Day 175 - Crossing Victoria Harbour to explore Kowloon

I only have 3 more sleeps til I make my way back home.  I am at a point now where at times it is a little hard to get motivated to hit the streets and site-see, but once I am out there, I just get so caught up on seeing and doing things that I loose track of time (despite the humidity and heat).

I caught the Central Mid-Levels Escalator down to the Central area of Hong Kong, then made my way to the Central Ferry Pier to catch a ferry across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon.  I was expecting that the trip would take awhile but it only took about 10 minutes!  Ripped off.  The view from the ferry was a little disappointing as it is so smoggy that you can't get a good view of the skyline.  However, I have continually heard how much pollution is an issue for Hong Kong, so I guess I am seeing it as it really is.

Once on shore, I followed the travel guide that took me past a few museums to the Avenue of Stars (Chinese equivalent of Hollywood's walk of fame), past exclusive shops, up Nathan Road (major shopping precinct) to the Hong Kong Museum of History.  I was planning on going in here as Nic said that it was a great place to learn about HK's history but unfortunately it wasn't open on Tuesdays (I didn't read that bit in the travel book!)

Instead I grabbed a bowl of sweet and sour noodles, before catching a train further north to check out the flower market, bird garden and goldfish market in the Mong Kok area.  I was astounded to see the range of flowers, especially orchids, birds of all types on beautiful ornate cages, turtles of all shapes and sizes, a huge variety of fish, rabbits, cats, dogs......totally blew me away.

Again I returned to Nic's apartment in the late afternoon to cool down, recharge my batteries, and get ready for a night out on the town with Nic.  At 7pm, after getting dressed up, I jumped in a taxi and went down to the central business district to a bar called Sevva for drinks.  The view was spectacular, I just needed a couple of glasses of champers to cope with the height!!  Nic's friend came and met us before she headed out for her birthday dinner.

Next stop was a restaurant called Ovologue, where we had incredible duck pancakes, spare ribs and a chicken and basil dish.  The food was fabulous, and so was the environment.  The restaurant is in an old colonial building that is full of character.  It was a lovely night, and by the end of it, both Nic and I were tired and ready for bed.

Day 174 - Exploring the Soho area of Hong Kong

Poor Nic, she is back at work.  I hung out at her apartment doing washing, and a few things on the internet.  It was a relaxing morning but I was itching to get out and about.  Nic had left me with Insight Guides Hong Kong book so I headed out to explore the city at about 11am.  Nic lives on the 12th floor of a building close to Soho.  I can't stop looking out the windows at the massive apartment blocks surrounding us - I don't stand too close to the window though as the heights are un-nerving.  

I decided to focus on the local area, so headed off down the mid-level escalators (it is extremely hilly in this area of Hong Kong - an escalator takes people down through the streets of Soho from early morning til 10.30am, and then it changes direction so people don't have to walk up all the stairs.  Makes perfect sense!)  I was instantly hit by how much hotter it is here in HK, and the humidity is so much more extreme.  Just as well I have been to Malaysia prior to this to get use to the conditions.  It would've been more of a shock if I had've come straight from the UK (sorry, just re-read this and my english is really poor but I'm sure you will excuse me for this).

Hollywood Road is famous for all its antique and art stores.  It is incredible and I spent ages just looking in the various stores.  The attention to detail is incredible.  I passed Chinese temples, food markets, and restaurants, laundering shops, and beauticians.  Unfortunately one of the main temples in the area Man Mo (dated from 1842) is closed for restoration.

I stopped in a traditional no-fuss noodle shop for a bowl of noodles for lunch.  I chose a pork wonton noodle soup but as soon as I bit into it, I realised that it had seafood in it as well.  Trying to explain to the waiter that I am allergic to shell-fish was interesting but he ended up understanding me, bringing fresh chop sticks and a spoon, and a bowl of beef noodle soup.  It was really tasty and I enjoyed it after I managed to get all the fat off the meat!!

I wandered around for awhile longer, then stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant for more food and a cold drink - beef rice paper rolls that were fabulous, and a soda, lime and mint drink.  Just what was needed.

Check the photos out:

Late afternoon I headed back to Nic's place to cool down and have a rest.  The humidity is really intense.

At about 7.30pm I met Nic for dinner and a couple of drinks.  We found a really nice restaurant in Soho for a meal and bottle of wine (food was not as expensive as I thought, but alcohol is).  After dinner we went to Lan Kwai Fong, to a bar called La Dolce Vita.  Another friend Nic suggested I go there and have a gin and tonic for her.  I had to oblige!  There are a couple of festivals on in Hong Kong at the moment, and there are lovely lanterns strung up all over the place.  They really look great at night.  By the way, I feel so safe walking around the streets of Hong Kong at night, and I really am surprised how clean the place is.

