30/8/03

It's Sunday morning. I would have written an entry last night, however by the time all was said and done I was so spent, I barely had the energy to close my eyes. It has been a pretty good day. It is very hot and humid. 10 years in Singapore and Jakarta, but every time I head back this way, I have to buy oxygen tanks to prevent me from drowning in my own sweat. I could form a small ocean by draining the sweat from my jeans, but I will save the world from that. I think it could be proven that there was actually more water in the air today, than there was in the sea. Well, maybe not. (Have I proven my point?)

Slept in till about 9, when shortly after the folks called to check if I had survived the trip. We collectively decided in may be in my best interests to get health insurance of some kind, and that I was quite stupid to have overlooked the issue in favour of buying DVDs. Spent the morning on the digital camera hunt, looking to spend somewhere in the range of HK$1600-2000. Went down to the concierge and asked his advice on the best place to look. He fairly sternly said to me "Go to either Fortress, here (while pointing on the map), or Broadway, and don't buy anywhere else." Thinking I was the king, I figured what he was trying to tell me that both Fortress and Broadway, two large electronics chains that had recently opened, had paid him a healthy commission to inform helpless tourists such as myself to avoid the hundreds of independent electronics retailers all over Tsim Sha Tsui (the area of Kowloon where I was staying). I made my way down to Fortress to check things out all the same. Halfway there I realized I was starving and popped into the every convenient Delifrance (home sweet Delifrance) for a spot of breakfast. Delifrance is also in Singapore, and is basically your French Starbucks, that focuses on croissants and rolls, and not coffee.... so really not like Starbucks at all, probably not even from France for all I know.

Nevertheless after a quick bite I found myself at Fortress, after browsing for a 20 mins, asking a few questions, I figured I'd try my luck at one of the indy retailers, with my eyes on the Sony somethingorother. Confidently I walked into a store, figuring there was no way a salesman was going to get the better of me! 30 mins later Dicky had taken me for all I was worth. While I ended up with a pretty good camera I had spent HK$3100, a little over budget. All I could really do was laugh.... and consider busking. Instead I went and bought a phone card to call Ms. Sidoryk as I had promised the week before. Unfortunately the phone card followed Dicky's lead and got the better of me, I could sure hear Dean (Mr. Sidoryk), but was pretty sure he couldn't here me (the 40 people walking past the phone booth as I yelled down the line could .) Back to the hotel I went to get the so called 'camera rolling', and figure out my afternoon.

Victoria Peak. A little under a year ago I was up there with Brandi, and the view back then was something else. Surprisingly that hasn't changed. I walked down to the harbour, and caught myself a Star Ferry across the water to the island. Was a fantastic day, sky crystal clear. Walked up to the Peak Tram Station and paid my HK$20. About 10 mins later the tram arrived and I was on my way. Last year we took the bus both up and down, which is a pretty good ride, the views fantastic, the driving incredible. The peak tram is an experience, while it doesn't match the scenery provided by the bus ride, the thrill of riding a tram on a 45 degree angle is quite something. It also takes about 5 mins to get the top, as compared to 25 on the bus. Up the top the view was great. Took a bunch of pics, bought an ice cream, had it melt all over my shirt, then caught the bus back down.

After getting back to Central I figured I'd just wander around for a bit, try and get a few happy snaps. While making my way up the worlds longest escalator (800m) I spotted a bar that was selling Miller for HK$20. I didn't take much convincing, actually, I didn't take any. I strode into the bar and had a relaxing drink. Almost two hours later I walked out. Having been joined by Chip and Sue, I figured I'd stay for a few more, many thanks to Chip. He was an American in the Casino business (actually oversaw the building of the Bellagio in Las Vegas, the one from Oceans Eleven), building a Casino over on Macau, and was across for the weekend. Sue was in the fashion industry, from the north of England had been posted in Hong Kong after a four year stint in Jakarta. We had a good chat about just about everything.

It was about this time my stomach started complaining about the glass of water I had in the middle of the night without thinking. Whoops. Back to the hotel. Thankfully my stomach has retained some of the iron it built up in Indonesia and I was saved from anything too dramatic, but it did bring about a quick nap and eliminate any possibility of a big night out.

After waking up at about 9, and not feeling like getting up to too much mischief, I decided to take Sue's advice and head back up to the Peak and check out the view at night. Hong Kong in the day is something, at night it is truly spectacular, possibly enhanced by the fact that unless you are a pro photographer, it is really hard to take away with you the views up there after dusk. After drooling all over the place for a little while, I had some fried rice for dinner, and made my way back down. Back to the hotel, to bed.