Arrival in Hong Kong

Taking the TurboJet from Macao to Hong Kong took us only an hour. The vessel arrived at the ferry terminal at Sheung Wan (上环) where it is connected to anywhere in Hong Kong by the MTR. Our first experience in the urban Hong Kong was actually the underground.

Approaching the Sheung Wan MTR station.

The MTR is the most convenient way for travelling around Hong Kong. Almost every station has something to see about Hong Kong. We bought the Octopus Card (八达通) which is valid for the MTRs, buses and ferries. Each card costs HKD150 with stored value of HKD100.

The blinking bulbs different from those in Macao.

Having the Octopus Card saved us remarkable time for not having to queue for tickets from vending machines or ticket counters. In addition, each of our trip was charged at a discounted rate.

Tickets! Tickets! Anyone?

I like the idea of the MTR station designer of having different strong colours for the stations. One can easily identify the station by colour if one missed the announcement.

Very strong colour indeed.

Coming out from the underground, the first thing we saw is the old Hong Kong. I thought Hong Kong has been heavily refurbished but there are still many old buildings around. The flat tenants still line their clothes dry on the outside of the windows.

'Flags' of many colours.

The old wisdom of 'home-office' concept.

Just a couple of minutes of walk along the old street of Hong Kong, we finally arrived at our hotel, the Novotel Century Hong Kong (世纪). We were pleased to be staying in a hotel in the heart of the city, as we saved loads of time moving around. Remember that most taxi drivers have no clue if you mention the English name of hotels. Do ask the front desk for the name in Cantonese if you rely on taxis to get around.

The hotel is at Wan Chai (湾仔).

The Novotel Century is a very decent hotel to stay in. The ambiance is very inviting and warm. Although the room is not extremely big, it is very clean. Most importantly, it is very easy to get around Hong Kong from here.

The invitation.

The warm lighting.

The cosy corner.

Nuts about Kebab

I was supposed to join my Lions Club's fellow members to enjoy the sun, sand, wind and seawater at Sematan yesterday, staying overnight and have some wonderful fellowship there. However, due to being beaten by the food-poisoning bug the second time after just one month, I was, and still is stuck at home watching loads of tv programmes and browsing the internet while admiring the blue sky out there. My abdomen feels like having muscle clamp and my stomach is belching. (I'll never touch dragon fruit again!)

Well, I'm really feeling lucky that I gobbled up the food in Istanbul and Santorini without damaging my gastronomic system.

I once wandered into a small alley of Istanbul and found this restaurant with very interesting menu. The waiters there are also very friendly that he explained everything on the menu in detail to me, so I decided on the Ottoman Plate.

Every restaurant in Europe serves complimentary bread, and this one served me the rolled pita bread.

The 'Ottoman Plate' is mixed kebab serve in the palace during the Ottoman period.

The mixed kebab is basically chicken and beef with capsicum and onion served in a stoneware on top of a bronze plate.

Sometimes when I wanted to save money on meals during my trip, I would walk in the golden arch many times. It's always worth checking the McDs out because they always have some local items that you'll never find it elsewhere.

The McTurco.

The McD version of kebab, beef paté wrapped in pita bread.

The Greeks call the kebab as souvlaki, and we call them satay here. When I was in Santorini, I was told that there's a shop that sells extremely good kebab wrapped in pita bread, which is called gyros. After I've tasted it, I went back to the shop three times just to savour my gastronomy. When the shopkeeper asked me: "With everything in?" My answer was always: "Yes!" And this was what I got every time.

This one is with sliced meat. You can ask for one with meat cubes too.

It's only €1.75 each. There are sets that you can order at discounted rate.

I'm feeling lucky. I wish they'll open a branch in Kuching.

If you would like to read more of my travelogues on Greece, here are the links:-

1. Athens – The Homeland of the Gods

• Acropolis
• Ancient Agora
• National Archaeological Museum
• Exposé at the Parliament Building
• Neoclassical Trilogy
• The Walking Tour
• The Graffiti
• The Central Market
• Panoramic View

2. The White Dream in Mykonos

• Whitewashed Cube Houses
• Stairways to Heaven
• Barricades in Paradise
• Sea Breeze
• Wind Riders
• With a Little Bit of Red
• Roaming the Streets
• The Holy Ground
• When the Sun is Going Down
• I've Been to Paradise

3. Santorini – Almost Heaven

• Roaming Around the Streets of Fira
• Gazing at the Sea in Fira
• The Southern Crosses in Fira
• The Golden Hour at Fira
• Fira Sunset and After Dark
• Strolling the Streets in Oia
• The Cliffs and the Sea in Oia
• The Domes and the Bells in Oia
• The Barriers in Oia
• The Sunset at Oia
• The Volcano at Nea Kameni
• The Black-sand Beach of Kamari
• Ancient Thira

4. Miscellaneous

• Piraeus – Tinos – Mykonos
• Delos – The Open Air Museum on an Island
• From Mykonos to Thira
• Nuts about Kebab
• Patras

If you would like to read more of my travelogues on Istanbul, here are the links:-

• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 1: Hagia Sophia
• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 2: Kariye Camii
• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 3: Sultanahmet Camii
• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 4: Kapali Çarşi & Mesir Çarşisi
• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 5: The Cruise Up the Bosphorus
• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 6: Topkapi Sarayi
• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 7: Dolmabahçe Sarayi
• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 8: Yerebatan Sarayi
• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 9: İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri
• Top Ten Sights in Istanbul – No. 10: Süleymaniye Camii
• On the Streets of Istanbul
• The People Who Posed for Me in Istanbul
• Nuts about Kebab