I would walk 500 miles

Or at least that’s what it seems like. I left the hotel about 9 and went up hill to Hollywood Road which has a lot of antique shops in it. It also has a temple dedicated to the gods of literature and war – an interesting combination. Just above this street, the apartment buildings start. These are huge and when the old airport was in use the plane used to fly down between them. I remember looking out the window and into people’s sitting rooms. On the way back I wandered through the street side market stalls – mostly food stalls – and had a banana and a watermelon drink for breakfast.

As I had to check out at noon I didn’t want to go any further at this stage so returned to the hotel and repacked my bag. I left both the suitcase and laptop bag at reception and headed out about 12, intending to visit the Peak. I decide to walk over to the station and went via the zoological/botanical gardens. On the way I saw a Callaway shop and decided to see if they had the FTi driver I used in Houston – they didn’t. It was hot and humid and I was drenched by the time I got there since as well as travelling a few km across town I also climbed a few hundred metres up the hill.

After a stop for a drink I headed to the tram stop, which turned out to be down hill from the zoo, and was soon on the tram to the peak. This is a very steep hill and I took some photos to try and capture the angle. The ones taken on the way down were better.

Things have changed since I was last there some 10-12 years ago with the sky tower now dominating. I’d paid for the combined ticket so I could go to the viewing terrace on the top. Before that I left the terminal and found there is a huge galleria shopping mall there as well. They also have a Madam Toussards there. I didn’t go in but posed with Pierce Brosman outside.

The view from the top of the sky terrace is spectacular but – and this seems to be a recurring complaint – it was too misty to really get good pictures. I took heaps anyway. You can see Honk Kong harbour and Kowloon in one direction and Aberdeen on the other side of the Island as well.

Once I got back down from the peak I walked through that part of the city visiting a few parks on the way to the railway station. I took a train to Kowloon and then realised I’d gone a bit further North than intended. The station there is another huge shopping complex and I had a great deal of trouble figuring how to get out. One exit was just for taxi drop-offs but the doorman there gave me directions to the Jordan St exit. I walked along Jordan Street until I got to a shopping area and had lunch at a small restaurant there – by then it was about 3pm so I was getting hungry.

After lunch I walked along Temple Street, which is nearby. They were just starting to set up for the night market. From there I went past the temple and through the jade market. Looking at the map I decided to head over to the hockey stadium, which it turned out is being repaired and then down past the university to the science and history museums. I had a look round the entrance to the science museum but decided against going in. I then headed towards the ocean terminal and on the way stopped and had my hair washed, cut and dried. I continued on to the terminal looking for the Callway shop. I eventually found it but they mostly had clothes and a couple of FTi clubs but not the driver I was interested in. There was another shop on the list, which was given to me in a shop in Hong Kong, nearby so I went to that one as well. They didn’t have one either but shortly afterwards I found a golf shop that had on. It wasn’t the right loft and it was about $800, much more than for the same club in Australia or the US.

By then it was after 7 so I headed to the nearest train station and took one to Central, then walked to the hotel. I had been walking more or less continuously for most of the 7 hours, except for the tram trip and the haircut.

I grabbed the change of clothing I had deliberately left at the top of the suit case and caught a taxi to the station, then a train to the airport. It seems the Qantas check in counter was as far as possible from where I got off the train. However I was soon through the checking, passport and security stations and once in the Qantas lounge I was able to have a shower and change into fresh clothes.

I have now had some sandwiches and other nibbles and a couple of weak scotch and cokes. It’s about 1 ½ hours till my flight leaves. It looks like I’m not going to be able to load this till I get home. I can get to the internet from the Airport lounge but not to my blog site.