It is Sunday 10/11, 3:25 in the afternoon (am for you in the East coast) in the HK Cathay Pacific lounge and Doug and I are waiting for our flight to Beijing). We had a great trip over on Cathay Pacific. We left the house at 7am yesterday morning for a 10am flight from JFK. The configuration of the CP biz class seats are odd pods, but very comfortable. The food, entertainment system and service were great. There were so many types of freshly brewed teas, I was a happy camper! I actually arrived refreshed instead of exhausted after a 15 hour journey. We arrived right on time...about 1:45 and our flight to Beijing leaves at 4:45. We then have another three hours. Aagh. However, the lounge here is very comfortable and the food is, again, excellent. It's very quiet and restful.

It's warm outside (we understand..about 29 c.), but very grey and overcast. The airport lounge overlooks the bay and mountains and it is rather pretty watching the boats in bay and the airplanes taxi by at the same time.

Feeling very mellow and not at all tired or jet lagged and excited about our pre-cruise in Beijing tomorrow. It already feels like a vacation though....Looking forward to seeing all the Dragoneers soon...

thank you for your update. We leave Tuesday for Hk and are looking forward to seeing this vibrant city again. A few days of r & r before we board the ship. Sightseeing at our pace this time not a tour.

Andi, I know you're having fun in Beijing. What a city! We loved it. Plus, touring with Jane is the best. I hope you enjoy her as much as Alan and I did. See you soon.

Had a fantastic flight over. Cathay Pacific was wonderful. Comfortable beds, good food, great service...the best I have experienced on any airline to date-BA, Virgin, South African, Luftansa, Swiss, KLM, or any American airline.

We arrived on time in Hong Kong with a few hours to kill and had a wonderful business class lounge. Quiet, wonderful food, comfortable, lovely views. We got so comfortable...we just stayed til about 45 minutes before our flight as we usually do. Then we went to the gate. Well, it was at the other side of this HUGE airport. The business lounge was at gate 63 and our gate was 6 and the numbers went down ever so slowly. We ran and ran...we finally made the bus to the Beijing plane at the last call...can you imagine? We almost missed our plane. Doug just said to me...at least we weren't eliminated at this point in "THE RACE."

This flight was delightful too and we arrived safe and sound. Both flights were smooth and all luggage accounted for.

However...no driver to pick us up! We waited and waited about 30 minutes -- Doug and I each walked up and down looking for our name-- he at the 6 foot level and me at the 5 foot level and no one was there --and called our tour guide. She didn't pick up. So, we then got a cab because we were really tired and thought maybe something was wrong...(heck this could be the elimination round and we couldn't chance it). Wouldn't you know, about 10 minutes into the ride, our guide called and said where are you? The driver is there. Then she informed us she was to busy too guide us and had palmed us off on someone else. We were pretty disappointed as she was supposed to be really excellent. We ended up with a young, sweet girl Leigh's age.

We saw Tiennenman square, The Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden Palace today. WOW. The Forbidden Palace has 9999 rooms. The jade artifacts are unbelievable. Tiennenman square is very impressive. The Temple of Heaven is a hoot. It was the Emperor's place for thanking the gods for the harvest. Now, it is a park where retired people, forbidden under communist rule to dance, enjoy the arts, etc., now come and dance, participate in group sports, sing kareoke, play cards, exercise, etc. It is huge and quite unusual.

Last night we stayed at the Hilton because I had points. The room was beautiful. All marble with a mirror that turned into a tv over the tub. But, what made it special, was the most extraordinary service I have ever experienced. Without being cloying, the front desk made your every need their command. For example, we needed a taxi. They called a taxi. It didn't come because it was rush hour so they got us a huge empty tour bus to take us for free to our destination without our asking. We didn't even act upset that we had to wait for the taxi. They walked us out of the hotel and wished us well (I felt guilty leaving)..if you were sitting in the lobby, they made sure you were taken care of...just impeccable service. We switched to a different hotel--a boutique Hotel (the Opposite House) that my boss, who is from Beijing, recommended, and it, too, is lovely. The room is 90 sq meters. It has an all teak bathroom, including the sinks and tub---ultra modern. The service here is nice too. I have been really wowed by Asian service levels in general.

A funny thing happened to me twice today. I was asked twice by Asian ladies to have my picture taken with them. They were from areas in China about 10 hours from Beijing that does not get foreigners-especially Occidentals and blondes like me. They wanted to show friends and family that they had met a foreigner.

Weather is warm and skies are blue...going to the Great Wall and Summer Palace tomorrow. No shopping yet.

So far, a great start!

Gee Andi, your trip sounds fabulous so far. I loved reading your report. I'm sure there will be pix. I can't wait to see them. Keep having lots of fun!

Andi, the photo taking took me by surprise too! I had a line of Asian men wanting to have their photo with me at the Great Wall. Our tour guide gave me the same explanation; people from rural areas haven't seen tall blonde, blue-eyed women. I also noticed many Chinese pointing at me and giggling, I felt a little selfconscious but realized it was nothing personal.

