Our latest trips

Friday 4th December

Today we met up with N_M's parents to take a trip up to Victoria Peak. Instead of using the Peak Tram we decided to take the bus, which was a double decker and gave us excellent views all the way up. The weather wasn't the clearest, but we still got some nice pics looking down on Hong Kong.



We met a local grasshopper who was sitting with two of his limbs in the air, cooling off as they do even though it wasn't very warm up there!







Here is another pic looking down, showing just how green and lush it is up on the Peak.








Saturday 5th December

Today is the start of the East Asian Games, which are held every 4 years and this year is Hong Kong's turn. Our hotel seems to have quite a lot of the athletes staying here, and one floor and one lift has been closed off for their private use. We've seen the Mongolian Tae Kwondo team, lots of Chinese athletes and some from Korea and Hong Kong. I wish I recognised them, that would be very exciting! I had my photo taken with a giant pink panda - panda meets panda!

Security is pretty tight downstairs and we have Police vans outside as the athletes come and go.

We watched the opening ceremony yesterday and it was quite impressive, if rather long winded, as these things usually are. This is a photo of two of the singers on a huge lit barge in the Bay. There was a huge firework display at the end, which puts to shame anything I've seen in the UK.





Today we've seen some of the events on the telly, and they are unusual to say the least! Ballroom and Latin dancing Golds were awarded today, as well as Artistic Bicycle riding, both sole and twin events, much like rhythmic gymnastics on pushbikes - very bizarre to the western eye!

Last night we went to C's house out in Tai Po for a party and barbecue. It was my first ever experience of a Chinese party, and boy was it noisy! There were people playing mahjong all night, and poker, and food was cooked on the barbecue for many hours. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and we had a good time.

Sunday 6th December

Today we have had a quieter day in preparation for our trip to Macau tomorrow. We're going to be staying in a 6* hotel for a night, I'm looking forward to that!

So more will follow in a couple of days when we get back.