Hong Kong

Arriving in Hong Kong sick was no great surprise.From there it was downhill all the way. We deteriorated drastically with severe gastro headaches, sore eyes and aching limbs. We were unable to eat anything and became very weak very quickly. Tiredness wracked our bodies so we lay in the hotel on our beds in air conditioned comfort , watching T.V. while we dank ice water. We also enjoyed the view from the fifth floor window as life in Hong Kong passed our eyes. It was especially gorgeous at night so we left the curtains open. The first day we decided to get on the hotel bus after a good sleep and to just sit and view the sites. We stopped at the ladies market that was just setting up for the day. Heidi bartered like a ninja and purchased some lovely things.She bought a purple back pack, a jade bead necklace, a motley bead bracelet, and a pair of light loose fitting pants. She was thrilled with her buys and we were lucky to get the shop in. That night we had noodles for tea and a sandwich that we enjoyed. We never felt hungry.The following day we travelled down Temple St. stumbling across a large Chinese Temple in beautiful gardens with tortured trunks and hanging tendrils.

The temple was busy with people making offerings of food, incense and paper money to their ancestors which I think is a lovely idea. A wonderful way to remember your loved ones. Smoke with delicious aromas hung thickly in the air from large coils of incense suspended from the ceiling. Huge silver trays were hung strategically beneath to catch the falling ash that fell from their ends as they burnt away slowly. As we left we gave an old man in a wheelchair some money as he held out his small plastic bowl to us. We walked down the street in the intense humidity sweat dripping down our faces and into our hair. As we walked we discovered a Dharma shop full of all sorts of delights and treasures. We bought two small silver metal Tibetan prayer wheels really cheaply and some Buddhist cards for our wallets.

Every street in Hong Kong is a photo opportunity and we took advantage of it. The people there love to walk their elderly or sit them in a chair outside their shops to air them.Why don't we do the same. There is a great respect for the young and the elderly which is lovely to see.The small local parks have designated areas for both with equipment for them to use to stimulate the mind and the body. What a lovely idea and one which should be adopted everywhere. Heidi and I walked on stones set in concrete supposedly to massage the feet and do reflexology. It would have been more comfortable being tortured in Guantanamo Bay !!!! We had a good laugh and left quickly - never to return. 

On our last day we visited the doctor in a poor area of town for a medical certificate. We were the only Europeans there and the poor man only spoke limited English and was wondering what he had struck. He sat and giggled at us but eventually we got our certificates and left the building walking straight round the corner to McDonalds for breakfast. Heidi ordered her usual hash browns and me my usual hot cakes. The hot cakes came with butter but no maple syrup and a large slab of meat on the side. What a surprise. We took our breakfast back to the hotel. We had stayed two extra days in Hong Kong due to not being able to leave the toilet and not wanting to inflict the passengers and crew on Air Emirates.So tomorrow we depart at ten to eight so have to be at the airport before 0600. We have on line check in which is quicker with minimal lining up so hopefully all will go smoothly. We fly to Dubai and in transit there for three hours before heading off to Hamburg. Our European adventure begins.