TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

11:21 AM
Posted by jodi rose

a bit out of order here, but then life is never so linear as we like to think.
Had a fabulous sunday in Hong Kong, wandered along hollywood rd, most of the antique shops closed, but found a few art galleries, the old police station, fringe club (also closed), and Man Mo or Mo Man Temple. Oldest in the city, wonderful carved dragons and coloured stone roof, inside the hazy red smoke from hundreds of incense coils hanging in the entrance, and gorgeous altars with fierce looking Gods and beautiful silk hangings.
Bought a few lucky charms which had been blessed, and caught a taxi to the star ferry. Wonderful old boats, green and white stripes, stars on all the seats, and intriguing culture on the pier, bustling with groups of young women sitting on blankets, chattering, playing cards and showing off their shopping from the day. Skipped Tsim Tsa Shui entirely, got straight on the bus to the Cattle Depot Artists Village - such a great name, how could I not visit? Up in the north of Kowloon, got there as everything was closing, but the big gallery still open with changeover from a fascinating exhibition - charmed by three cultures? can't remember - of culture busting ad images, 'sound in the city' very cool posters and some videa I didn't watch, new show of graduate sculpture being installed. Chatted with an artist up a ladder hanging red tubular material in loopy balls, then walked down through almost deserted streets to eventually find the Kowloon city ferry pier, and made it onto the last ferry of the day. Chugged past tall metal dredging barges, all huddled together in hulking dark shapes, drifted through the constant orange haze across the harbour, dodging ships, speedboats, junks and other ferries, to North Point pier. Found my way back to the hotel on the tram to Happy Valley - didn't make it to the valley, but had been wanting to take the tram since I arrived - and flaked out for an early night. Managed to avoid the 'symphony of lights' skyscraper sound and light show that is repeated every night, and woke up to packing mysteriously expanded stuff into suitcases - yet again - and marvellous well-organised city check-in for my flight at the central railway station.
MTR to Tsing Yi and meeting the chief bridge engineers, who gave me a warm welcome, and were very curious about how exactly I planned to get sound from their monitoring devices. So am I, but I know it can be done! Expressed a desire to visit the bridge, and then another party from Chinese university showed up for their tour, so I joined them.
Drove along the typhoon-proof maintenance road inside the bridge, and then took the elevator right up to the top of the pylon. Clmbed a few ladders (which if you knew how much I hate them, would appreciate the gritted teeth and clenched toes involved) and then emerged out into the sky, looking over the islands (Lantau, Tsing Yi and Hong Kong), and down along the cables to the roadway. Extraordinary.
I am constantly in awe of the incredible generosity from people who have no need to give me access to these places, yet choose to. The lovely IT boy arranged a highways dept car to drive me back to the station, and only had an hour of wandering around the airport where I tried not to shop but was defeated by the beautifully designed tiny kenzo perfume travel pack. Ah well, at least it's miniature!