Hong Kong and Isalnd orientation

The breakfast buffet at the Novotel turned out to be a 24 dollar buffet for all of us. The kids ate free and we had a 40% discount voucher so we ate our fill.
It began to rain heavily and the first peal of thunder surprised the hell of us. The sound was unlike thunder at home. It boomed and echoes through the high-rises sounding more like an explosion than thunder. We were hoping to visit the peak and the heavy rain looked to dampen our plans.
We took a walk after the rain subsided and saw more mainstream shops than those of yesterday. We bought a few trinkets and t-shirt, then went back to the hotel to join up with a tour that we booked earlier that morning.

Cane sugar drink, mashed while you wait.

We booked an afternoon tour with a crowd called Splendid tours and the tour guide, a girl called Suzanne entertained us all the way. We drove under the harbor in a tunnel she told us was 40 meters off the bottom of the sea floor and 40 meters from the surface. I had never heard of a suspended tunnel like that.
Our first stop was Victoria Peak, the highest point of Hong Kong that afforded a great view of the city, even more so because of the rain which cleared the haze.

The recent rain cleared away the haze for a great view.

From there we visited a family owned jewelers and saw the craftsmen fiddling with tiny gems and metalwork. From there we were ushered into a large showroom and the tour stalled there for ages. We breezed through but waited while people tried on rings and necklaces they never really intended to buy.

Most of the rings were over the top and after about half an hour, we were allowed out to continue the tour.

Aberdeen fishing village was next where we caught a ride on a sampan and saw Jumbo, the famous  floating restaurant, and zigzagged through moored fishing boats where a community of fishermen have passed the business down through their families for generations.

We all took turns wearing the hats.

Behind is Jumbo, a floating restaurant.

In the housing behind, it's one window for one family. Our tour guide told us these high-rises have no elevators and she lived on the 18th floor with her daughter, her family and grandma.

The south side of Hong Kong is where the rich live. It's green and spacious and very expensive. Jackie Chan and Jett lee live there. We drove past Repulse bay which is a pretty beach and stopped at Stanley market where Ash finally bought an Ipod charger, Chris bought a T-Shirt and we got the most kitsch plate with our picture on it you could imagine.

It rained a lot more and we traveled home.

People waiting for Yak tongues or dried sea slugs or whatever.

We had enough time to catch a taxi to the harbor for what is the largest light show in the world. At 8:00pm the harbor buildings light up in time to music and lasers and spotlights flick and sweep from the rooftops. It was great to see the harbor at night and we left a little early to avoid the crowds at the taxi rank.

Grainy pictures of the harbor. We left Sharon's camera at the hotel.

The girl's flash went off as I took Sharon's photo without one. :)

We picked the craziest taxi driver in Hong Kong. He weaved at speed in between buses and cars and buildings and, scariest of all, pedestrians who wandered across the streets in drifts that seemed to part just before being hit.

Amusing us whilst waiting for our meal, was a table of guests stacking a tower of icecream tubs in the middle
of their table after eating an impossible amount of icecream between them.

Dessert!

We ate our last dinner at the hotel and went to sleep for the last time on the trip.

Ready for a good night's sleep.