Andi, I'm so sorry to hear about your experience with Jane after recommending her so highly. This just doesn't sound like something she would do. I'm happy that your flight was so great and you're off to a fabulous vacation...with or without Jane!

I had the same experience in Beijing--must be the blonde thing. We're in the process of packing--we leave Wednesday morning for Hong Kong.

I don't think it's just blondes....Doug got a man coming up to him too!!!

It's so cute. They are lovely. It's been a wonderful experience so far. See you soon, Peggy.

Marcie, EVERYONE recommends Jane ... even Donna who just used her. That's what makes me disappointed that she blew us off for a personal situation (remodeling her apartment). Jasmine is fine but I don't think she is as wonderful as Jane.

You should see the picture I have of Alan and a Chinese family at the Temple of Heaven. One of the ladies has her head on his shoulder. Jane, who did guide us, said they thought Alan was a movie star. We finally had to drag him away or he would still be there posing for pictures. A Chinese man took pity on me and asked to have a photo with me. The Temple of Heaven was one of our favorite sights, especially if you go earlier in the morning.

Oh my, while Andi is enjoying celebrity status, I am at the Holiday Inn Dulles, spending the night before my flight to HKG tomorrow via Tokyo on ANA, and I probably should not have gone to flyertalk today to read the comments about service and food in Biz class, as I'm doing the whole air thing with points. Going to be a long day getting there, but I've looked forward to fitting in this cruise for many years!

Donna - Alan, the movie star. Now I have something else to give him a hard time about. We have a year before I see him again but I won't forget!
Your reports sure make me wish I had stayed on with you all for at least one more segment. But then I would have also wanted to do DRAGON. Looks like 2012 before I can fit it in. That is either pathetic or wonderful! I'll think wonderful - the 2012 calendar already started. :)

Last night we had a great meal of Beijing Duck and woke up early today for another day in the city with Jasmine.

Just back from another great day...Went to the Bei Hai Park, Lama Palace, Houtangs (alleys) tour...

Lunch was great today...the best noodles dish I have ever had and pork and string beans...then some weird spicy beef that Doug tried but I wasn't game enough to try...

Our cute incident for today...

One older man today...he must have been 75 to 80 came up to us in the park and said to our 26 year old guide..."I am listening to your English. It is very good. I will say to your Americans, 'Holy Mackeral.' Then he turned to us and said "Can you tell me what that means?" So Doug explained it to him. He then told us he visited NY and asked us what we thought of Obama and Hillary Clinton. We said we hoped they would do the right things. He said "Let's hope together they can help us get world peace." And then he walked on...It was such a sweet and sincere exchange and experience.

The weather was beautiful and we walked our tootsies off today.

Tomorrow, we are going to meet Jane at last as we venture out to the Great Wall. We will tour with her our next two days.

We really liked Jasmine, a lovely 26 year old young lady. She was lamenting how her mother goes to parks and tries to match her up with other parents who are trying to fix up their sons there. Evidently, parents don't stay out of their childrens' business in China. As Donna mentioned the Temple of Heaven is very unusual and enjoyable. There is an area where parents come with their childrens' statistics and meet with other worried parents and exchange information. It is something to be seen. A parent or two who spoke English came up to us yesterday and asked us if we have this in the US. They made it very clear to us that as their children hit their 20's and were not living with anyone or dating anyone they became very worried and taking things into their own hands to make sure their children were dating was very important. It also made them feel better to meet all the other parents who were also very worried. They made it very clear that all they did though was bring home the names to their sons or daughters. It was totally free choice from that point on. It was really interesting talking to them. Jasmine confirmed this. She said now that she was 26 and didn't have a boyfriend her mother was very worried and went to the parks. She told her mother not to and her mother wouldn't listen and kept bringing home names of boys for her to call. She said she sometimes doesn't call them and tells her mother she does to stop her from nagging her. She says her mother feels comforted going to these parks and meeting all the other worried mothers. We saw loads of both fathers and mothers.

Jasmine was ever so sweet and knowledgeable, but everyone told me how great Jane was, so we will finally meet her at last.

What's really interesting is that this city has so many new buildings taxi drivers don't know where things are. There is a huge new mall called the Raffles Mall...you can't miss it...no taxi driver knows how to find it. They also can't find our hotel. They are very honest and, when they get lost, they turn off the meter. We were really impressed with that! So, you really have to make sure you get the directions in chinese with a street address before you leave your hotel or else the taxi drivers absolutely will refuse to take you. If you have it, they will go out of their way to find it for you. They are very service oriented and nice.

Tonight, we ate dinner at our hotel at a great Asian restaurant in our hotel called Bei. It was Japanese, Korean and Southern Chinese. Expensive, but worth it. No smoking too!!! It was a multi course dinner and was really great. I don't remember Doug's meal, but I had a mushroom salad salad, a wagyu sashimi salad (yum), a beef wagyu tenderloin (yum yum), and an ice cream trio of pear, sour cherry and salt...yes, salt....it was wonderful. I think Doug's starter was a scallop and clam with cramberry foam and his second course was a salmon sashimi.

