A dose of Salts...: Hello Hongkers!

(One of Bro's photos on the boat across to Lamma)

Hongkers is bonkers. And so is this marvellous bunch of humans. Meet the HK branch of the Lea family who we’ve just spent a jolly good and exhaustingly jam-packed week with. We explored, we wandered, we “rawked” (Kathy’s own style of exercise)…We climbed Lantau Peak, gawped at the giant Buddha, and rode a Cable Car down the mountain….We swam in the sea, we swam in the pool, we got lost in the urban jungle….We ate Thai and Dim Sum, BBQ and Pizza, local Seafood and local soup…We travelled by escalator, we travelled by car, we travelled by bus, we travelled by taxi, we travelled by boat….We drank beer, we drank cocktails, we drank vodka, we drank wine…We trawled through markets, gazed from The Peak and ogled the smog…. We had jolly good chin-wags, plenty of giggles and soaked up the Leas as much as we could.

Hong Kong is a phenomenal city. I loved it last time I came, and this time fell in love with it all over again. That said, it’s a place of contrasts and there are many things to hate…it represents capitalism at its worst, and there is so much money around it’s insane. I’ve never seen so many personalised number plates in one place! Then there’s the smog-you can’t ignore that. It sits over the city in a thick ugly haze. It's expensive, and large parts of it are like a crazy futuristic concrete world of buildings and glass and elevated walkways, but all that considered, this is one hell of a city-it has so much to see, so much to do, and so many corners to get lost in. I didn’t appreciate last time how green it is, and how you can be in the thick of the city one minute, and then half an hour later you’re sunning yourself on a beach, or climbing a mountain without a sky-scraper in sight!

We didn’t feel like we were here long enough-we were so sad to say goodbye to these wonderful people and it never feels like enough time with them. There is always so much to catch up on, but hey, at least we have an excuse to come back! Until next time HK!

On the ceiling of a bar in Stanley...

Dean teaches at Hong Kong International School. We popped by to say hi and have a snoop...oh my wow it is literally the most unbelievable school I have ever seen in my life!! Check this out...

Science lab (I know!! It even had its own a giant lizard. I might cry)

We decided to walk up to Lantau Peak. This is actually something I did about 6 years ago with my friend Holly. I have to say I found it a damn-site harder this time round (that's what 6 years and 8 months of travelling will do to you!)...a hefty old trek up to the top, but totally worth it for the views along the way! Not great photo-fodder as the haze was so heavy, but you get the idea!

A couple of Bro's from up the Peak...

Me at the top in the storm shelter. This photo probably doesn't do justice to quite how knackered I was!!

After the peak we walked all the way down the other side to the Giant Buddha. Walking down is harder than it sounds and we arrived at the buddha feeling rather self-conscious as we were sweating buckets and facing the giant hill of steps up to the statue, and millions of tourists, all looking pristine and very un-sweaty, as Asian tourists tend to look.

Bro from the Buddha, with the Peak in the background

Standard Pose at the top apparently...

Cable back car down the mountain from the Buddha

Catching the famous Star Ferry to Kowloon

Cheap dim sum in Kowloon! Hurrah! Shame the staff seemed to hate us...

View from The Peak...Marvellous!

Potentially worst job in the world?...Scaffolder in HK...

One of the reasons Bro loves this city...the abundance of Hiaces (this one's for you Norm!)

Drinks in Deep Water Bay

Photo-bombing the boys!

Sparkling wine from the offy...drunk from an icecream tub...on the roof of the IFC...with some awesome people...not too shabby!

Walking from Deep Water bay to Repulse Bay...Well-off HK families employ live-in Filipino helpers to manage their homes...cooking, cleaning, often even rearing the kids! Most of these women are married and a have husband and children back home in the Philippines who they are only able to see once or twice a year. The only days they have off (if they're lucky) are Sundays and public holidays and they embrace this time to meet up with all of their Filipino friends and relax (and let's be honest...most probably bitch about their employers!). Wednesday was a public holiday, so we enjoyed seeing these wonderful smiley young ladies in their adopted communities embracing their day off and celebrating with a giant BBQ on the beach. You go girls!