Tuesday 20th June

Left Melbourne at 11:00pm for the 9 hour flight to Hong Kong. Got in at 6:00am Hong Kong Time (AEST-2hrs). Met our tour guide and caught the bus to our Hotel in Kowloon. First views of Hong Kong is lots of high rise living, a huge shipping port and even more high rise. All very spectacular. Hotel is near Nathan Road, and our superior room is compact. It is clean and has its own fax, Tv, just not much room for luggage.

After a shower, we had a wander around near the hotel then caught a "star ferry" across to Hong Kong from Kowloon. We then walked up the hill and passed through some shopping districts, visited a shopping are called "cat street" , the Sheun Wen market and saw the fish and meat being prepared. Continued on to Dried seafood street where there is just shop after shop of, you guessed it, dried seafood, from shrimp, prawns, sardines to larger fish. After this it was to the ferry terminal and off to Macau. On Macau, we caught a rickshaw and the little guy peddled the 2 of us, around the south of the island, saw a few of the casinos (although we didn't go in) and the Macau tower, a temple, and the facade of the church that has been saved and Portuguese fort.
Had a great Chinese meal in Macau, although didn't order the snake or frog or other different items. On return to Hong Kong travelled on the double decker trams and underground trains. Infrastructure is great in Hong Kong and very clean.
View of Hong Kong from Kowloon. Star ferry in foreground
Dried seafood street. Dried fish hanging up.
Our rickshaw driver taking a rest while this photo of the Sands casino is taken. 17 casinos in Macau
The ruins of St Paul's church in Macau
Senado square in Macau

Wednesday 21st June

After a well earned sleep, this morning is our tour - a Cultural Heritage tour. Visited a Buddhist Monastery, the 3 largest precious buddhas in Hong Kong. Went up Big hat mountain for views over harbours and also towards China. Also visited Goddess of the Sea temple and wishing tree, then had a stop at a shopping centre, complete with fresh food market, then to Tang Chung Ling ancestral hall from 1500's then to Lo Wai a renowned walled village where our tour guide lived in a restored house. Back to the hotel.

Walked along Nathan Road (Golden Mile) of shops. Lots of offers for suits, Rolex copies etc. After beating them off, visited temple in "TEMPLE Street". Walked through temple street market, and the odd thing was outside the temple were market stalls with sex toys. Well I thought it was odd! Passed more shops in Jade street and then back down Nathan Road until we found a bar (Irish) to buy a few beers to replace the lost fluids from the humidity. At 8:00pm we watched the light and sound show that is based on various buildings that can be viewed from the harbour side. Lasts about 15 minutes and was pretty impressive. After this it was off to a small diner/restaurant for dinner. Stuck with the beef and pork with some green vegetables (only one type of vegetable though). Rested ready for a half day tour tomorrow.

Temple on Cultural Heritage Tour. Also has elderly who live in rooms in buildings off to the side.
Gold Buddha's inside the temple
Wishing tree. You hang the wishes on racks now, as the trees have had some problems, like disease, fire etc.
Light show from Avenue of stars on Kowloon side looking to Hong Kong island

Thursday 22nd June

Up early and on tour. First stop was at Aberdeen. A fishing harbour on the south side. Where the Jumbo floating restaurant is and where we had a sampan ride. Next stop was a jewellery factory where they try to keep you inside until you buy something but we resisted. After this, it was along the coast past Repulse Bay where the rich people live and to Stanley street market. Lots of typical market stalls for tourists. Wealthy area of Hong Kong. Drove in bus to Victoria peak. Overlooks Hong Kong Victoria harbour and Kowloon peninsula on the other side. Great views although looked like rain was coming in. Travelled down via funicular tram car then back to hotel. Walked to Harbour city (just around the corner, huge shopping complex and tried to figure out if electronics were cheap. Seemed more reputable than Nathan road shops, but we didn't buy anything. Back to hotel to rest and do all this before heading out for dinner.

Had dinner out and then caught star ferry at night to Hong Kong island, had a wander around then MTR (subway) back

Jumbo restaurant at Aberdeen
Government housing -one window - one family
From Victoria Peak overlooking Victoria Harbour - old airport on beach on Kowloon side
Victoria Peak overlooking Kowloon towards dockyards/container port

Friday 23rd June

Up to catch the transfer at 6:25am to the airport. Flight was late and got in at Beijing at around 1:00pm. Tony the tour person met us. Excellent English and very friendly. Hotel is 4 to 5 star and close in. Rest for a couple of hours then walk into Beijing and after slight loss of direction find Forbidden City and then Tiananmen square. Both are large and impressive. Cars everywhere. Walk back to the hotel, have a few drinks and then a shower. Head out for dinner at a local shop used by local people for pork and shrimp dumpling and duck and bean salad. Washed down with local beer. Back to the hotel ready for tour at 8:15am.