We then went out walking in Santilun which is this cool, young nightclub area that our hotel is in. It is near the silk market and Yashow market. We have a full day tomorrow and want to look at our photos, so will sign off.

More tomorrow!

Andi & Doug:

You are truly getting a feel for China and its people in a personal way and obviously enjoying it.

We're very happy for you!!

Carry on.

Cheers! Ray & Penny

We too LOVED China. Your reports are bringing back so many memories. Please keep us updated!

We're REally enjoying everyone's posts from China!

Your story about Jasmine and the parks cracked me up.
As for the picture taking thing, I have never been to China, but when we were in Central America when our younger son was a baby, all the women wanted to touch his hair and hold him because he was this big fat blonde baby.

Thanks for your great reports. Love reading them! Remind me to have a few lessons on reporting before my next cruise - I am so vague with my descriptions. Thank heavens for my son and his photos! Keep them coming! Lee

Beijing ...Day 3

We got an early start again today at a little after 8am. Jane was a bit late because she could not find our hotel. LOL. No one can find it!!!! She pointed out that there is no hotel sign or number associated with it, so if you don't have a map, you are out of luck. The Hilton printed out a map, so we were lucky. We also have a map on our room key which we finally realized.

We met the famous Beijing Jane and headed up to the mountains and the Great Wall which was about 70 kilometers away. Again, we were met with a delightful day of sun and blue skies. There is a tremendous amount of traffic on the Beijing roads and it seems to take hours to get most places and we are from NYC. The countryside is lush with greenery, mostly fir trees that appear different from ours in shape.

Driving is another story here. I found myself gasping every so often. Folks just do U turns in the middle of highways. They cut one another off. It is like a free for all. Even at cross walks, when you have the green walk sign, cars and bikes have the right of way from turn lanes and you have to figure out how to dart in between them. A bike or two barely missed Doug and me. Each of us let out a scream over the past three days in Beijing and mortified the other.

There are a lot more bicycles than in the US but Doug and I are at odds as to whether or not there are more bicycles being used than in other European cities. Doug says yes and I say no. We agree with one another that there are more bicycles being used as delivery vehicles and all bicycles are quite old. I thought Basel had just as many bicycles in use. There are a fair number of Rickshaws in use as well.

Otherwise, it is a very modern city. I saw no areas of poverty. No slums. No beggers. No garbage. It is tremendously clean. Jane pointed out to one high rise area where she said a large number of Koreans have moved. Otherwise, we also saw areas where both wealthy and less wealthy seem to live together. Except for the Hutong areas, most are very, very tall high rise.

Sadly, the stores are McDonalds, KFC, and most American and European stores. Doug and I commented that we could be anywhere in the world. We did not feel alien. Jasmine had mentioned that people born during the 50's learned Russian as a second language. When she was growing up, it was changed that all children began learning English in middle school. Now, all children learn English beginning at 5. So, if one is lost, just look for a younger person and they will know English. Almost all signs are in English. Announcements at the airport were in English first and then in Chinese.

Since most of our clothes are made in China, almost all folks wear western clothes, except for older folks, who still wear the traditional Maoist clothing.

I asked Jane to tell us about their educational system. It is just like ours. They have day care until 3, kindergarten until 5, 6-12 is primary school, 3 years for middle school and 3 years for high school. They take exams for university. If their grades are high enough they are allowed to study abroad. University is 4 years, Post graduate 3 years, Doctorate 3 years.

Travel abroad is tougher for them. They are not allowed to travel without a travel group for fear that they will defect.

Making a living in Beijing is getting tougher. The US and European financial crisis has affected the world and China. Jane said that her tour business is way down. She now sells rabbit pelts as her business most of the time and fills in with the tour business. She only guides once per month now. It turns out Jasmine does not work for her, but is a colleague. We liked Jane very much and found her quite different from Jasmine. Jasmine is younger and full of eagerness to learn the business and Jane knows the ins and outs a bit more but is looking to exit the business and is not as excited about her trade. Both are equally knowledgeable about their history and culture. It is interesting to see the differences in these two women. At first I was disappointed that we didn't get Jane for the whole time. Now, I was glad I saw the two perspectives. The similarity was that both woman talked a lot about the marriage problem. Now, Jasmine complained about her parents worrying too much about it and getting in her business about it. Jane brought it up by herself and told us that this was a real problem in Beijing and said Jasmine's family are right to be concerned. Now, I don't know how old Jane is. I figure that she is in her thirties (maybe 40)---she is young but has a very different perspective from Jasmine. She is also highly educated, having studies pharmacy at university (she left as pharmacists do not make a good living in China). She feels young girls like Jasmine get an education and don't find a man there. Then they come to the city and focus too much on career and not finding a man. Also, they only want an older man. There are too many women than men and there aren't enough to go around in the cities and this is a real problem. She talked a great deal about this and wanted to know how much of a problem this was in the States. I found this very interesting. I asked if it had to do with the two girls/one boy government rule and she said, "no." She said it had to do with career and the focus on making a living.

