - four floors - circular pattern - beautiful stairs and banisters of redwood - each ending in dragon’s head in brass. Jade room - very ancient - dates from earliest period.

Looked at costumes - very splendid colours and decoration of all descriptions. Paintings appealed to me especially those with ethereal look - mists & mountains - very delicate colours.

Took afternoon tea in tearoom altogether - cookies very good. This followed by a shopping trip to Nanjing Road - shops of every size and description selling everything. Bought some paintings on silk - visited enormous department store - fashion out of date - especially for women. Children being bought named goods - only one child - receive all they want.

This followed by dinner again in a splendid hotel and then visited acrobatic show - very good indeed - very skilled.

Very busy day - very enjoyable - tired out.

Friday 2nd May 1997

Shanghai to Qiao-Feng

Election results dismal. Labour set for huge majority. Tony Blair in Number 10. Breakfast usual - very good.

Morning left to visit Temple of Jade Buddha - now know again how religion started in India. Jade Buddhas - how beautiful - they were encrusted with precious stones. Also library of books on religion - scrolls.

Visited jade factory - closed due to holiday - shop open - disappointing! This followed by buffet lunch - pick your own food - cooked in front of you - could have done without - not impressed.

Then left by air for Wuhan - plane delayed. Flight bit bumpy - but no chickens? At Wuhan met by delightful courier - Kathy - beautiful - like most of the women - charming. 

Dined well - delicious meat and mange-touts peas - then - no boat and no luggage. Walked in Wuhan - in side streets - market selling everything - all very fresh - ALIVE - fish, eels, frogs, toads, snakes, lobsters, crabs and mussels -  beautiful looking fruit - having walked for 1 hour - taken to another coach to complete 3.5 hour journey to Jingzhou to port of Shasi where boat was docked.

By now almost Midnight - tired, dirty - still no luggage - found boat - Qiao-Feng - first impressions favourable - room etc clean - beds comfortable. Could have had dinner but refused. Luggage arrived as 2am. Tiger delivered it.

 

Saturday 3rd May 1997

Yangtze River

Another day dawns - slept well surprisingly. Woken up at 7am by gentle music!! Bathed - good hot water - 4 star so far.

Late for breakfast - dismal - jam sandwiches - couldn’t face cold sausages, cabbage, scrambled eggs, doughnuts, cake etc!!

Sallied forth to view city - still busy. Lots of markets in side streets - evidence of westernisation - incredibly hot - at 9am well into 70s/80s. Museum dirty but with some interesting exhibits of jade, silk and man’s body. City enclosed by walls. We visited Eastern Gate.

Back to boat for lunch - started slowly - but since only us and 6 others non-Chinese on boat plenty of noise. Plenty of choice - meat, fish, pig’s ear, vegetables - some very hot - soup quite delicious for a change. 

Short talk by ‘Harry’ on our Yangtze Cruise - all action tomorrow starting with early call. Very, very hot - had afternoon siesta - set sail at 2pm.

View from cabin window - banks with green fields, farmers with Water Buffalo - no obvious birds - some people paddling, sun umbrellas, lots of passing craft - river much used to transport goods. Passing small villages with ferries - carrying passengers, cars etc across Yangtze.

Scenery changed to well-wooded hills which came down to the edge of the river. Saw 2 white birds - now 3. 

Good dinner - far too much to eat - this preceded by the last of the sherry. Outside was balmy. Small floor show - bed by 10pm.

Sunday 4th May 1997

Yangtze River

Early morning call to be ready to pass through lock on Gezhouba Dam and into Xiling Gorge. Enormous lock with at least 5 boats - 3 of which were large. Took us one hour to pass through into Xiling Gorge.

Scenery spectacular - wooded hills - villas - as in Portugal - holiday homes of wealthy Chinese - roads on edge of river - tunnels through mountains - terraced fields, farmhouses tucked away on hillside - crops - corn, oranges, broad beans - for own use. 

Further up came to massive site of new dam to be completed by 2009. This dam 175 metres high with 5 locks and a powered elevator for boats. To generate electricity to accommodate this dam - 2 million people have to be moved - towns, villages etc submerged in the name of progress.

Very hot outside - Harry river guide - masses of information - some people moved already - these have moved back - cannot adapt to new area.

Talked with a group of 3 ladies - born & bred in China - evacuated at start of war - 2 sisters to America - Sheila to Australia - intrepid travellers and a Swiss couple.

