Hong Kong

Hong Kong. Quite a city. We docked right downtown and exited the ship through a huge port side shopping mall. Indeed it was hard to find our way out of the mall not only on the first day, but every time we left the ship. I think by the fourth time doing it we figured out that you turned right after you got off the ship, then went straight, then left, then down the escalator, then right and finally out the doors onto a very busy street. Our first stop was “Rio Pearl,” a jewelry store recommended by several people to have some pearls we bought previously restrung (beautiful pearls but poorly strung and weak clasp). They lived up to their reputation because they immediately engaged two people to restring the pearls in front of us. Of course we happened to see a beautiful pearl necklace with a jade piece in the middle, and I could tell that Ronnie had fallen in love with it. So it became her early Mother’s Day present.

We arrived on a Wednesday and the museums were free that day, so we headed off for the Hong Kong history museum. It was one of the best laid out museums we have seen, with each section representing an era of Hong Kong’s history from prehistoric to present. For us it was fascinating we to see how they handled the transition from British rule to mainland China in 1997. The people of Hong Kong generally have quite an independent spirit and the “one country two systems” motto basically means that they function mostly independently. We spent a couple of hours at the museum and when we left it was close to lunch. We passed up the museum cafeteria and ended up in a small restaurant which seemed to well attended by locals. It was on the ground floor of an office building and neither the cook nor the waitress spoke any English. Thankfully there were a couple of patrons who spoke some English, and between the skimpy English translation on the menu and the translation by the other patrons we ordered what we thought was pork and rice for the bargain price of $4 a person.

It didn’t turn out the way we expected so we tried to explain that we had wanted the barbequed pork that we saw others eating. However, somehow what we said was interpreted to mean that we wanted to order a whole new dish of barbequed pork. When this huge dish of pork arrived we were already full from our original dish, so we tired to turn it down, but the waitress and also the cook (who we guessed was the owner) became quite agitated. Wanting to avoid another international incident, we simply said we would pay for it (it was only another $5 or so). We did eat a few bites and it was excellent, and we wished we had that from the beginning. In any case we put the rest in a doggie bag, which we ended up throwing away before we re-boarded the ship (at some ports you cannot bring on board non-packaged food).

From there we walked around the area a bit and then took the subway to what is called “the Women’s Market.” We found it is a street market that sells a lot of women’s clothing and many other items as well. It stretches for several blocks along a pedestrian street. We were not that impressed with the goods for sale, but we did wander around for a while before heading to the nearby Jade market. Now that is a truly impressive market with stall after stall selling pearls and jade of every color and size. Of course the order of the day is haggling, with the best tactic being to simply walk away if you don’t like the price. Yes, we bargained for a few jade items, including a colorful hanging chain made up of all the animals of the Chinese calendar in Jade.

Back at the terminal mall I went to check out some of the electronic shops and was disappointed to find that the prices were generally much higher than the US (for example a $500 netbook computer you could buy in the US for $350). Because the balcony in our stateroom overlooked the harbor and Hong Kong Island (we were docked in Kowloon), we decided to have our dinner on our own deck. Hong Kong Island is crowded with tall buildings with large neon signs showing company names such as Panasonic, Sony, and even AIG. Every night there is a laser light show with lights from the top of many of the tall buildings.

So we had an excellent dinner (you can order from the main dining room menu for room service) overlooking Hong Kong Island and the ferries and other boats in between, and then the light show. The light show was accompanied by music and was quite impressive, almost like a fireworks show. We figured that to have such a view from a hotel room would probably be at least $600+ for the night. Yes, one of the many benefits of being on a ship. After dinner we went back to the metro and took it to a night market where we saw a great variety of more interesting merchandise than we had seen at the Women’s Market. A couple of silk items did find their way into our shopping bags (light and foldable, thank goodness). Walking back to the ship from the subway at night we were surrounded by people and even the usual fake Rolex and suit hawkers (many from the ship did have custom suits or sport coats made, and as much as I avoided it I now wish I had at least had a sport coat made). I don’t think Hong Kong ever sleeps.