I stayed awake for awhile to hear Jane tell me that houses of 2000 to 3000 square feet cost 2-3 million US dollars and were called villas and dropped off to sleep and awoke to find myself at a place that looked like a ski resort. There were green, sharply peaked mountains about 1500 meters high with two different ski lifts running to the top. On the way to the chair lifts, there were vendors selling souvenirs and fruits. It wasn't terribly crowded and Doug and I hopped on the chair lift. Beneath us, a toboggan run went to and fro carrying a passenger ever so often from the top of the mountain, and the Great Wall of China soon came into our vantage point. The wall is about 3000 miles long and has a castle like appearance at the top. She said it was even longer, but the entire expanse was not preserved. One side of the wall is Mongolia and the other, China. She shared that it took 100,000 people several people to build a section of about 10 kilometers. We arrived at the top and walked a few sections and took photos, marvelling that we were actually at the Great Wall of China and made our descent down ON A TABOGGAN sled!! Now, this was a track you see at park rides with wheels on a track, not something that is old fashioned in any way! I must say it was jarring to see a tabaggon and ski lifts at the great wall!

From here, we went to lunch in town. It was the best Chinese food I have EVER eaten. Simple, excellentm Sichuan food. The same string beans we had the day before because I love them. Then, we had tea smoked duck; Chopped egg plant and soy beans in some type of spicy sauce; and a spicy steamed pork dish that was excellent. We had fresh watermelon juice to drink.

Then, a LOOONG ride back to the city...north I believe...to go to the summer palace. The summer palace is 4 times as large as the Forbidden City and is the place some folks consider as the most beautiful spot in all of Beijing. Being north, it was built by one of the Emperor's to escape the heat of Beijing. A huge man made lake was built, complete with elaborate homes and gardens. Today, it is a park with boating and walking trails and a buddist temple. It is extremely lovely and we had a warm, gorgeous day. I would say that Beijing is about a month behind us in terms of the season. It feels more like the end of August-the beginning of September than the beginning of October. The mornings are light jacket weather, but it is quite warm during the afternoon and the summer flowers are still out and the trees are just starting to turn a bit yellow, but are still quite green.

I loved all the beautiful weather and the walking, but boy am I out of shape. I really could use a massage!! I ache everywhere. I think I have had my fill of buddist temples for awhile and will cross off tours that include buddist temples as the key attraction. They are beautiful, but you can't take pictures and, just like European churches, I have had my fill.

So, it was time for shopping. I have been ever so well behaved. Unfortunately, there was so much traffic, it took forever and a day to get there. We were finally going to the famous Silk Market. When Jane said it, it sounded like supermarket and Doug and I thought that was what she was saying. Silk Market sounds so elegant. I was so excited to go in and see all sorts of silks from around the world. I didn't understand why we were going to the supermarket. It turned out we misunderstood her -- we were going to the Silk Market. Well, the Silk Market is a supermarket....or more like a Flea Market!!! Inside a modern multi-level building there are toys, hand made suits, some silk, pashminas, clothes...anything that we seem to import from China. I don't know if these are things that are copies or things that fall off the truck or seconds, but they are very cheap and you bargain. For example, we bought two Columbia ski jackets for $38. However, I found leather jackets very expensive by US standards and walked away. We bought just these two jackets and tired and achy, decided to return tomorrow. So, our final day in Beijing will be shopping. Doug hates shopping. So, I will have to make sure he has taxi fare back to the hotel. He is a great negotiator though, so I hope he stays!

I think I have figured out some aspects of my new camera. My movies still seem to be horrid or of my feet. I think I finally got some good still photos, though!

All in all, my favorite spot in Beijing was the Temple of Heaven. I thought is was so unusual by US standards. The people were having such a wonderful time and it is so much fun to watch. I would spend more time there.

We'll also hit the Pearl Market before heading off to our flight for Hong Kong. We will be picked up at 2 today and our flight is at 5. We'll arrive at Hong Kong by 8 and our Hong Kong adventure will begin tonight!

Andi - Fabulous reporting as usual. I always love your seamail because you make certain to see as much as possible and include it in your reports.

Fascinating report, Andi; loved all the details. The most shocking and revealing statement to me was that the Chinese born in the '50s were taught Russian! Will say no more....

Thanks for all the time you devoted to your seamail and have a fabulous cruise!

Here is one more post about nothing from the lounge at LAX, we will be on CX881 in a about an hour to HKG.

Well maybe not all about nothing,we had an aircraft change now we get to go on the 747 in the Upper Deck!

Now all I need is a runway inspection in HKG by the 747

LIZ TAYLOR....

Are we the last ones to leave? Like Grant said, we're waiting for our flight at LAX. We get into Hong Kong Friday morning and we'll spend a few days with Grant's brother and his family who live there.

Hi Andi,
You're latest post reminded me of our conversations with Jane. She asked us the same questions about girls and marriage in the U.S.