Lunch very good - much too much to eat. Moving now towards Wu Gorge - scenery magnificent - sad to see villages and towns which will disappear after flooded by dam.

Still much traffic on the river. Saw Sand Seagulls and 3 Fish Eagles - dark brown Eagles. Goats on hillsides. Terraces and well-tended hillside fields - all will be submerged. Walls of Gorge steep - given names like The Goddess, Fairy, green-screen hills etc. Lots of stories associated with Gorge. Emperors & dragons etc.

Tied up at Wusan for night. Dinner quite a mixture - chicken, duck, pork, fish - some very hot - spicy pork, garlic by the ton - not for me - delicious green veg. Had our coffee outside overlooking ‘harbour’ - scene of much activity - all of this will disappear - temporary dwellings - seemingly so - but with TV set.

Need up at 5:45am for excursion into Lesser Three Gorges - don’t forget life-jackets!!! T’s a pain!! And so to bed.

Monday 5th May 1997

Yangtze River

Up at 5:30 for 6:30 breakfast & 7am start. All the cruise ships were docked at Wusan - everybody was heading for Lesser Three Gorges - river low.

Bused to start of cruise - absolute shambles - each boat held about 30 - sitting low in the water - water, cold clear and blue as from a glacier. Scenery impressive - stopped along way - 1st time for boat to go up over rapids and then to collect pebbles.

On return journey started & continued to rain - like stair-rods - journey back 1 hour getting into the dock. Hilarious - bumping and pushing - at last docked - getting off worse then getting on - ‘jumped’ from boat to boat - locals selling umbrellas - very wet - bus to boat through town - lots of horn blowing - down steps to boat - changed, lunched and went on deck through 3rd Gorge.

Chatted to American ladies - daughters of missionaries - left Hong Kong start of Japanese invasion - very well read - well travelled.

Dined and had drink with Americans. Nothing definite planned for tomorrow.

Tuesday 6th May 1997

Yangtze River

Disturbed night - boat travelling through rough & narrow stretch. Woke early - to grey skies and stair-rod rain. Fried eggs for breakfast - cold but tasted alright.

Umbrellas at ready we are off to visit “Ghost City” on the banks of the Yangtze. Ghost City where your spirit goes when you die - lots of horrendous statues - avenue of dreadful looking men/beasts - dealing with ‘bad spirits’. To enter - need to pass 3 tests - bridge - middle love - sidesheath & wealth.

To reach this - up in chair-lift to ‘Temple’ at the top. Splendid view of town and harbour. Delightful guide - well versed in all information - usual traffic jam in town - roads built for bicycles jammed with cars, buses, lorries etc. Lots of people selling wares - bought hat for 5 Yuan and 4 oranges - delicious.

Back for lunch - knowing good spirits came back as people - bad spirits as animals having being first dealt with in chamber of horrors. Saw lovely umbrella - suit Nikki.

Lunch usual fare - would welcome something different!!! Read in afternoon while others had a rest. Travelling up river dwellings of all descriptions - sampans, hovels of striped plastic sheeting, huts, cottages huddled together near pits, brick & lime work - lots of rusty boats - many still in use carrying all manner of cargoes - blocks of grey faceless flats, beautiful well-tended fields - neat rows of crops, sweet corn etc.

Lots of barges loaded and unloaded by hand - plenty of willing workers. We passed the ‘glass menagerie’ - lots of little boats crossed in front of us - no priority et droit. As on the roads - lots of horn blowing!

Visited the bridge of the ship and shown how it is navigated along the Yangtze - depends on seeing - landmarks etc. Crew on bridge ‘know’ the river - takes 16 years to become a Captain of a ship.

Banquet was disappointing - only nice edibles - cake at the end! This followed by a party - traditional dancing - party games - drinking jug of beer in fastest time, picking up silver balls with chopsticks etc - lots of noise.

Packed for early start tomorrow.

Wednesday 7th May 1997

Yangtze River to Chongqing

Early breakfast followed by shambles. Tiger insisted you must tip bell boys for handling luggage - all misunderstanding - he isn’t able to ask or tell us in a nice way about tipping - just as he finds us difficult to understand.

Hustled off boat - had to be hauled up from one level to another. Impossible for American ladies - agreed they should use gangplank. Boat sailed as soon as we set foot on dock. And so on to Chongqing - 16 million people, busy, no bicycles - lots of high-rise buildings - some old, many new.