This was the first day that we both felt at least a real sense of missing home. It also was the first time we had an extended stop in one port. Maybe there was a connection. In addition both our Cruise Director John and another couple had brought their toddlers on board. Seeing these little children around the ship reminded us of how long it had been since we had seen our grandchildren. The crew had discovered there was free Wi-Fi in the mall terminal, so we went on the ship and got our laptops and sat on benches or the floor in the mall with crew members and emailed and Skyped telephone calls to family until quite late.

The next morning I got up early and went by myself on the subway to the Wong Tai Sin Temple, a Taoist temple with a beautiful garden that I wanted to see, and Ronnie stayed behind to use the mall Wi-Fi some more. When I returned we headed out together and took the ferry to Hong Kong Island. After an exhilarating but brief ferry ride, we walked on connected walkways above the city streets for many blocks, finding our way to the escalators. Yes, there is a connected group of outdoor escalators going up the very steep hill that rising above the shoreline of Hong Kong Island. I should have counted how many escalators we went up, but I was so fascinated by the sights of the city that we could see below us as we traveled upward that I did not think to do so. The escalators are covered, defined by level (low level, mid-level, etc.) and I would guess we went up at least 25 or so different ones.

At the top of the last one I had been told by others on the ship who had been here that we could walk a short distance to the lower stop of the tram funicular that takes you to the top of Victoria Peak, called simply “The Peak.” It also said on my little map that it was a “20 minute walk to the tram.” Guess again. Well, it may be, if you can figure out how to get there. We walked several blocks in the right direction then came to point where you had to take a gradual street going up, or a steep outside staircase going down. I asked a crossing guard working for some road construction and of course found she spoke no English. I tried to sign the idea of going up on tram, but we got no where. Finally, we chose the staircase and went down several flights. Then we met an American family walking around, and the Dad told us he had been there before and that we needed to go up to get to the tram. Back up to the staircase and back to the crossing guard. I told her the tram wasn’t down, knowing, of course, that she could not understand a word I was saying. It made me feel better.

It was overcast but still starting to get hot and humid. We walked up a slowly winding road going up through a wooded area, and after many minutes we arrived huffing and puffing at a hotel. Seemed promising until we talked to the doorman, who told us the tram stop was a LONG way down. Guess the Dad was wrong about which way to go. The doorman basically said that at this point we might as well keep walking to the Peak. “20 minute walk,” he affirmed. Since there were taxis there I suggested to Ronnie that we take a cab to the top. She was fed up at that point and was determined to keep walking. Finally we came to the beginning of the trail to the top, and saw a sign which said “30 minute walk to the top.” Doorman was obviously a bit off. Up and up we went, around and around we went, up and up, huffing and puffing some more with our clothes soaked to the skin from perspiration. We actually saw one fellow jogging up past us and I got a bit excited when I could see the top.

When we arrived at the Peak we were so wet and tired that we hardly cared to see the view, which was almost totally blocked by the fog. It turns out there is a large mall at the Peak called the Galleria, and also lots of shops in the top of the tram called The Tower (this rather strange looking building shaped like a U) with many restaurants and stores. Ronnie had Starbucks and I had a sandwich from a little French shop, and then we took the tram down. The tram is so steep (almost 45°) that the seats are actually set at an angle on the floor. Nice ride down, but of course all we could think was how great it would have been to ride up. At the bottom we walked along several more elevated walkways and made out way down to the subway stop. We took the metro to an old renovated colonial style building (that had been turned into a market) recommended on the tour map, but there was not much to it. Back on the metro we went past our previous stop to where we caught a mini-bus to the Stanley Market for a dollar. We thought it would be a short ride, but we didn’t realize we would be riding all the way to other side of Hong Kong island. It was actually a beautiful ride of a half hour or so past a picturesque harbor along a hillside road with lots of greenery.