You and I must have the same taste. I enjoyed the green beans too. The are so tasty. And, the Temple of Heaven was my favorite Beijing location.

Jane told us that the ship took us to a bad location on the Great Wall. It was very steep and crowded. Since I have a fear of heights, I was quite scared that those running past would somehow trip me. Needless to say, I didn't walk far on the wall, but far enough to say I've been there. It was the only disappointment of this trip.

Can't wait to see you in Hong Kong. After your shopping trip, we can compare our bargains. Safe travels.

Thanks Andi for wonderful seamail - enjoying every word of it!!!!

Who needs to go to China when we have a perfect commentary by Andi. Andi,keep your wonderful seamail coming. I am enjoying every word.
Lynn

Andi, sounds like you're having such a good trip. I'm happy you got to ride the toboggans down from the Great Wall ...really fun huh? Jane took us to the same restaurant I bet...it was so good! Thanks for all your detailed seamail!

Wow, great report Andi, thanks!

We arrived in Hong Kong yesterday morning and spent the day wandering around. We took a cable car up to see the Big Buddha on Lantau Island, then we rode the Star Ferry and walked around Kowloon where we saw several different market areas: bird market, flower market, fish (aquarium) market, and a few others.


Cable cars up to the Big Buddha


Big Buddha


Prayers to Buddha


Star Ferry in HK Harbor


Choosing at the goldfish market


Super chamois pitchman...just like at home!


Sweets for sale at the street market


Night scene in Kowloon

Terrific photos, Grant! Just what we have come to expect from you! Please..... keep having a great time and keep the photos and reports coming!

wonderful pictures. just so exciting

A few final pictures from Hong Kong.


Our nephew Kian behind the wheel of a Lexus at a display in the mall


Bamboo scaffolding


Old and new architecture styles


Streetside shoe shine/repair stand


Dena with the Hong Kong Heathmans - Grant's brother and his family who live in HK

Episode 1:

Well, it’s been 4 days since I’ve written anything. We’ve just awakened on the morning of our first day on the cruise ship and I’ve missed writing about my final day in Beijing and our two days of adventures in Hong Kong. It’s horrible not to have internet!

So, where do I begin? I guess, we’ll take you back to our last day in Beijing. When I last left you, we were looking forward to our final day, which was to be jam packed with shopping at the Pearl Market and the the other Markets in town.

Our last night, we were so tired, we had a dinner in the hotel at Soreno, a mediterranen restaurant. It’s rather famous and even Cathay Pacific features meals from this restaurant on its flights. It’s interesting that the place was filled with about 70% occidentals. We fell into bed that final night and, in the morning, Doug woke up and got out our tickets to have the front desk confirm us and print out our boarding passes. As he did this, he noticed we didn’t have a 5:10 flight as we thought, but a 1:30 flight getting in at 5:10. So, all of our shopping plans went down the tube. That left us about 1 hour for shopping in Beijing.

It seems our coming and going from Beijing was run, run, run..with Jane picking us up at the hotel, our running to a bank to get money to pay her...running to the Pearl Market for a measly 1 hour to get our $15 Rolex watches and some $4 pearl necklaces (which match some $100 ones I have bought in the states). It was a good thing that I only had 1 hour. With 8 hours to kill, I might have done some real damage on my pocketbook. Putin was in town causing major traffic jams and Jane was really nervous and hurried us along and back to the hotel to pack up, got us two taxis and came with us to the airport and helped us to the check in line.

As with Cathay Pacific, all went smoothly into Hong Kong and our bags were out lickety split and we hopped into a taxi to the Intercontinental and at the hotel in no time. We had another very smooth transit.

Hong Kong, compared to Beijing, has a very different climate. Beijing’s climate felt like spring - clear, crisp 60’s-70’s. I had been told of Beijing’s pollution. I found the air quite clean and the skies blue. Hong Kong is like Florida with the air muggy and heavy. I was glad I had my hair straightened. It was grey and dank out. The air was heavily polluted.

I was shocked at the difference in the cities immediately. Everyone had always raved about Hong Kong to me. It had been described as this beautiful, modern city. Beijing was a combination of EPCOT and the upper West Side or Upper East side of Manhattan combined with Fifth Avenue only nicer. Most of the buildings were glass architecture and were comprised of stunning design. There were loads of parks and a lot of trees. I never saw any slums. There were only a few older areas in Beijing that I passed, the hutong areas, and those were very quaint and one story dwellings. Driving in, Hong Kong had some massive apartment complexes on the water and beautiful bridges that looked quite nice, but as you drove closer into the city, the grey cement buildings had air conditioners hanging from them and clothes waving in the breeze, they were dirty, absolutely massive in size and not terribly attractive. Hong Kong wasn’t attractive. It was the seedy sister to Beijing. As you drove into Hong Kong, it was riddled with neon lights...Times Square on acid...every store sign is a neon sign and they even hang over the roads. Only the perimeters of the city, by the harbor, have the shiny new buildings that one sees in pictures and are pictured as representing the skyline of Hong Kong. Behind those buildings, by one block, is the real Hong Kong. More on that later.