Day 173 - A whole lot of spice and Hong Kong here we come

I had read in Lonely Planet of this Tropical Spice Garden, that was located close to our hotel.  I was determined to check it out and Nic was interested too.  We caught a taxi there after breakfast, and paid for a guided tour of the 4 acre site that is privately owned, and is filled with plants, predominantly spices, from all over the world such as cinnamon, pepper plants, star anise and chillies.  We were provided with a citronella oil to put on ourselves as there were a lot of mosquitoes but despite this, the tour was really great and informative.

Just as the humidity increased, and the rain threatened, we jumped in a taxi to go to the airport for a quick shower, pack and then trip to the airport.  Farewell Malaysia – my lasting impression of this holiday will be the really friendly people.

Our flight to Hong Kong took nearly 4 hours.  We surrounded by screaming kids but somehow Nic still managed to nap a lot of the way.  I still can’t do it, no matter how tired I am.  By the time we cleared customs, collected the luggage and jumped on the train bound for Hong Kong city, it was about 9pm and then we had a final taxi ride to Nic’s place.  She lives in central Hong Kong – I am going to have a great time exploring this place.

Day 172 - Final night in Malaysia

Whilst I went to the day spa for treatment, Nic hit the pool.  I was going to have a Turkish treatment but changed my mind as the exfoliation wouldn’t be too good on sunburn.  Instead I had a soothing treatment where I was coated in a porridge and honey type substance, wrapped up in sheets, given a face massage and then was unwrapped and allowed to soak in a milk spa for half an hour.  Really chillaxing!!!  After a shower to get all the porridge off, I was covered in soothing oils – great for the sunburn.

I met Nic back at the room, we did final packing and then checked out of the hotel.  I did enjoy the Westin, it was a lovely environment to unwind in, but to also recover from my illness. 

We caught a taxi to the airport, and from there flew back to Penang (short flight, only takes about 30 min tops).  The airports are pretty chaotic places compared to a lot of the others I have been to.  We caught a taxi from the Penang airport to our new accommodation – the Lone Pine in Batu Ferringhi.  When we were last in Penang we stayed in Georgetown – the city.  This time, we decided to check out the beach area that had been recommended in the guide books, eventhough it was only going to be for one night.

We made a good move!  Batu Ferringhi has a more relaxed feel.  Our accommodation was really nice, and located right on the beach.

We quickly unpacked then headed down for a swim.  The pool area is a little small, and was filled with families as it was still really warm (about 4pm).  Nic and I headed to the beach and were really pleased with the quality of the sand.  I also loved the water, we had waves but also the water was fairly warm though still refreshing.  All around us were water sports once again, which means it is not a quiet environment, but entertaining to watch.  Nic and I thought it was so funny seeing Muslim women fully covered, riding on the back of a jet ski – would’ve been a great Kodak moment!!  We enjoyed the beach as the sun set.  I really wish we could stay for longer – it has a great feel about it.

Nic and I went for a wander up the street to check out the night market stalls and local galleries.  The whole street our hotel is on was lined with stalls, many selling cheap and tacky things, but it was good to look around.  We had read about an art gallery in the area so checked it out.  There were some lovely things in the shop – I bought a great Malaysian mask.

We noticed this restaurant/bar that was filled with potted plants, great art on the walls and Balinese-style furniture.  It seemed like a great place for dinner, and ended up being just that.  Both Nic and I were keen for a curry, and it was one of the best I have had for a long time – spicy but also full of flavour.

After dinner and on the return to the hotel we did a little more shopping – well actually I did, Nic just looked.  I finally found a statue of Ganesh – Hindu god (had wanted one since I was in India) and found a fabulous chinese incense burner.  Very special reminders of my time in Malaysia.

Day 171 - Swimming with fish

We have booked a snorking tour so had an earlier breakfast and were waiting for pick-up at 9am. A bus took us to Kuah Jetty, and from there we were herded like sheep to get wrist bands for identification, and then made our way to the ferry.  It was all a little chaotic.   The ferry to Pulau Payer Marine Park looked lovely on the brochure, but was actually quite dirty.  To make matters worse, I had envisaged we would be up on deck watching the view but instead we were down in the hull and the windows were so dirty you couldn’t really see much. 

Pulau Payar Marine Park is set up with diving platforms for snorkling and beginner dive sessions.  It was fairly overcast, but didn’t look as if it would rain.  We were close to an island that we could catch a small boat to visit if we wished.  Sections of water were roped off to contain the snorklers and divers in one spot.  We were provided with the equipment, but again the session was badly organised and it was hard to hear and understand the guides and their directions.  To make matters worse a big group of tourists (I won’t say from which country they were from) were there at the same time and they were really loud and painful.

