Friday November 17, 2006

Hong Kong Holiday Day four -Lamma Island and Aberdeen

Our last day we decided to get away from the city again and took a fast ferry to nearby Lamma island. This was the birthplace of one Hong Kong actor I do know and that is Chow Yun Fatt. We arrived at the village of Yung Shue Wan and after walking through its narrow streets we came to a temple to protect the fishermen. This village is at the Northern end of the island. Opposite the village is a large power station. The path rebuilt recently was to take us over to another village at the other end of Lamma. The path wound up and down and it was hot with hardly any breeze. We went past a nice beach Hung Shing Ye and then higher up.

In the hills were a couple of highly ornate and large monuments or graves perhaps. Every mile or so a pavillion gave you a chance for a break from the heat of the day. The island is extremely lush but suffers from fires at this time of the year.

On our route we past places where vegetables were being grown and just before entering the second vilage Sok Kwu Wan were tunnels in the rock that the Japanese were to use in World War Two. These were named Kamikaze grottos. In the second village another temple was present, modern this time with an enormous Oar fish inside in a large aquarium pickled for posterity. We then took the ferry back to Central. Another bus journey had us in Aberdeen this time on the South Western side of Hong Kong. This place used to have lots of fishing boats hardly any remain now. A large resturant boat sits in the river and is a popular place with tourists. We returned to Central by way of the Aberdeen tunnel. In the evening before dinner we had cocktails in the Sky Lounge of the Sheraton hotel the bar being on the fourteenth floor of the hotel offering lovely views of the neon lights on the island. At eight pm every night there is a light show that lasts fifteen minutes. Prices in Hong Kong are not expensive food and drinks were average prices we thought. You do end up paying a Mandatory services charge of 10% however. One other thing we noticed was the Xmas lights were being fixed to buildings across the island. When I was last here in 2000 it was a very special year and buildings like Plaza had fantastic neon decorations showing a dragon.

The following morning at four thirty am a bus took us back to the airport. As we drove back a few neons were still illuminated and a few stragglers who had been out all night were returning home. A few food stalls were also serving food. The city that never sleeps was waking up for a new day. Good night Hong Kong.

Guide book used Rough guide to Hong Kong and Macau. There are many free maps and leaflets to be had at airports and tourist information sites.