We arrived at our hotel and Doug gave the taxi driver 300 hong kong dollars for the trip and turned away to get a tip. The driver dropped one of the bills and then told Doug that he only got $200 bills from Doug. Doug said “what?” Well, the hotel staff saw this immediately and rushed up, intervened and soon corrected the problem, but this is a city built on corruption and you really have to watch your back at every turn. This was our introduction to Hong Kong.

The Intercontinental was lovely. We were taken immediately to our room and checked in there, which was a nice touch. I found the room, by Beijing’s standards to be small...maybe 25 sq. feet. It was a very nice room. We had a harbor view room and the view was striking. However, for $600 per night it should be. Nevertheless, service was at the same incredible level as Beijing. We later offered senior staff at the Intercontinental tips for their help with some more complicated matters and the tips were refused. A letter to the Managing Director about their level of superior service is certainly in order as soon as we return.

Since we had the friends and family package the rate was brought down to around $335, but that still is rather high. If you compare this to Beijing, where we had a 90 sq. foot room for $250, including breakfast and mini bar, you do get much less for your money in Hong Kong. I’ll digress a bit to discuss our hotels in Beijing. The Hilton was close to everything downtown. It is right near their “Fifth Avenue.” It is a bustling hotel with lovely restaurants and all the rooms are marble and about 50 sq meters with flat screen TVs in both the rooms and bathrooms. There are jacuzzis and walk in closets and living rooms. Service levels were incredible. The Opposite House was a 100 room boutique hotel in another part of town that offered a night life area if you are into that. It also had two nice restaurants. It’s rooms were very large ranging from 70-90 sq meters and offered included mini bar. On weekends the breakfast is included. In Beijing, coffee shops do not open before 9am, so you may want to consider taking a breakfast package if you are an early riser and need to have breakfast. Service levels were equally high here. When we raved about these hotels to our friends who also stayed in Beijing, they stated that their hotels were just as nice as our hotel experiences. It appears that Beijing hotels are just REALLY nice.

Our Hong Kong hotel, by comparison, was more like a NYC room and a lot more money. It was a more standard experience. It is the beginning of a story we were to begin to be told throughout our next two days.

That night, we watched the renowned light show on the pier. All of skyscrapers on both sides of the harbor are lighted up with neon and flash on and off to music for about 1/2 an hour, beginning at 8pm. then, unexpectedly, we met up with our friends, Arlene and Gil, in the lobby and exchanged hellos before heading up to bed.


What we noticed was that Hong Kong appears to now have been designed to separate you from your money. For example, that realization started when I asked “What it would cost to upgrade to the Club floor at the Intercontinental. I was told $120 per day.” This included internet, tea, breakfast, beverages. By comparison, in Singapore, it is an additional $50 per day. I asked “How much for a private tour of Hong Kong per day?” I am used to paying about $300-600 per day for unlimited people (for 6 to 8 hours). In Hong Kong, I was quoted $400 per hour plus car costs plus 10% tip. I usually have my nails done will an acrylic gel nail process and have a pedicure for about $65 in NY. In Hong Kong, it cost me $135.

The next morning, Doug and I decided to opt for one of those double decker big bus tours on our first day in Hong Kong in order to get a flavor for the place. We were staying on the Kowloon side. For those of you that are not familiar with Hong Kong, as I wasn’t, Hong Kong is split in half, separated by a harbor. It takes about 6 minutes by ferry to get from one side to the other and the ferries run continuously. On one side is Hong Kong and the other side is Kowloon. Kowloon seems to house a lot of malls, the furniture district, the home house wears district, the jade market, and some meat and product markets. Hong Kong is the financial district and looks just like NY’s Wall Street. Sprinkled every couple of blocks are upscale malls with exactly the same stores: Prada, Chanel, Gucci, Rolex, etc. It is on this side that Victoria Peak is located as well as some antique markets. I didn’t get the feeling that either side is wealthier than the other. It was written in the local paper that the most expensive apartment in the world recently sold in the Kowloon area (and it was pointed out on the tour) for $50 million US for a 6000 square foot apartment last week. It wasn’t a very nice looking area from my perspective (it wasn’t on the water, etc.). Hong Kong is a terribly noisy city, it is very crowded and the traffic is horrible (as was Beijing’s).

At first, I found it interesting...the lights, the bling in every window...diamonds everywhere...beautiful clothes...but it was overwhelming. There were no deals. The prices were through the roof. I asked our concierge “Who buys these things? How can you have 10 Rolex stores within a 20 block radius? Who can afford all these $13000 and up watches?” He told me that the Chinese are now so wealthy and their taxes are so high, that they come into Hong Kong and buy up all of these goods. That all these stores are not for those in Hong Kong. The markets with all the copies are for the regular folk. The high end store is for the Mainland Chinese. There is now a real dichotomy forming between those in Hong Kong who cannot afford these expensive furnishings and the very wealthy Mainland Chinese who come in to buy them avoid the taxes. He told me that Hong Kong has changed dramatically in the past 4 or so years. He barely recognizes it. It has become a place of haves and have nots.