Stanley market is located on the water near another large Colonial building called Murray House and it is has become a tourist destination with lots of stalls selling all kind of merchandise from junk to beautifully crafted art. When we walked in I saw a shop selling nice silk ties at 4 for about $10 US. We picked out 4 only to discover further along in the market you could buy 12 for $10. Oh well, I tell myself the quality may not be as good, but what a difference in price! We had a good time looking around for an hour or so before heading back to the mini bus stop. The mini bus left us off at an area called Times Square, and it indeed feels a lot like New York’s Times Square with massive amounts of neon signs and shops. We walked around the area a bit before taking the metro back under the harbor.

By the time we got back to the mall at cruise terminal we were tired and decided we didn’t want to eat on the ship (dinner in one of the dining rooms usually takes a good two hours), so we were missing some decent pizza and found a California Pizza place in the mall. Irony again, of sitting eating California Pizza in Hong Kong looking out the window at our docked ship. The Asian toppings we ordered did make it quite tasty, however. Hong Kong is a truly electric city and we would love to go back at some point.

Halong Bay

May 19, 2009

We had decided on this second day to try to hire one of the junks that sail around Halong Bay. We went with Judy and Erica again along with Roger and his wife. When we got off the shuttle bus Judy and Roger did the negotiating and we agreed on $15 a person for four hours. We didn’t realize until we got on the boat that it was actually a boat for 20-30 people, so the six of us had this large junk to ourselves. On the way to the boat dock we encountered one of the many pearl sellers, this one following us along trying to get our attention. Much to my surprise I was the one who ignored her and Ronnie actually talked with her about her merchandise. They seemed to negotiate for some time and we were approaching our dock. Ronnie offered her a ridiculously low price and she, of course, turned it down. Ronnie walked on and lo and behold this enterprising lady went back and got her motorbike and met us up ahead. A determined entrepreneur. She agreed to Ronnie’s price for some truly beautiful sets of pearls, and Ronnie gave her the name “Motorcycle Rosie.”

On the ship, a lady also came out with a large bag, and set up her own little pearl display on the deck. What convenient shopping! Roger’s wife, who said she didn’t wear pearls, tried on some strands that truly looked great on her. So she did end up buying a couple of strands. On the junk we travelled through these incredible rock spires in the harbor as if we were in a forest. To say breathtaking would be an understatement. Our boat soon entered a harbor carved out of one of these rock islands. A lot of junks and other boats crowded the harbor, so we knew there was something special about this place. We got off and walked off the dock to a path leading to a ticket both. They had told us on the boat that it would cost $2.50 each, but the lady wanted $3, because she was only giving 1300 dong to the dollar, when the going rate was 1700. Ronnie and the others did not want to pay, but the junk had left to pick us up at a pick up point at the end of the path. I said, “It’s fifty cents; we are not going to win this argument, so let’s pay and get going.” They kept talking about the “principle of the thing,” but I was beyond the principle at that point.

And we were glad we bought a ticket. What incredible limestone caves awaited us! And I mean HUGE, with pretty lighting and many stalactites and stalagmites. It was a long hike up to the entrance and then about a 20 minute walk through. After walking back down, we re-boarded the junk and sailed to a secluded bay in between the rock formations where they had many house boats and bank boats (yes, a floating bank!) and other shops on boats. Our captain wanted to stop at a fish boat where we they sold fresh fish to eat on the spot, but we were concerned about getting back in time, so we continued on around the bay. We arrived back at the dock and found Motorcycle Rosie waiting for us. Actually, we were glad because some of the others had seen Ronnie’s bargains and they wanted to get the same deals. So a number of our group were negotiating as we walked again. We ended the day at a market by the shuttle stop where, yes, there were more pearl bargains. My deal of the day was a long handle wooden shoe horn and a wooden comb, both with mother of pearl inlay for a total of $2 US.

We boarded the ship to head for Hong Kong, but not before checking out some of the pier side vendors who did have some good bargains, especially for some hand painted canvasses.

Hanoi

May 12, 2009
The time has flown by fast and furious lately. We have seen so much in so short a time that I hope I can sort it all out. Our last stop in Vietnam was Halong Bay. As we were sailing into the harbor, some large shapes caught my eye out the window. I went out on the balcony only to see a couple of huge rock spires sticking up in the ocean. As we went along we were treated to one large rock spire after another of all different shapes and sizes. The experience of going by all these amazing formations took my breath away. We then arrived at the port of Hong Gai, the closest port to the capitol city of Hanoi.

