Hong Kong, do we have any members there?

[Cliff Rogers]

We are going for a long weekend at the end of this month.

[Daddles]

Giving them a warning to get out of town are you? Always said you were a considerate sort.:D

Richard

[FlyingDuck]

I have been living and working there for the past 6 years. Actually just finished three weeks holidays back home in Brisbane, and am flying back to Hong Kong tomorrow.

Don't know why anybody would want to visit this s#$%hole of a place anyhow, unless you are into dirty, polluted, crowded Asian places. Leaving Brisbane and going back there each time is like torture for me.

[aabb]

I have been living and working there for the past 6 years. Actually just finished three weeks holidays back home in Brisbane, and am flying back to Hong Kong tomorrow.

Don't know why anybody would want to visit this s#$%hole of a place anyhow, unless you are into dirty, polluted, crowded Asian places. Leaving Brisbane and going back there each time is like torture for me.

May I most respectfully suggest that if you dont like HK - stay in Brisbane.

[scooter]

Sounds like Dying Fluck has to work there, not there by choice...

[Gra]

if no one answers Yes, are you going to say fooee

[FlyingDuck]

aabb, yes you can respectfully say that, but like scooter says, my job is over there and I ain't got no choice.

[echnidna]

then find a choice

[aabb]

Cliff have a great time there ... one of the best places to visit in the world imho. .. i go there any chance i get .. was lucky to have to go there on regular basis for work in past job

Albert

[Wongo]

Lai ho Roger:D ,

Hong Kong is a great place to visit and you only need a few days to see the whole place. It is very different from your lovely Queensland. There aren’t many trees on the road or birds in the sky (but there are plenty in the cage). Yes it is crowed, some places are a bit dirty and a little bit polluted but hey that’s Asia and that’s why people like it.

Enjoy the food, enjoy the shopping and the people. You should go to Stanley market on HK island, catch the Star ferry and visit some fishing villages.

Have a great experience and say hi to my mum for me.

Wongo (who came form the s#$%hole:rolleyes: )

[bitingmidge]

Yep Cliff,

I'm with Albert. I was also fortunate to "have" to go there a bit for work, and now, like Singapore (although HK is nothing like Singapore), I take whatever chance I can get to stay there for a few days.

One small plobrem that can be quite disconcering at first: everyone looks like Wongo!

Cheers,

P
:D :D :D

[Wongo]

...and 2 foot shorter.:D

[Cliff Rogers]

Thanks blokes.

We have been there before for 6 days in '95.

We are going for 5 days & staying with friends before they move to the UK later this year. (then we'll have to visit them again :rolleyes: )

Have been to/from HK Island on the snake train.
Have been to one of the big markets, can't remember the name.
Have been to Lan Tow (sp?) Island wit the big buddah.
Have done one of the self guided walking tours.

This time.
Hope to see some of the East Coast.
Hope to get to Macow. (sp?)
Hope to do a day trip into China.

So Duck, is there anywhere at all that you don't hate that might be worth a look?n:D

[Wongo]

Roger,

Just in case you didnt know. You need a visa to go to China and it is not an overnight thing. You should get it organized now.

You should catch the tram to the peak and see the entire city. It is beautiful at night

Try some pigeons they are delicious.:cool:

[bitingmidge]

[QUOTE=Wongo]You should catch the tram to the peak and see the entire city. It is beautiful at night/QUOTE]

On a clear day, you can see your hand in front of your face ....


just.

P
:D

[Wongo]

Harsh words but on behave of my people, I will cope this one.:D

[Cliff Rogers]

Roger,
Bloody Chinaman. :D


Just in case you didnt know. You need a visa to go to China and it is not an overnight thing. You should get it organized now.
Checking on that now, ta.


You should catch the tram to the peak and see the entire city. It is beautiful at night
Victoria Peak, yeap, done that will do it again. :D


Try some pigeons they are delicious.:cool:
Squab... Pass. I've cleaned out too many dirty fithy pigeon nests from the roof & gutters, yuk. Quail is fine. (look like nude budgies:p )

[Cliff Rogers]

Just found all out Tourist books from the last time we went, some of them are 13 years old :eek:

I can fix some of my crook spelling now.

Lan Tow is Lantau :o

Macow is Macau :p

We did a walking tour in Yau Ma Tei. ;)

[Wongo]

Hey Yau Ma Tei used to be my territory. Tell them you know uncle Wong and they will take care of you. :cool:

Useless fact #32145 Yau Ma Tei is also known as Waterloo.

[Grunt]

There is a fricken great South Indian resturant in Kowloon. Alone it's worth the trip.

[Termite]

Ah Honkers, 1978 - 1980, 34 years old, divorced, based in Manila, SE Asia boss of a Danish construction company, work was 24/7. Escape every 6-7 weeks was for me and my construction manager, Fri 6pm Qantas to HK, two rooms at the Peninsula, 48 hours of madness, land back in Manila at 11 PM Sunday, and back into it on Monday morning. All paid for out of the company slush fund (bribes paid by material suppliers, all standard operating procedure).
What with the normal debauchery in Manila it's no wonder I'm a wreck now, if I had my time over again..........I wouldn't change a bloody thing.:D

[FlyingDuck]

..ask for Uncle Wong, that''ll narrow it down to about one million people.