Bike parking lot in Beijing
Forbidden City
Local restaurant where we ate with the locals
Front of Forbidden city with photo of Mao
Night photo
Olympic sculpture in plaza
Sculpture outside Mao memorial hall

Saturday 24th June

Up and out for breakfast then catch our tour bus at 8:15am. Only 2 on tour, other 5 cancelled due to lost luggage. Head out north of the city to Ming Tombs. Visit one tomb, then off to Jade factory and see some amazing pieces. From here it was off the wall at Badaling. Climbed many a step (inca trail re-visited), impressive history. After our climbs, head back towards Beijing and stop at the restaurant which is also a large tourist store and also ceramics factory. Multi course lunch. Head back to Beijing for a relaxing cup of tea at a tea ceremony. Try 4 different types of tea. Next stop is an add-on where we decide to visit the acrobats on recommendation of our tour guide Julia. Walk through a park to fill in time before the start. Acrobats are amazing. Hard to find words to describe. Catch taxi back to hotel (hard to give address in Chinese). Tea with travel friends in hotel.

Ming Tombs
At the Great wall
Fountain in Park
Acrobats

Sunday 25th June

Lazy morning. About midday caught a taxi to the Beijing Zoo. A little bit better in giving directions to driver, by showing him the map. At the zoo, visit giant panda bears, see other bears, and animals then to Aquarium. Just in time to see the marine show with seals and dolphins. Great show. Explore more of the zoo, then walk to the subway and catch subway train on circle line to shopping mall. Lots of western style shops, don't buy anything then walk back to hotel. After a rest walked around the corner and had dinner in a local restaurant. No English on the menu so it was point and guess. Not sure what we ordered but have since been told it was sea cucumber. Thank god.

Giant Panda doing one of its 2 things. Sleeping, not eating
Dolphins at Aquarium
The unknown dinner. May be sea cucumber
Jill feeding the elephant

Monday 26th June

After breakfast, on to tour bus to Tiananman square. Picked up others along the way. Walk around the square then tour through Forbidden city. Over 9000 rooms, and 5% is open to the public,. Lots of restoration work, with obligatory scaffolding. Next stop Silk factory, single cocoons for silk material, double cocoons for quilts. Next was a sumptuous lunch for the 8 on the tour then off to the Temple of Heaven. Large parkland area with temple style buidlings where they wished for a good harvest for the forthcoming year. After this it was off to a freshwater pearl factory where they try to sell you stuff. Back to the hotel for rest. Off for dinner at nearby restauruant of Peking duck and spicy seafood. Tottered around to street stalls where they have a variety of foods from baby bird on a skewer to snake skin to scorpions to sentipedes.

Flag pole in Tiananmen square
Throne in Forbidden city
Temple of Heaven

Tuesday 27th June

Picked up from hotel at 9:00am ferried via taxi to Drum Tower and witnessed a dramatic drum show. Went on rickshaws around Hutong and large local fruit and vegetable market. Saw inside a local home with a central courtyard. Caught a taxi by ourselves to Summer Palace. Walked around, saw the marble boat, lovely local lunch and by accident caught the river boat back towards the city. no taxi's available. Caught main boat to near zoo, then transferred to speed boat for high speed ride to Exhibition centre then subway back to hotel.
Drum tower - drum beating
In the rickshaw in the hutong
View across the lake at the summer palace
View from the southern exit up the lake

Wednesday 28th June

Had a late breakfast. Checked out of hotel after packing up all of our stuff. One extra bag. Walked to Tiananmen square and then visited Mao's memorial hall. Got to file past the chairman under glass. Walked along and saw a few shops, bought some small gifts and then headed off to the Underground city. In the 1960's China felt under threat from the Russians and built a city under the city. Amazing maze of tunnels, they even have the conference hall turned into a shop. After this it was on to the subway to find a shopping mall. After one wrong turn and 20 minutes we found it. Had lunch then walked to the Wangfujing shopping area for last minute shopping. Walked back to the hotel and spent a couple of hours reading waiting to be picked up to be delivered to the airport, where we sit at the terminal gate as we write this. Flight is at 9:40pm to Sydney, then transfer to Melbourne.