Our first day in this amazing place we actually took a bus for 2 ½ hours to Hanoi. Our expectations were low because many had told us that North Vietnam would be depressing, especially compared to the South. How wrong they were. The drive in was fascinating as we drove through village after village and in between beautiful rice fields. In each village we could see some of the local daily life of the North Vietnamese, so while we had expected to catch up a little on our sleep, we spent most of our time looking out the window. As we came to the outskirts of the city we did notice some of the concrete block structures that many associate with a communist country, but the further we went into the city the most interesting the sights became. We crossed some pretty bridges and saw many sleek modern buildings and some classic Asian and European style ones as well.

Driving into the city center we were greeted with some magnificent vistas, especially across the scenic lake that is right in the center of town. We made our way to a five star hotel, the Intercontinental, for a lavish spread of Vietnamese food. I mean this hotel was at least twice as nice as the best we had seen in Saigon. In the hallway were photographs of foreign dignitaries who had visited Hanoi (and I guess that hotel) including people like Chairman Mao from China and George Bush. In the middle of the lunch, one of ship passengers, indeed one of the few African Americans on the ship, got up a made an impromptu speech. He described how he had been a soldier fighting in Viet Nam and what he hoped for now was peace between our two countries.

After lunch our first stop was the tomb of Ho Chi Minh, located on a huge square Ba Dinh which we walked across. Of course we had hoped to be able to go inside the mausoleum, but it was only open in the morning, and, of course, we were there after noon. So we walked by the guards to the presidential palace. Actually the palace was the former French Governor’s residence and it is a grand looking building in French style classic architecture, befitting a head of state. Our guide proudly told us that Ho Chi Minh only spent one night in the palace because he felt that he should live more modestly. So the next two houses we saw were the ones where he lived most of the time that he was in charge. Both were near tranquil lotus ponds and fit in well with the surroundings, and the second, where he lived most of his years as president, was a teak structure actually up on stilts, modeled after ethnic hill tribe homes. It had a large open meeting area underneath (where it was said, he planned the strategy with his officers against the Americans up until the time of his death). Both quarters were indeed unpretentious, although quite comfortable with a nice view of the ponds. I did have to admire the man for practicing what he preached.

Further along our walk we came to the One Pillar Pagoda, a rebuilt shrine indeed resting on a single pillar, and then to the Temple of Literature and first national university. This is a unique structure with several ornate multi-roofed entrances leading to 5 garden areas with lily ponds in the middle, culminating in the Men of Letters courtyard, surrounded by stone turtles, and the Temple. The turtles are worn on the heads because they are said to give good luck to anyone taking an important university exam. Even while we were there students came by and touched the heads of the turtles. The temple itself has a number of statues in it, with the central one being of the master Confucius himself.

After our visits in this area, we stopped at a busy shopping district right across from the large Hoan Kiem Lake in the middle of the city. Again, this lake provides an attractive scenic focus for the city, including striking bridges crossing it and monuments around it. In the middle is the Ngoc Son Pagoda perched on a tiny island. We walked around the shopping area, which had a few souvenir shops but mostly, surprisingly, shoe stores. Shoe store after shoe store, selling mostly sneakers looking very western in style. We did also see one of the Vietnamese puppet shows which we had been sorry to miss in Saigon, but it started well after our departure time. We considered buying some of the unique puppets we saw for sale in the stores, but they were large and heavy so we decided against it. We crossed a very busy street, using the same technique we learned in Saigon of simply charging into the traffic at a steady speed allowing the traffic to snake their way around us.

After walking around the lakefront a bit, we went back to the bus meeting location and boarded the bus for the trip back to the ship. As it was becoming dark, the trip back was also fascinating, viewing all the activity in the villages we again passed through. Most shops in the villages were still open and we could also see people in their living quarters, usually right above the shop, eating their dinner or watching television. There is a bathroom stop midway in both directions associated with some kind of merchandise. On the way in it was a pottery factory with a factory outlet stores attached. They had the cutest little teapots that we saw no where else in our travels. Did we buy one? I will leave it to your imagination. The place we stopped on the way back was overpriced so we simply looked. Second day in next update.