Hong Kong by the harbor is now a fairyland of capitalism at its very worst. Behind it true Hong Kong. So, those who cannot afford the bling rip those that they think can afford it off. You have all sorts of warning from the hotel about not going into the shops and only buying from the high priced stores because of the bait and switch tactics. It is the wild west and police have no authority against criminal tactics.

The paper is filled with corruption scandals right down to the fact that the lottery has been fixed and there is nothing the government can do about it.

Oh well, it’s time to go to lunch...more later...

Andi tells it like it is, no sugar coating. My desire to visit Asia has never been strong so I can happily erase HK from my list. Keep up the ace reporting ROAR buddy :app:

E Episode 2: Beijing to Hong Kong

One of my first tasks is to always look up a Birkenstock store in every city I visit if I have the time pre or post cruise to see if I can find a pair. In the US, they are not only rather expensive compared with overseas, but I can rarely find my size, 35. I had little luck in Beijing with Birkenstocks. The prices were good, but the smallest I could find in the cute styles was 36, as in the US. So, with all the retail stores, I figured Hong Kong would have Birkenstocks. Doug came back from his morning coffee run with an announcement that he found a store. Not only were the prices good, but they had my style and I bought my trip quota--two pairs. That was it for my big purchases! We filled up our time in Hong Kong visiting some of the markets. The first night we went to the Temple Market. This was a flea market of sorts with everything from fortune tellers to knock off Rolex watches for $10. I bought a $5 pair of knock off D&G sunglasses and a Rolex for a friend. Aren’t I a good friend?! I wonder if it will keep time for the entire trip?

The next day we visited the jade market where they had some nice pearl and jade items ranging in price from $2 to well over $1000. Not knowing quality, I made sure I kept to the $10 range and bought a bunch of gifts for friends and one or two trinkets for me. I looked them up on the internet and they seem to range individually in the $50-150 retail range, so I feel good about what I bought.

There is also a bird market and a flower market on the Kowloon side which we wandered through as well. I gave in and purchased a set of 6 chopsticks (at 80 cents a pr) at the Ladies market on the way back to the hotel on Sunday.

Socially, Doug and I ran into some of our cruising friends at the jade market and had a fantastic dinner at the Intercontinental at their Asian restaurant with our cruise friends the evening of the first day. The second day, we wandered around a bit more to get a flavor of the city and headed over to the ship for lunch and unpacking. Somehow, I feel really stupid in a tropical climate with two ski outfits in my luggage. But, how could I resist them for only $38? They were my Beijing bargains.

The first day, we didn’t eat lunch until 4pm as we got got up in touring and ate a very light lunch at a VietNamese restaurant at the mall near our hotel and the cruise ship. The next day, we ate lunch on the cruise ship and saved a few dollars.

I had enough bling, noise, masses of people and shopping. It was time to stop reaching into my pocket and paying for overpriced items. I was looking forward to my all inclusive 16 day cruise where EVERYTHING was paid for. I only had one more stop before setting sail--to venture out to the crowded mall for an overpriced manicure and pedicure.
At least they were very sweet and did a fantastic job.

A few afterthoughts on China....

Hong Kong ethical and cultural fiber is not the same as ours. The local newspaper reported officials stated that financial corruption in Hong Kong skyrocketed in the first three months of 2009 as the city's economy has deteriorated. Corruption cases in the financial and insurance sectors surged 46 percent in the first quarter, contributing to a 23-per-cent overall rise in corruption.

Another article pointed out that nearly one-third of office employees in wealthy, workaholic Hong Kong keep their earnings secret from their husbands or wives. Thirty percent of office workers surveyed admitted they did not tell their spouses their exact earnings while almost half said they did not discuss office happenings at home. The researcher said some husbands said they kept their earnings secret because they feared their partners would ask for more housekeeping money if they knew how much they really earned. Other spouses, both male and female, said they believed they were entitled to privacy about their earnings even after they were married. Forty percent of office workers interviewed said the biggest strain on their married life was Hong Kong's notoriously long working hours.

As far as how we found the differences in Beijing versus Hong Kong...

Surprisingly, I found Beijing can be quite "Western." The city is sprawling and the highways were wide and jammed full of cars. It never seems to end. I found the people in Beijing warmer and less hurried. While embracing capitalism, they also embraced their freedom and had a lust for art, dance, singing, sports, laughing and just walking in their many parks. I never felt that anyone was out to take advantage of me. I never felt lust or greed. Cab drivers didn’t seem hungry for a fare. If they didn’t know a location, they would move on. If you were their fare and they were lost, they would turn off the meter. If you tipped them, they would be very grateful.

While the Hong Kong folks often referred to the extraordinarily wealthy mainland Chinese that were changing the face of Beijing and Hong Kong, I didn’t find a coarse attitude in those who lived in Beijing. I did, however, find an ugly underbelly in Hong Kong that was quite visible at the surface.