I can see you are all dazzled by the bright lights of the city, like I was to start, but spend 6 years there and then come back to me. Maybe then you'll start thinking like me and the other 1500 expats in my company.

If youse all think it is so great, ask the question why does just about every local you speak to with money either want to, is in the process off, or has already immigrated to whatever western country will take them so they can go and live in a real country? Been to Vancouver recently? They don't call it Hongcouver for no reason. In fact, the very suburb where I am from in Brisbane called Sunnybank is now known as Chinabank.

Sorry to sound so negative, probably is a great place to visit if you have a return airline ticket in hand. Just don't expect the locals to be the friendliest people in the world.

As I write this I am sitting in my apartment in a place called Discovery Bay on Lantau Island, just the other side of the airport. Looking out my window I can see Disney Land and Hong Kong Central on the other side of the bay.

Cliff, if you are after some tools, check out Reclamation St in Mong Kong, and also Apilu St in Sham Shui Po. They sell a lot of good quality Japanese hand tools which we don't get in Oz for reasonable prices. Most people in these shops can't speak a word of English, so expect to do a lot of pointing. Don't ask any questions, as the standard reply is yes.

[Cliff Rogers]

Thanks blokes.

Grunt, Kowloon is a big place, do you have any more clues other than "great South Indian resturant in Kowloon"?

[Cliff Rogers]

... You need a visa to go to China and it is not an overnight thing. ....

Friends in HK have said that you can now get your Visa at the boarder on the way in.

[aabb]

Friends in HK have said that you can now get your Visa at the boarder on the way in.

Cliff I heard that may be the case but also hear its pot luck ith queues. Also the visa you get there only lets you go to local area it is not a general China visa .. not that you can go to far in a day anyway !
Just check practicalities with your friends - it beenabout 6mths since i was in HK and then I decided trip wasnt worth the effort in regards to visa issue. Things change quickly there.

Albert

[aabb]

[quote=Cliff Rogers]Thanks blokes.


Have been to Lan Tow (sp?) Island wit the big buddah.
-----------
Cliff you might want to consider this trip again if they (MTR Train company) have opened up cable car there - cant recall opening date - not that im big fan of the commercialisation that it will bring it would be a pretty good trip/view.

[Simomatra]

[quote=Wongo]Roger,

Just in case you didnt know. You need a visa to go to China and it is not an overnight thing. You should get it organized now.

Wongo is correct Myself and some workmates spent an entire week there waiting for a visa to China. Went on to Sanya.

Enjoyed both Honkus and Sanya

Have a good trip Cliff

[Grunt]

<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
Grunt, Kowloon is a big place, do you have any more clues other than "great South Indian resturant in Kowloon"?

Sadly, no. I was taken there by a client about 5 years ago.

Chris

[Cliff Rogers]

...might want to consider this trip again if they (MTR Train company) have opened up cable car there - ...

Yeap, we have it here in Cairns, same thing as our Skyrail.

[Wongo]

Duck, I understand that Hong Kong is not a paradise. We didn’t say it is great place to live but it is nevertheless a great place to “visit” which is what Cliff is doing. It was a great experience to visit Hong Kong in the past and it still is now. Like you I wouldn’t want to live there either but I still miss it very much.

Roger, I will still get something official. Things must have changed but last time my wife had to wait 10 working days.

Cheers

[Cliff Rogers]

...Myself and some workmates spent an entire week there waiting for a visa to China. ...

1. How long ago?

2. At the boarder or back in the city?

Friends say is is easiest/fastest to just rock up to the boarder on the day.

[rockola]

I'm going over there in July for a few days, I don't suppose there are any cheaper places to go for a beer than this one?

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19062474-13762,00.html

[Wongo]

How was Hongky Cliff?

[Cliff Rogers]

Good, cleaner that it was 11 years ago.

Warm,(hot) cloudy, rainy, didn't find much interesting in the way of tools, I got a natural water stone & some Japanese chisels (about $8AUD ea) with plastic handles, not the traditional stuff.
Bought heaps of cheap shirts, got very good cotton blend shirts for $6 ea.

Amazing disparity in pricing from one place to another, went around to Sai Kung for a look, had a huge Dim Sum lunch with 2 different types of tea for about $6AUD ea & then walked along the water front & stopped for a coffee & ice cream & it was about $8AUD ea.:rolleyes:

The friends we stayed with took us to an Italian Restaurant & one glass of wine & a main & shared desert cost about $100AUD ea. :eek:

Went up to Macau for a look, heaps of building happening. Walked around some of the ruins & shops & had lunch in a Portuguese restaurant.

Love the way you can check in at Central.

Good break, came home to a mountain of paperwork.:(

[Wongo]

Bought heaps of cheap shirts, got very good cotton blend shirts for $6 ea.

Tin Tin and Hard Lock Cafe.:cool:


Didn't go to China?

[Cliff Rogers]

Boss Hugo with a paper sticker over the label calling them something else.

Nope, didn't go to China, got talked out of it.:cool: (see PM from me)

[coastie]

Not going over there to open a Chinese cafe are you Cliff?:confused:

[Cliff Rogers]

Nope, there is a shortage of cooks. ;)