Anyway, I was thinking I would struggle with the snorkel a little due to the cough and my brain’s reluctance to comprehend that  I can breathe underwater.  This didn’t happen though as the water was fairly clear and quickly you could see hundreds of fish swimming around, many with gorgeous colours.  I had an absolute ball in the water, after I replaced the first mask that was really uncomfortable.  The range of fish was fantastic, and I just got caught up in it all and tried to find quieter places in the water to float on the surface and watch.  There is a lot of coral in the area as well, so watching the fish dart around it, and the sea anemones was so cool.  Unfortunately there was rubbish floating in the water, which was sad, and bloody idiot tourists who either screamed so loud with what they saw and stood up on the coral (they were told not to do it), which detracted a bit from the bliss of the experience.

Lunch was provided, not brilliant but filled the gaps as Nic and I were both really hungry with all the swimming.  After lunch there were boat trips so people could go and feed the fish in another area, or visit the island.  Lucky for Nic and I a lot of people did this so we had the water pretty much to ourselves for over an hour.  I would get up on the pontoon to have a rest, but then saw an even bigger fish in the water so drop back in and follow it.  One couple we met were lovely.  They are from Singapore.  Unfortunately the woman was sea sick so not in the water much but her husband was in and told us later of the shark he saw – I honestly questioned if it was or just a bigger fish but he had a photo to prove it!!

The boat trip back was again disappointing as we couldn’t watch the view, but by this stage Nic and I were quite tired from all our swimming.  Once back at the jetty we were taken via bus back to the hotel.  We both had showers and quickly realised that despite all the times we put on sunscreen, we were both burnt on our backs and legs. 

Tonight Pies were to play Cats in the football so Nic and I headed to another part of Langkawi – Pentai Cenang, to see if we could watch it and have dinner and a couple of drinks. Cenang is the more touristy section of Langkawi, but even then we could not find a bar and a tv.  We headed onto the beach and had a walk around – lots of people out doing water sports eg riding the banana boat, parasailing from the back of the speed boat and Jet skis.  It is a pity with all the noise that you don’t get to hear the sound of the waves, but then again it was funny to see people out and enjoying the activities.

We found a restaurant that had been recommended in Lonely Planet for a particular deep fried fish curry dish (known as Nonya style).  The meal was really lovely, and so was the outdoor courtyard at Putumayo – reminded me of Bali.  We ended up having a fairly early night, catching the taxi back to the Westin (about a 40 min drive).  It had been a big fun day.

Day 170 - Rain scare and pampering my feet

Has our good weather spell been broken??  It was clear when we went to breakfast, but just as we were heading to the pool, the rain started coming down.  Plan B – go up to the lobby and use the internet for my blog and emails, book a tour to a local marine park for snorkling and a day spa session for Saturday. 

By lunchtime the weather had cleared so Nic and I resumed positions on the lounges beside the pool.  I had considered a swim at the beach but the water was not really clear.  My cough was a lot better, so I got stuck into some laps in the pool, then rewarded myself with ipod and Sudoku time.  There is a real mix of people at the various pools, quite a few families but also couples of all ages. 

Just before 5pm I headed off for a quick shower then to the day spa.  I had decided to reward my feet for the past 6 months of faithful service – they have taken me to 4 continents, and I have really punished them at times.  I had a deluxe pedicure that was delicious.  The fish spa had been good but nothing like really giving the feet a good scrub and then to top it off with freshly painted nails. 

After the treatment it was vodka o'clock on our verandah and time for a snack.  I have generally not been hungry for lunch during the day but am starving by late afternoon.  Nic and I are planning on heading out further afield in Langkawi tomorrow night for dinner, so stayed in tonight.  I had hoped that we would be able to attend a local hawkers market at night but they aren’t in the local area.

It was really quiet in the main restaurant at the hotel tonight.  I am trying to stick with Malaysian food as much as possible a) because it is so good and b) not long until we leave Malaysia so I won’t eat this type of food again for awhile.

Day 169 - What....sunshine 2 days in a row??? Brilliant

OMG, another morning waking up and not hearing rain!  We were so excited to have good weather 2 days in a row despite the weather forecast being for thunderstorms.  I definitely feel a lot better today, the cough is still there but I do have more energy and more of an appetite.  I went for a wander around the hotel grounds, taking photos of the lovely environment then buffet breakfast, here I come!  I was wishing Spud was here to share breakfast with me, I am sure he would love the range of food available and would try most things.

I again did a few laps of the pool, but spent the rest of the day laying in the sun and reading only the second book of my whole trip – so good to read something other than a travel book.  Thanks Mardi for “The Happiest Refugee”, I am enjoying it.  Before I knew it, it was about 4pm and I had not really moved any further than from the banana lounge to the pool and back. 

I went for a wander into town to get more supplies, then it was time for happy hour.  It has been good bringing our own alcohol to the hotel as drinks are expensive.

We had dinner again at a hotel restaurant as there really isn't a lot to choose from in the small town, and if you order Malaysian food (which we prefer to have), it is fairly reasonably priced.  I really was tired tonight, this cold etc has taken a toll on my energy levels,