That doesn’t mean that the underbelly doesn’t exist in Beijing. While I never saw any slums, I know Beijing has poor people and that there isn’t much of a welfare system to take care of its multitude of poor. One of my friends said that she, in fact, saw through the trees the slums in the outskirts of Beijing and it wasn’t a pretty site. I do know that a few years ago, as part of China's preparation for the Olympics, Beijing launched an unrelenting demolition campaign that targeted the pockets of slums nestled among the spiraling skyscrapers and gleaming residential complexes. In the eyes of the authorities and well-off, these slums were hotbeds of crime and a disgrace to a modern capital about to host the world's most prestigious sporting event. In 2005, the authorities launched a "reform plan" for the slums and 171 areas were singled out for demolition ahead of the Games. All the slums near the venues have been removed, and residents who refused to go saw their houses taken down anyway without compensation paid.

Beijing is designed in Rings. Many slums only now remain along the outskirts of Beijing outside the Fifth Ring Road, and most of those within the Third Ring Road have  disappeared. Some shabby cabins and brick houses within the Third Ring Road have survived, but they are hidden behind the newly painted buildings along the main roads.

So, Doug and I never really saw the “other side” of Beijing--only the glossy side stands on display for the tourists, where Hong Kong lets it all hang out. It would take more than 7 days for me to really understand more of this unique culture than I’m sure I have a grasp on. I’m sure I have misinterpreted ever so much. But an impression is an impression. Beijing was successful perhaps in fooling Doug and me and Hong Kong less successful. Only a return trip or further analysis will help us get a better understanding. What is a slap in the face for an American is the vast wealth in Asia and the realization that they are the new dominant power. This former communist society, now has more than one foot in communism and one foot in capitalism. It is capitalism gone awry--at its worst. We are becoming more socialistic building an economic system based on taking care of the masses and China has a capitalistic society based on every man for himself. There are few social programs of any type in China, save for education. If your family doesn’t take care of you, you have nothing. I noticed most of the folks in Beijing who were 50 plus were not into style and were still wearing Mao outfits. The younger folks were very western and were very hip. The parents shared that young girls are more into their careers than getting married, which is a concern. The Chinese are driven to get ahead and leave their culture behind.

The Chinese newspapers still have an interesting innocence. Headlines from the China Scene: Con Woman gets 14 years for duping online lover; Enlightened traffic offender starts up blog; Woman climbs pole after fight with hubby; Man goes undercover to save love lover from scammer; Woman kills self after man sees her naked; Boy, 17, leaves home after mother curses him; Yaks run amok as sleepy driver crashes truck.

Nevertheless, as American as they want to be, it is a culture banning travel, banning Facebook, banning travel for education abroad unless your grades are of a certain level, and allowing sweat shops. It is not a culture based on Judeo-Christian ethic. I was told their culture wasn’t based on a religion but on a philosophy--Confucionism. In the US and Europe, whether you are religious or not, our culture is based on Judeo-Christian ethical standards. The Chinese culture is a culture that has been denied the pleasures for many years. It is a country of many nationalities that had been governed by war lords by many centuries and was thrown in chaos until Mao unified the nation. It is not America. I have to wonder what will America be like as more and more of America is owned by this highly aggressive and capitalistic culture?

I contemplated much of this during our restful sea day on the ship. It was just easier to throw oneself into simpler tasks. So, we’ve washed our clothes, caught up with friends, eaten too much, played cards (pooch), played trivia and really done a lot of nothing to fill up an entire day. Tomorrow’s excursion is called Hanoi and Shopping. Haven’t we had enough of shopping? Shopping or not, it will be another culture to tackle and try to get our arms around.

It will be a long day. Time to go to bed.

Andi - I'm still happily wearing my Dublin Birkenstocks, thanks to you. Glad the shopping tradition continues.

Your observations about Hong Kong vs. Beijing are interesting - we were in both cities in 2001 and it sounds like Beijing has really changed after all the pre-Olympics construction!

I'm enjoying your reports, Andi. Interesting observations!

Enjoy your wonderful cruise and keep reporting. You know how we all love the SeaMail!

Thanks, ya'll. Now that we're on the cruise and VietNam and Thailand, we're on to the DRAGON string.

Yes, Leslie. I think they moved alot of the poorer neighborhoods further out and everything is so very new right out to the 5th ring now. I understand you can see the slums around the port. Glad you like your Birkis.

I'll post some pics as soon as I have my camera figured out and have a sea day.

Andi, I love your posts and your observations. I never had any desire to go to that area, and now I am convinced I wouldn't like it. I remember 30 years ago, several of my mom's friends would do a shopping week in Hong Kong and bought beautiful clothes and material. I guess that is gone.
Lynn

We spent several days in Beijing just s year ago this month and saw slums / tenemnts just 3 or 4 blocks from the Forbidden CIty. It is something most tourists do not see and they make sure the tour busses do not turn down those streets. We were with a private guide and the streets where the the tour busses went were so crowded that our driver took us on other streets. Beleive me the slums are still there!