Hong Kong, China

The weather was 15C and overcast. The ship docked right next to the Star Ferries Terminal and the view of Hong Kong island was amazing. We had booked a tour to see some of the highlights and we headed off at 9am accompanied by our Chinese tour guide called Patrick! Very funny man with a dry sense of humour and excellent English and knowledge of Hong Kong. Our first stop was at a Tao temple. The incense was almost overpowering but very colourful and peaceful. We then headed for Hong Kong Island, passing through a tunnel and stopped at the Victoria Peak tram terminus. We took the tram to the top, quite an exciting ride but when we reached the top of the peak, there was very low cloud, a strong wind and it was cold. We could not see anything of Hong Kong. It was a disappointment but quite usual so we were led to believe. From there, we headed down to Aberdeen harbour for a ride on a sampan boat around the harbour. It was fun and fascinating. We then strolled around Stanley Market, interesting but we did not buy anything. After returning to the ship, we made our way to the main shopping area and finally found a shop selling traditional Chinese ware, where we bought some silk garments to bring home. That evening, we watched a laser light display over Hong Kong. It was spectacular.

The following day, we took the ferry to Hong Kong island at a cost of the equivalent of 23p each single and took a tram to the end of the line, which took us through much of the main part of the island, costing 28p each single. The journey took one hour and twenty minutes. At the end of the line, we wandered through a Chinese market and had a coffee in McDonalds (there seriously was nowhere else!). We visited another Tao temple for another heady mixture of incense and then boarded the tram for the return journey and back to the ship. Fantastic two days.Read more