2015 - SWAN HELLENIC MINERVA - HONG KONG

This is going to be an epic journey .. Starting in Hong Kong with an ocean voyage to Singapore, river cruises on the Mekong in Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos, the Irrawaddy in Myanmar & a Transpacific from Australia to Vancouver

First a short stay in Hong Kong to wait for the Minerva to turn up.

Here I am flying into the airport.

Hong Kong is such a delight to visit. Right in the airport there is a stand selling the Octopus transport card. I picked up the seniors version & they do not even ask for ID .. It will save me a few dollars off what is already a really cheap transportation system.

The train to Hong Kong Island from the airport starts right inside the airport .. . beautifully clean, fast & efficient, it dropped me off at a station where there are free shuttle buses to hotels. I stayed in the City Garden Hotel near Fortress Hill Metro station . . an unremarkable but ok hotel a bit away from downtown.

I walked to the closest ferry crossing & used my card that gives me a free trip to the Kowloon side. Strolled along the shore-line & saw a little boy on his own riding a tricycle a bit too close to the edge of the water for my liking. I tried to get a passing lady to understand that he seemed to be in danger, but without success. There was a nursery where I could see kids playing inside & adults but I could not get anyones attention. A couple of old guys appeared to keep an eye on the boy so I left them to it. I hope he did not end up falling into the ocean.

After a bit more of a walk I found a food street teeming with kids out of school for lunch .. no tourists at all & it looked very interesting but too many people for me so I wandered back to ferry & returned to the hotel.

Unusual for a cruise, my ship allowed me aboard a day before it sailed so I took the metro to the ship, parked my suitcase & went for a look at Kowloon by night ....

Here is the MS Minerva .. parked right downtown .

Lots of people along the Avenue of the Stars ..

& out shopping.

The excursions are built into the price of the cruise & here is the start of the first one as we wait for the Peak Tram.

& people peeking out as we climb the Peak.

Some nice views at the top of Victoria Peak

Chinese New Year seems to last all year.

Now we are down the other side of the Peak & on the waters of Aberdeen harbour & the Jumbo Floating Restaurant where I expected we would eat but no such luck.

That building has a hole in the middle .. Fenn Shui perhaps or to let the spirits have easy access from the mountain.

Here we are at a pleasant little beach at the back of Stanley Market

& so back to the ship & a front row seat for the famous Hong Kong light show .. which I had seen before & is not so good if one cannot hear the musical accompaniment .. a bit like a fireworks display without the noise