HongKong/Shenzhen Trip 2006!
After much delibration, the much awaited HongKong/Shenzhen Trip 2006 was finally realised from 12th - 16th September. In conjunction with my birthday celebrations, this trip also served as a local discovery tour guided by our wonderful housemates (Terry, Wang Yan and Kamil)!
The trip began at 4am in the morning as we dragged ourselves to the airport. Revitalised by a Mac’s breakfast, we took a bumpy Jetstar Asia flight amidst an impending typhoon to Hong Kong only to be received a warm welcome from Kamil! =) First stop was the big Buddha on Lantau Island (and not the hotel) which we reached by bus on a hilly, windy road. (the cable car was not operational yet.) Braving the rain brought by the typhoon, we witnessed the grand splendour of the big Buddha and offered our most sincere prayers. After taking the famous vegetarian lunch offered by the nearby temple, we took the ferry admist strong waves to Hong Kong Island to see the tallest building in Hong Kong, the International Financial Centre 2. After which, we took the MTR to Yau Ma Tei to finally check into the hotel. What a tiring day!!! =)
My birthday, unfortunately, was clouded in heavy rains as Typhoon Shanshan got closer to Hong Kong, with typhoon warning levels reaching 3. Undaunted by the rain, we proceeded to the 700-shop strong Harbour City Shopping Centre for shopping. This was followed by a hilly (yet again?) ride to Sai Kung for dinner. Suffering from indigestion from overeating in earlier meals, my appetite miraculously recovered when I saw all the fresh seafood placed in front of the restaurant Kamil’s Mum recommended. The birthday dinner was wonderful, not only due to the food but I could share it with my beloved ones! Kudos to Jac for the nice mango cake!
We followed the free tour on the third day — just like some stupid tourists (haha…). On a brighter note, the tour guide was knowledgable and humurous while the weather was fine as Typhoon shanshan went to Japan. The tour itinery was predictable but still good: we went to Victoria Peak, Repulse Bay, Aberdeen Fishing Village, Golden Bauhinia Square and on a night ferry to see the splendid view of Hong Kong at night. A major turn-off, however, was the visit to a jewellery shop and a herbal shop which was never included in the written itinery. Sigh… maybe commission from these shops were a major source of income for our tour guides. At least the scenery at night was good…
The fourth day was much awaited and was very special for me! It was my first time on Chinese soil! (In Cantonese, fan tong san =}) After we alighted from the fast KCR line at the terminal stop, we crossed a bridge (much shorter than the causeway) to reach the Middle Kingdom to meet Wang Yan. Shenzhen, being a gateway of China to the rest of the world, housed many restaurants that delivered cusines from everywhere in China. As expected, lunch came from Sichuan and dinner came from Xi’an (Muslim). I also bought my special collector’s 三國演義 from the book city! Thank you Wang Yan for the wonderful time in Shen Zhen and good luck in Morgan Stanley =)
真所謂，天下不散之宴席！In the final day of the trip, we visited Kamil’s house in Tai Po and was treated to a delicious curry lunch. Built on a mountain, the house is exactly an epitome of the ingenious civil engineering present in Hong Kong. Finally, our bus transfer to the airport brought us across the Tsing Ma Bridge (another marvellous product of Hong Kong Civil Engineering!). Check out all the photos at bernardweephotos.zoto.com!
