Faraway

Calling....Hong Kong Calling! Can you read me? Over.... The air waves crackle and Yorkshire Pudding's dulcet tones may now be heard from one of Britain's furthest flung former colonies.

I have noticed several things. Firstly, in country areas, they seem obsessed with maintaining the slopes that edge so many roads. I guess that in wet weather these slopes could threaten landslides so crews are out there concreting, building walls, driving rivets into solid rock or planting particularly clingy shrubs. Secondly - the warning signs! They're everywhere. On buses you must not talk to the driver, must not smoke, must not eat or drink, must wear a seatbelt if one is provided or risk a fine of $HK 5000. On Hong Kong Island itself, pedestrians stand patiently watching the red man even though there may be no traffic in sight. Everything seems so orderly and clean and the public transport systems are cheap and efficient.

We're still staying on Lantau Island where yesterday we visited the Big Buddha and the fishing village of Tai O which still has some humble fishing families' homes built on wooden stilts. The Big Buddha was... well big and bronze and had about him an air of enormous (naturally) peace. We visited Hong Kong Island today - took the Number 40 bus to Stanley where we visited the British war cemetery and the busling market. Later we rode the funicular railway to Victoria Peak and looked over the crazy Legoland high-rise fantasy that is Hong Kong itself... I'll bore you with more of this another day. Happy Easter!

Tai O, Lantau West.