Hong Kong Reflections

When a vibrant and bustling Hong Kong was handed back to China exactly 15 years ago everyone in the West worried that the ex-British colony would quickly lose its shine under communist rule. But nothing could be further from the truth. The world still comes here to shop, and there’s no shortage of upmarket global stores willing to help that happen. But the continual rise in the value of the Hong Kong dollar, and the huge numbers of mainland Chinese pouring in with cash in their pockets, means that prices have soared. Expensive skyscrapers are being jammed into every nook and cranny so the best way to see one is to look at its reflection in another…

We only have three days in Hong Kong so we sprung for this glitzy waterfront hotel ...especially as they offered a great pre-paid promo rate.

However, some things haven’t changed in Hong Kong. The Star ferries that trundle back and forth across the harbour still offer a cheap view of Hong Kong’s famous skyscrapers…

… and the iconic trams that have been running since 1904 still rattle around the island’s crystal canyons for about 25 cents a ride…

Antique trams can even be rented for parties or weddings.
Everywhere we have been, from St. Petersburg to Moscow and Mongolia, and now Hong Kong, we have been beset with couples tying the knot in the most ostentatious, (and expensive), way imaginable. Here’s the happy group from just one of the ten weddings taking place at our hotel today…

…But will they look this happy when they get the bill?
Here’s someone who happily paid the bill for our fabulous lunch in Hong Kong…

This is our friend Innez whom James got to know in Toronto many years ago. Innez runs the PAL English Language school in Hong Kong and she is celebrating her 7th successful year of teaching kids, from toddlers to teens, how to learn while they play…

While we love travelling the globe we also love meeting up with friends old and new on the way. We also discover many things as we travel so, in a way, we are following Innez’s philosophy – we learn as we play. Now we are off to play in Thailand – see you in Bangkok.