2013 - OCEANIA - CANTON & HONG KONG

Mon 23 May 2005

Next up is Canton, China.

Now known as Guangzhou.

The Chinese couple I met in Singapore did not know what I was talking about when I said I was going to Canton & I could not remember Guangzhou.

Not that it mattered as we never even docked. Sat parked outside in the fog & then moved on to Hong Kong.

A lot of people getting off in Hong Kong & this would have been their only visit to China proper.
Hong Kong being a special part of China where the visa rules differ. That meant that the money they spent on a China Visa was wasted. Not a problem for me as I would still need mine for Shanghai & Beijing.

Anyone who had pre-paid an independent shore excursion may have kissed that money goodbye too. Again, not a problem for me as my excursion was with the cruise line who made a refund.

Too bad for all concerned, even me as I missed Canton..

Come to think of it, we never got a refund for port fees. Other cruise lines refund those if we skip ports - not Oceania.
Another strike against them.

Now in Hong Kong for 3 days.

I have been here before. Very busy, crowded place where no one takes a blind bit of notice of you.

I have excursions planned for 1st & 3rd day & will wander around on my own on day 2.

Day one is a bus ride to Lantau Island forTai O, a small fishing village. On to the Tian Tan Buddha, Po lin Monastery & a bite to eat & back to Kowloon by cable car.

So - The boat is docked in Kowloon, opposite Hong Kong Island & first it's the bus ride to a look at the bridge we will take to get to Lantau Island......

across the bridge, a change of bus to the fishing village of Tai O,

& a quick flip through the market..

& inside a temple....

Quite a small temple..

See the sign " snow white spouse wanted " - Perhaps I should apply.

and back on a bus to a place for a walk up to & inside the Buddha..

Diana & her mum

Then to the Po lin Monastery.

This lady is from my ship. Traveling with her daughter, Diana. They live in San Francisco. Mother would wander off & Diana was always wondering where she had got to.

I saw the mother taking oranges from a small tree in the temple & thought "oh no, she's stealing fruit - in a Temple".

Then she hands the oranges to me. "oh no, I'm an accomplice".

She gives me 5 oranges & says 4 is for luck.

Did not say what 5 was for - jail maybe!

She stuck like glue to me after that.