Visited centre where several famous artists live - beautiful work, lovely garden - visited market - everything sold - very fresh - living fish etc.

Had lunch - gone off Chinese food. Holiday Inn full of Americans. Afternoon - craft centre - we are saturated with same goods - saw Pandas being fed, visited museum of ancient Chinese medicine - herbs, acupuncture etc - doctors looked like they needed treatment themselves.

Poured with rain. Weary now. Food bearable.

Thursday 8th May 1997

Chongqing to Xian

Very early start - 3 hour drive to caves at Dazhu - out in the country. Up at 5:30 - out with luggage and away by 7am.

Journey through country - very interesting - well-tended, orderly fields - rice, beans etc. Caves - not caves - statues in a valley - very large - history of 3 religions - Buddhism, Confucius, Taoism - reclining Buddha - paradise & hell.

Lunch - not very enjoyable. David bought a pot. Rained on way back to airport. Plane left at 7:30 - squashed like sardines. Sat next to Chinese electronics engineer - very informative.

Usual shambles on arrival - mostly tourists. Hotel 1 hour from airport. First impressions - much cleaner, less busy, night market, labour market.

Sandwich for supper and so to bed.

Friday 9th May 1997

Xian

Late start. Western breakfast. Good night - away by 10am - raining - Museum of Xian.

Tiger in his element - as he was last night. Animated in museum explaining history of his province and city - centre of China Qin Dynasty, Tang Dynasty.

Buffet lunch good. Afternoon Big Wild Goose Pagoda - walked on wall for 1 hour. Afternoon tea & cakes back in hotel. Grand Castle - 5 start but not as good as Beijing. Dinner in hotel - very disappointing - cold and tasteless.

View from window over busy square. South Road out of old city - cars, cycles, pedestrians - hooting and tooting - but no agro.

In AM people gather to do exercises. Tiger told us that his grandparents ‘disco’ every AM in the Garden of Wild Goose Pagoda - rise at 4:30am to do this.

Saturday 10th May 1997

Xian

Today we are going to see the Warriors - a very good day apart from the dumpling dinner.

This AM visited Neolithic village - accidentally found when building a power station. Then a factory where make pottery - more shopping - warriors, tang horse - then a garden with hot springs. Tiring rapidly of Chinese food.

Visited Terracotta Warriors - superb. Started with cinema - very well done - all these Emperors were ruthless warriors. Then visit 1st pit - most excavation - rows of warriors - all different - faces, hairstyles, armour etc - very impressive - still much work to be done. Refuse help of non-Chinese experts. Now 8th Wonder of the World. Sand pit - some restoration in 3rd - 2 beautiful bronze chariots - superb details again - magnificent.

Dumpling dinner - disappointing - grotty surroundings. Dinner non-existent unless liked dumplings!! Show spectacular - Chinese music, dancing etc. Suppered on squashed fly biscuits, tea & coffee.

Sunday 11th May 1997

Xian to Guilin

Free morning - walked to South Gate and into town. Very busy - shops open. Near Bell Tower - area like Hyde Park Corner with banners explaining interests and concerns - environmentalists.

Lunched at airport. Left Xian at 1:40pm. Some bumpiness. Very hot in Guilin. 5 star Royal Garden Hotel - disappointing - good dinner.

Went to see Cormorants from air - very beautiful. River Li, terraces, rice fields, Buffalo, fish ponds, Carisa tree - Osmanthus  - natural tree.

Cormorants fishing - dived off rafts, caught fish - disgorged into basket on raft. Lasted half an hour - do it 2 or 3 times every evening for benefit of tourists.

Shopped in night market - bought tablecloth seen everywhere. Hot and sticky. Beautiful sunset at dinner.

Monday 12th May 1997

Guilin

Reasonable breakfast - short, sharp tropical shower - rain like stair-rods.

Buses to start of cruise on Li river - beautiful scenery. Farms, ducks galore - pleasant breeze - lunched on board. Water Buffalo.

Ended about 2:30pm in a tropical storm - lots. About 1000 stalls selling usual goods. 1.5 hour trip back to hotel in glorious sunshine through well-tended farming land and small villages.

Dined at 6:30pm then had quiet drink in upstairs lounge - very pleasant.

Tuesday 13th May 1997

Guilin to Hong Kong

Free morning. Must have rained in night - river high and very muddy.

