New Zealand phone number!

February 1st
Hi all
our phone number for the next two months is 0064 223 899 568. Can also get us on email at mags.mike@btinternet.com or maggie.sherlock@btinternet.com or michael.turton21@btinternet.com or on Skype!

Some photos of Hong Kong!

Star Ferry between Kowloon and HK Island

View over beach

typical shopping street - outside peak hours!

Amazing decorations in shopping mall

Trams vie with cars, buses etc

Social housing in Jordan, Kowloon

beach views

A typical street scene!

just a few of the many high rise buildings (view from top of a bus!)

view over city from the Peak

The not so beautiful housing, with washing!

Hong Kong. China no more!

Days 2 and 3  in HK were spent exploring more of Kowloon and HK Island. Such a city of stark contrasts - the city areas are absolutely packed with people - 2.5m in one small area of Kowloon alone! Fancy glass office blocks, hotels and flats are packed in cheek by jowl with all the well known brands such as Harvey Nicks, Chanel etc but look above the street scene and you'll often find pretty grotty accommodation. Makes London look spacious! Then travel a few miles up the coast on HK island and there's some lovely scenery and surprisingly pretty beaches. Mind you even by the beach you can't get away from high rise flats - there are at least double the number of sky scrapers in HK than New York apparently and most habitable parts of the coast line are dominated by huge high rise apartments and hotels that cost a fortune!

Typical shopping street

Amazing decorations in the shopping Malls

Just a few vehicles in the town centre

View over the City

The beach

We now realise that we've boobed! Normally we're both accomplished shoppers and HK has loads and loads of shops. However having got some fabulous fabric for our bedroom yesterday (which we've posted home!) neither of us felt like shopping seriously when we have to carry it around for the next 6 months. If we come again, we'll bring less or fit in HK at the end of the trip!

Hong Kong  laser light show. Free every evening

The difference in atmosphere here compared to the UK has struck us both. While there are a few street beggars and clearly varying levels of income, there's a huge buzz about the city and no sense of recession or anything approaching it. Certainly it's the only place I've been to where the locals queue to get into high end shops such as Chanel and Hermes when there are no sales on! Fancy clothes, cars  and watches are an all important part of the "face" put on by the Chinese, young and old, to show the world how well they're doing.

A few things we'd definitely recommend to visitors to Hong Kong. Take the cable car to the top of Victoria Peak.The journey is an experience in itself and the view, on a clear day and once the smog has cleared, is amazing. Watch the fabulous laser show down by the harbour. It's on for 15 minutes every evening and is free. Visit Kowloon Park, a peaceful haven in the midst of all the hussle and bustle. Take the Big Red Bus tour around the City. It's a good way to get a sense of the City as a whole.

Kowloon park - a haven in the City Centre

 

 
We've enjoyed our visit to HK but 2 and a bit days was enough. We won't rush back. While the city shares much of the madness of Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok, it lacks their character and there are more interesting places to visit.

First sight of China

28th Jan - Hong Kong
Arrived on Sunday morning after a long but comfortable flight (flat beds with mattresses). Had a bit of a panic leaving the airport when we discovered that Mike had left our document bag with money and some documents on the luggage trolley. The very accommodating taxi driver turned round without a second thought and went back to the taxi stand and the taxi supervisor handed it over safe and sound. Phew!

Spent day one in a mixture of sight seeing and shopping. A trip across to Hong Kong Island on the ferry and then a bus trip taking in the cable car up to the heights with fantastic views over Victoria harbour. Then over to Western market where we got some silk material at a very good price, which we will have to ship back as the cases can't take to strain.

 

Sherlock Family "do" for Ruth's homecoming Jan 13

That's my boy! Ed and Alex

Ruth Sherlock, journalist extraordinaire paid a rare visit to the UK so we killed the fatted calf,  soaked lots of lentils and most of the family assembled for a "do" to celebrate her homecoming.

Donna, Ruth, Huw, Alex and Ed's chin!

Proud Parents!

Merriment abounded and a fair amount of alcohol and good food was consumed. The younger generation even persuaded us to play a party game that involved naming famous people.  This proved hilarious given that nationalities included English, Welsh, Colombian and Italian. 

Lovely to see Ruth and for the family (or most of it) to be together. Happy New Year!

and butter wouldn't melt

Mike and Donna

Patricia, Huw, Ruth, Donna, Mags, Ed, Alex

The Starting Point for our Adventures

Welcome to Mags and Mike's Travel Blog 2013!

19 Dec 12 - On this site we'll be giving you the highlights of our round the world tour between Feb and July 2013. At present we're still settling into our new home in Bromyard, Herefordshire. For the first time since we've been together we're in the UK for Christmas so we have put up some tasteful decs and have a lovely tree! 9th Jan 13 - our trip is getting closer and we are getting very excited. First we have a get together for our niece Ruth who is home from Beirut for a short break. Then we are off to Pembrokeshire to see Maggie's Dad for the last time before we go. Finally we are having a get together for our neighbours next weekend to say hello and goodbye for the next 6 months. Luckily a lot of the planning for the trip has already been done, but we still have to packing to do; everything we need for 6 months in 2 bags - no pressure then.