SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

GUILIN – HONG KONG (Pop: 7 million inhabitants, Temperature:  34 degrees)

Before leaving the town of Guilin, we went for a walk on the boardwalk along the Li River. We met several groups of people doing line dance or social dance. Several figures look like the one we know but, they are performed on Chinese music, which is quite exotic! We also visited the Xiaoyao Tower of the last Song Dynasty. On the top floor, the view of the river, the bridge and the park are interesting.

At about 10:30 a.m., we took a taxi to the railway station, located to the west of the city, 40 minutes from our hostel. We boarded a TGV to Hong Kong, our last destination in China (duration: 3 hours 20 minutes). Sugar loaves have quietly given way to rounder, lower mountains. We have seen many small country villages surrounded by farmland and some very large cities lined with skyscrapers. We finally arrived on the island of Hong Kong after crossing a 4 km long tunnel. When we got off the train, we went to customs and quickly found Iqbal, son of an Indonesian friend, and his wife Mella. They were waiting for us with my name written in large print on a sheet. How friendly they are! Their Indonesian-born driver drove us to their apartment in the Causeway Bay area, the city’s nerve centre. We met their nine-year-old son, their 10-month-old baby and their niece Nia.

We chatted and planned our stay in Hong Kong before going out to dinner. Iqbal and Mella took us to an Indonesian restaurant just around the corner from their apartment. I ordered a gadou gadou (vegetable salad with peanut sauce) which I ate with nasi goreng (fried rice). How good it was! The flavours reminded me of the trip I made to Indonesia at the age of 19.

After our excellent meal, we walked to Victoria Park and climbed onto the viaduct to get a view of the city under its night lighting. We could see the business district named « Central » with its high skyscrapers, the Victoria Harbour, the West Kowloon district on the other side of the shore with, among others, the high tower of the Bank of China. We then went around the streets around their apartment. We had plenty to see: tall buildings and giant illuminated posters, crowded streets, posters of demonstrations glued all over the ground, a few hooded protesters, shops of all kinds, Apple store on three floors, etc. Iqbal also showed us his place of work: the Indonesian Consulate, located two blocks from his home.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

Hong Kong

Nia kindly offered us a grilled egg sandwich and a coffee for breakfast. Iqbal took over our Indonesian visa application. As he works at the Indonesian Consulate in Hong Kong, it was the perfect contact to help us get our two-month visa. We have made our entry flight reservations to Indonesia and accommodation in order to complete the required formalities.

While Iqbal was at work at the consulate, Claude and I headed to the historic district in « Central » under almost unbearable heat and humidity. We had a hard time following the directions of our GPS. We made a big detour, passing by the waterfront promenade located in the area of government buildings. 

After almost two hours of walking, we finally found the Statue Square. This one was packed with Filipinos. (We later learned that this is their gathering place. Every Sunday, these housekeepers working for Hong Kongers gather to share their experiences, play cards, dance, make-up, share local food, etc. We thought they were immigrant women waiting for a visa. Their number is impressive: there are nearly 250,000! There are also many Indonesian domestic helpers in Hong Kong. Instead, they are in the heart of Causeway Bay. They are easily recognizable because they dress in long clothes and are veiled.)

The area has little history besides the legislative Council Building, a neoclassical silhouette. Built in 1912 with granite extracted from Stonecutter’s Island, it was occupied by Kempeitai, the Japanese equivalent of the Gestapo, during World War II.

We continued our walk to join the modern angular tower of the Bank of China, completed in 1990. The 42nd floor has a seemingly extraordinary view but, unfortunately, access has been closed to the public for two years.

A little further on, we took a look at the beautiful interior of St John’s Cathedral (1849) where a mass was taking place. Modest in appearance for a cathedral, especially compared to the large office buildings that surround it, it is nevertheless steeped in history. Next to it is the building of the former French mission, a charming building built for the Russian consul in the 1860s.

Passing through the impressive HSBC Tower, we went to Pier 7 to board the Star Ferry bound for Kawloon. This economical cruise (HK$2.50) offers stunning views of the skyscrapers and surrounding hills. Unfortunately, the weather was not very clear due to fog and pollution. It was still very nice to be on the water.

West Kawloon is a well-known area for its restaurants and shops of all kinds. The boisterous elegance rubs shoulders with banality, and we meet a cosmopolitan population. Passing through the Clock Tower and along the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, we went for a walk on the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade. It offers a magnificent view of Victoria Harbour and leads to avenue des Stars, dedicated to the Hong Kong film industry. You can see the handprints of popular actors on metal plates.

We took the ferry back to Hong Kong Island but received a message from Iqbal on my cell phone, advising us to stay in Kawloon because of the protests raging in Causeway Bay. He even sent us a short video filmed from the window of his apartment showing the police firing tear gas at the protesters. So, we stayed on the ferry and went back to Kawloon, waiting for Iqbal to give us the green light to return home. Tired of our long walking hours, we took a coffee break at MacDonald’s and took the opportunity to recharge my cell phone.

We had an excellent dinner at a restaurant near the wharf, happy to eat something other than Chinese food. At 8 p.m., we attended the Symphony of Lights, sitting in the stands of Tsim Sha Tsui Drive. The sets of lights from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island were reflected in the water, giving a magical air to the night. The circle of police at the entrance to the pier and a group of protesters finally liberated the premises and we were finally able to return by ferry and taxi, happy to end this long, exhausting day and relieved to be safe from the protests.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

HONG KONG – LAMMA ISLAND (32 DEGREES C)

We had lunch at Iqbal and purchased three air tickets for domestic flights in Indonesia. Around 10am, we took the subway to Causeway Bay station. We went to Central Station and then walked to Pier 4 where we boarded the ferry to Lamma Island. The cruise, lasting 30 minutes, delighted us. Despite the fog and high pollution, we were able to enjoy the view of some other islands belonging to the state of Hong Kong.

Upon our arrival on the island of Lamma, we were able to discover several very small villages accessible only on foot. There are no cars, no pollution and no noise on the island! A 40-minute walk took us to the first of the island’s two beaches. We settled in the shade of a large tree and quickly went to bathe in the warm turquoise waters of the sea. What a joy to be able to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a few hours! We shared a noodle soup at one of the small restaurants on the beach.

We turned back to get to take the ferry back. Claude searched for his Bermudas but, to no avail; someone must have found them beautiful and left with them! We went back to a small shop and Claude bought new ones.

At 4 p.m., we were back at Iqbal’s, wanting to avoid the protests announced at the end of the day. We took the opportunity to chat with Mella and show her some pictures of our families. After a delicious supper prepared by Mella, Claude and I went for a walk in our neighborhood, once the danger of protest was eliminated. We soaked up the hustle and bustle of the streets of Hong Kong on the eve of our departure.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1st

HONG KONG – SINGAPORE

I didn’t sleep very well. Was it due to coffee or the nervousness of missing my plane the next day because of the monster protests announced for the 1st of October, the Chinese National Day? I can’t say. We got up early. Mella insisted that we take the time to eat our spicy spaghetti for breakfast before leaving. We greeted and warmly thanked our guests before taking a taxi to the airport. The metro service was already suspended for the day although it was still early. The taxi driver hesitated before agreeing to take us to the airport but, at Iqbal’s insistence, he eventually agreed. Finally, as the roads were rather deserted, we quickly arrived at the airport and this, without any problems. Phew! My stress has gone down a notch. Seven long hours of waiting was the price to pay to leave Hong Kong on this day of announced protests.

Photos of China and Hong Kong (Click on the image below, then on the arrow on the right)

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See the following of the text under SINGAPORE.