Da Nang and Marble Mountains

May 4, 2009
With another sea day in between, we docked at Chan May, Vietnam. Not a well known port, it is close to Da Nang and the ancient town of Hue. We passed up the 11 hour excursion to Hue, because we knew we were going to have an 11 hour one the next day to Hanoi. Instead we took the shuttle to a swanky beach resort near the port and then hired two taxis with three other couples from the ship, including the craft people Judy and Erica, the Rabbi Jerry and his wife, and one of cultural enrichment speakers Roger and his wife. We were going to rent one van, but the taxi dispatcher preferred two cabs for the same price of $20 US per person. We were with Judy and Erica, who have become truly good travelling companions, and this day cemented our relationship even more. We wanted to go to Da Nang, China Beach, the Marble Mountains and the craft village called Hoi An.

The whole journey took over 5 hours, and although our drivers spoke minimal English, they were quite pleasant and accommodating. We first went to the marble mountains. Of course, I taxi driver had a cousin in the marble business and we stopped at her shop on the way. Huge shop, with incredible marble and jade pieces. I thought the prices were a high, but the workmanship was excellent. Yes, a couple of jade pieces somehow found their way into my shopping bag. Unfortunately jade is heavy stuff! So now we have to be concerned not just with size but also weight.

Next stop was the actual marble mountains, which are more like large spires towering over the landscape and villages below. Of course there was an admission fee at a booth before this large set of steps (official title NGŨ HÀNH SON). It was only a dollar or so, so Erica and I went for the climb on behalf of the whole group. After the initial 50 steps or so we reached a plateau where there was a pagoda and some trails leading in different directions. One led to a cave where there was a statue. One of the locals said, “Lady Buddha, Lady Buddha.” I didn’t know there was such as thing, but there was certainly a beautiful statue inside the cave. We climbed more steps, and I do mean a lot more. We were both getting a bit winded, and we knew everyone was waiting for us. Finally I said to Erica (who is, after all, in her 20s), “Enough fooling around, let’s go for it.” So I proceeded up the final set of steps at twice our previous pace and Erica kept up.

We finally reached a huge cave where there was a large elevated male Buddha statue. With the haze from incense hanging in the air, it was indeed a dramatic scene. We were glad we went, but didn’t stay long and high tailed it back down the steps to the others waiting at the bottom. They reminded us they had been waiting and were not impressed when we told them about all the steps and our fast pace going up and down. But we did acquire nicknames from the whole adventure: “Sherpa Dad” and “Sherpa Girl.”

Our little caravan of two taxis proceeded on to the best surprise of the day: Hoi An. What a delightful little village full of arts and crafts shops! It is a UNESCO world heritage site with a unique adorned bridge at the center. We walked around the old streets and looked in a number of shops. Ronnie was interested in a couple of beautiful silk table runners. When they wouldn’t meet here price, she walked out. About a half a block away, a man from the shop ran up to her with the two runners in a bag, quite ready at that point to accept Ronnie’s price. We saw some pretty colorful lanterns for a dollar or two, but couldn’t figure out how we would use them, and although they folded up, we decided against buying one.

Erica and Judy really wanted to have one of the bicycle rickshaw rides, but can you guess we were not interested? We tried to warn them about the rickshaw scam, but Erica went anyway. Sure enough instead of just a ride for a few dollars, they wanted a surcharge of $5 for going into the “old town.” Since we had been walking around the old town already, Erica didn’t bite, and she actually got her ride for the original price without too much hassle. We were glad for her, but no way were we getting any where near those things!

On the way back we drove by China beach and were amazed at the amount of development going on, mostly large beachfront hotels. However, several of them looked like no work had been done on them for some time, so we guessed they were either put on hold or abandoned because of the economic downturn. We truly enjoyed our day in this section of Viet Nam.