Walked in town. Checkout at 12pm. Local lunch - not very good - and down came the rain. Very hot & steamy.

Climbed Fubo Hill Rock - beautiful view - small cave at bottom. Then went to Reed Flute Caves - magnificent formations of stalactites and stalagmites. This followed by visit to jewellery factory - no sale. 

Dined in local restaurant in Guilin - fair only.

Left at airport after saying goodbye to Tiger. Flew through electric storm - bumpy. No-one met us at Hong Kong but we arrived eventually at City Garden Hotel after taking taxi.

Wednesday 14th May 1997

Hong Kong

A beautiful morning - hot sunshine. Had breakfast.

Spent our day on The Peak. Travelled by bus & Peak Tram to top. Beautiful views of Hong Kong. Lots of fantastic high-rise buildings - very modern - typically American. Lunched on top.

Walked in afternoon - masses of lovely many-coloured butterflies - beautiful flowers and trees. Superb homes of very, very wealth Hong Kongese. Asked policeman - in Hong Kong after return journey - way to Landmark.

Dined - dirty, sweaty & disheveled - in Italian trattoria - English Maitre d’ - lovely, lovely pasta - delicious desert. Back to hotel by tube - quite an adventure.

Thursday 15th May 1997

Hong Kong

Bought breakfast and dined together. Off at 8:30am - free trip courtesy of Concorde Travel - visited Victoria Peak then market - Stanley - Aberdeen Harbour in sampan, visited jewellery factory.

PM - Hollywood Road, Upper & Lower Lascar Road - masses of antiques.

Evening - tube to Kowloon - steak in steakhouse. Walked up Nathan Road to Temple Street - night market - heaving masses - bought shirts. Home by taxi - great, fun day - very tired. Courier very materialistic. 4 C’s to get married.

Friday 16th May 1997

Hong Kong

By ferry to Lantau Island - 1 hour journey - largest Budda - outside. Visited monastery - Po Lin - travelled around island by taxi. Visited houses on stilts in Tai O. Saw site of new airport. At Tung Chung visited fort (1832).

Back to hotel via Chinese craft shop - Margaret at last bought ‘flying horse’ - we bought a smaller version.

Went Italian again - delicious. Home by tram - saw Hong Kong at night. All bright - masses of people about - do they ever stop shopping!

Saturday 17th May 1997

Hong Kong

Went on own today. David and self. Went into centre and up the hill on an escalator- almost to the end of high-rise flats.

Walked to Botanical Gardens - very pleasant. Some disagreement - absolutely shattered - very hot & humid. David tipped tea all over himself.

Walked in a superb aviary - masses of birds - beautiful colours - surroundings ideal for birds. 

Back to hotel for tea. Looked for Food Street to have evening meal - no longer exists. Dined Italian - Tony Roma’s - steal - delicious and baked potato & salad and desert. Smashing atmosphere.

Home by tram again - still hot - lots of people about - good fun. Storm in night - rain, thunder etc.

Sunday 18th May 1997

Hong Kong

Last full day. David & self took ferry to Cheung Chau - no cars allowed - hot as hell!! Scorching sun - no breeze - walked about 5 miles.

Delightful fishing ‘village’ - lots of sampans, 2 beautiful beaches. Exhausting day.

Peaceful trip back on ferry - partial recovery. Joan & Margaret - Kowloon to see exhibition of new airport. Had tea together and after drinkies - went off by taxi to the Revolving Restaurant - 66 - top of Hopwell Building. Superb view of Hong Kong illuminated - 1.5 hours to complete turn.

Food delicious - asparagus followed by porn with mushroom ragout, red wine and drooling deserts. Very attractive Maitre d’. David - steak. Me and Joan - chicken. Very expensive - but smashing end to an excellent holiday.

Home by tram packed like sardines. Trifle frayed at the edges - but survived.

Monday 19th May 1997

Hong Kong to Home

Last day - surprising slept well until 6:45am - didn’t get up until 7:45am. All breakfasted together at 9am.

Packed all morning. Out by 12 noon. Courtesy bus to Central. Open air bus to Peak Tram - up to Peak - shrouded in mist. Lunch - pizza - very good - carrot cake and fresh fruit salad. 

Down by four. Looked in banks - Bank of China, Shanghai Bank - back to hotel by C bus - trams too crowded. 

David showered - me and Joan had a swim - we all changed. Had tea in lounge - sandwiches from our deli while we waited to be taken to the airport.