HONG KONG, CHINA DAY III (3/11/2007)

From: Sherman Rootberg (biggiroot)
Date: Mar 11, 2007 11:41 AM
Subject: Sunday, March 11, 2007

Sunday, March 11, 2007

HONG KONG, CHINA DAY III

The Chinese weathermen suck. Maybe even worse then ours if that is possible. It was supposed to be 75 out today and mostly sunny. The low was supposed to be about 65. It never hit much over 64 and was misting and smoggy all day. When we awoke the outside air was drifting into the room a little. It smelled strongly of burning garbage and I am sure it was. They burn it all over China and the far east.

As I had mentioned yesterday, we have been to Hong Kong before. We have driven all over the place and we have ridden all over Hong Kong Harbor in different kinds of boats including a real Chinese Junk. Bobbi now really did believe her life was in jeopardy if she went shopping any more, so we decided that a ride around the city and islands would be nice. There is a double decked bus that stops just outside the shopping center we are docked at. For a few dollars US we could get a trip around somewhere for an hour or so. Then we noticed there was a tour available that did the areas of town where the local people lived. We checked and there were two tickets still left. So we did it.

At about 1:00 this afternoon we met in the center, just outside the ship. We went down to a waiting 20 passenger mini bus. There were only about a dozen of us so the seating was comfortable. Our guide, Lilly, was very tall and spoke perfect English. She was also very good.

We really saw the how the regular people live here. First we went to the Hau Temple where they pray to the Taoist Goddess for safety and good fishing catches. This used to be an area for fisherman. There was incense in large quantities burning everywhere. These Chinese believe their departed loved ones will get goods and messages if drawings they have made are burned by the priests. With all these papers burning and incense burning, we could hardly breathe. Outside it was misting a little. The temple was crowded with local people and many were young. Not just the old.

Next we went to the wet market. That is the one where all the meat, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables are sold. We got off the bus and walked along this market while Lilly explained what they were doing and what certain meats and vegetables were.

Then we got on worlds only double decked tram. It was a big pink double decked bus that rode on rail road tracks. You felt every track end very strongly. Today is Sunday, the day most of the servants have off. These servants are almost all Philippine women. Even though it was gray and misting out, they were all over the streets by the thousands. You could not even walk there were so many of them.

After that, we bused to a typical Hong Kong neighborhood café. We could choose from coffee, tea, or soft drinks. We got tea. Bobbi’s was hot and mine was iced tea. Both were so strong you could barely drink them. We also had a small egg custard in a small pie shell. It was served very hot. It was good but very sweet. The place was not just authentic, it was as real as it gets. The menus were in all Chinese Cantonese. The bathrooms were just as real. No toilets or paper. Just holes in the floor and bring your own paper. The condition was very authentic also. This is the year of the pig and this place was a pig sty.

Next it was off to the western district, the oldest Chinese settlement and trading district in Hong Kong. We walked through a neighborhood where they sold dried fish. Store after store of anything and everything that came out of the sea and was dried. There were also many kinds of dried vegetables and mushrooms. There were other stores with dried things for medicinal purposes. Many live in twelve story and higher walk ups. Much of the water is piped in from China. No one drinks the tap water.

These people are very superstitious. They will quite often not have 4th or 14th floors in a building. You can only get married on certain dates. Others are far too unlucky. Over a million dollars American had been paid for a good car license number. They believe all these weird powders and dried stuff will cure ailments and some are ridiculously expensive.

By the time we got back to the ship it was about 5:30. Our guide had been terrific and this tour was something we really enjoyed. It was seeing how the people really live and not some phony ritual dance we have seen too many of.