Ok, time for the day 7 update!Today I travelled out to Lamma, the third biggest island in the territory (after Lantau and HK island) and had an very pleasant time.
I got myself down to the ferry piers at Central at 10:30, fortuitously just in time for a ferry (otherwise I'd've been waiting around for an hour), so I swiped my Octopus card and hopped on. The boat travelled around the western end of the island, then swung south towards Lamma. It docked at the island's largest village, Yung Shue Wan. Now, when I say largest, I don't mean large. In fact, the whole island of Lamma is home to only a few thousand people. I'm told that buildings over 3 stories are prohibited, and there are nearly no cars on the island. Which is good, because there are nearly no roads. In fact, the main street of Yung Shue Wan is only a couple of metres wide, and goods are transported around on these incredibly narrow motorised carts (think a cross between an ATV and a ute). Lamma is, like Shek O, home to a significant expat population - house prices are cheaper, and it's well out of the hustle and bustle of the city. But unlike Shek O, Yung Shue Wan's expats don't build themselves massive houses on the hill, but rather have created a funny kind of community feel to the town - apparently the spot is particularly popular with expat artists, musicians and other creative types, which you get a feel for from the atmosphere of the town.
From Yung Shue Wan, I set off for Sok Kwu Wan, which is the other ferry terminus on the island. The walk from the one town to the other was a leisurely hour and a half, through a couple of villages (apparently Chow Yun Fat grew up here), along a beach and then over the hills. The views were very nice, especially of the power station.
Wait, what?
Yeah, a power station. For some reason, there's a power station on Lamma island. I'm not sure if it's just there to supply the island (If so, they're using up a hell of a lot of electricity, it's a bloody massive thing) or if it sends power out to the rest of HK too, but it dominates much of the island - in fact, as the ferry pulls into Yung Shue Wan, you see the tops of the 3 massive cooling towers rising eerily above the wooded hills on one side of the harbour. Admittedly, there's been a power station there since 1890, so no-one's exactly surprised, but it seems like a strange place for it. In other electricity generating news, Lamma also has a windmill. One single wind power generator. you wonder why they bother with it really, I dunno, maybe the hippy residents of the island get their electricity from the windmill, and the rest of Hong Kong uses the Coal plant. Either way, it's all rather strange.
Another rather strange thing about Lamma can be found closer to Sok Kwu Wan - the kamikaze grottoes. Several caves (which you're not allowed to enter, as evidenced by the single 'no entry' sign posted at the entrance to each cave - and nothing else... it's almost like they're daring you to disobey them, but I managed to control myself.) are carved into the hillside near the coast just outside of town. Apparently the Japanese set up a naval base here after they conquered HK in 1941 (I think it was 1941). Anyway, when the war went bad for them, they started carving these caves into the side of the hill. Apparently they planned to hide speedboats in the caves, and when the enemy fleet arrived, use them as kamikaze weapons to destroy the incoming boats. Luckily, the war ended before any of that came to pass, but the caves are still there.
Sok Kwu Wan itself is another 'seafood restaurant' town, set up for the big weekend crowds that come and go on the ferry, with a row of restaurants lining the harbourside. Anyway, I hung around in town for about half an hour before hopping on the 2PM ferry back to Central.
This evening I headed north to Sham Shui Po and the Apliu street flea market and Golden plaza computer market (I went there once before, but it was later in the evening, so the flea market was mostly closed). Anyway, the flea market gave me the opportunity to practice my haggling skills - I'm not very good :( I knocked one guy down a whopping A$1.60 from 60 to 50 HK$ (He was like 'final price' and I panicked. And another dude wanted 50, I offered him 20, he laughed at me so I walked away. Yuck. I don't like haggling.
Not sure what I'll be up to tomorrow, I'd pencilled in Lantau Island and the giant Buddah that's there, but I'm not sure I feel like making the hike. maybe I'll go check out Wan Chai. I guess I'll see what I feel when I get up tomorrow.
Anyway, I'm off for some noodles, back tomorrow!
I got myself down to the ferry piers at Central at 10:30, fortuitously just in time for a ferry (otherwise I'd've been waiting around for an hour), so I swiped my Octopus card and hopped on. The boat travelled around the western end of the island, then swung south towards Lamma. It docked at the island's largest village, Yung Shue Wan. Now, when I say largest, I don't mean large. In fact, the whole island of Lamma is home to only a few thousand people. I'm told that buildings over 3 stories are prohibited, and there are nearly no cars on the island. Which is good, because there are nearly no roads. In fact, the main street of Yung Shue Wan is only a couple of metres wide, and goods are transported around on these incredibly narrow motorised carts (think a cross between an ATV and a ute). Lamma is, like Shek O, home to a significant expat population - house prices are cheaper, and it's well out of the hustle and bustle of the city. But unlike Shek O, Yung Shue Wan's expats don't build themselves massive houses on the hill, but rather have created a funny kind of community feel to the town - apparently the spot is particularly popular with expat artists, musicians and other creative types, which you get a feel for from the atmosphere of the town.
From Yung Shue Wan, I set off for Sok Kwu Wan, which is the other ferry terminus on the island. The walk from the one town to the other was a leisurely hour and a half, through a couple of villages (apparently Chow Yun Fat grew up here), along a beach and then over the hills. The views were very nice, especially of the power station.
Wait, what?
Yeah, a power station. For some reason, there's a power station on Lamma island. I'm not sure if it's just there to supply the island (If so, they're using up a hell of a lot of electricity, it's a bloody massive thing) or if it sends power out to the rest of HK too, but it dominates much of the island - in fact, as the ferry pulls into Yung Shue Wan, you see the tops of the 3 massive cooling towers rising eerily above the wooded hills on one side of the harbour. Admittedly, there's been a power station there since 1890, so no-one's exactly surprised, but it seems like a strange place for it. In other electricity generating news, Lamma also has a windmill. One single wind power generator. you wonder why they bother with it really, I dunno, maybe the hippy residents of the island get their electricity from the windmill, and the rest of Hong Kong uses the Coal plant. Either way, it's all rather strange.
Another rather strange thing about Lamma can be found closer to Sok Kwu Wan - the kamikaze grottoes. Several caves (which you're not allowed to enter, as evidenced by the single 'no entry' sign posted at the entrance to each cave - and nothing else... it's almost like they're daring you to disobey them, but I managed to control myself.) are carved into the hillside near the coast just outside of town. Apparently the Japanese set up a naval base here after they conquered HK in 1941 (I think it was 1941). Anyway, when the war went bad for them, they started carving these caves into the side of the hill. Apparently they planned to hide speedboats in the caves, and when the enemy fleet arrived, use them as kamikaze weapons to destroy the incoming boats. Luckily, the war ended before any of that came to pass, but the caves are still there.
Sok Kwu Wan itself is another 'seafood restaurant' town, set up for the big weekend crowds that come and go on the ferry, with a row of restaurants lining the harbourside. Anyway, I hung around in town for about half an hour before hopping on the 2PM ferry back to Central.
This evening I headed north to Sham Shui Po and the Apliu street flea market and Golden plaza computer market (I went there once before, but it was later in the evening, so the flea market was mostly closed). Anyway, the flea market gave me the opportunity to practice my haggling skills - I'm not very good :( I knocked one guy down a whopping A$1.60 from 60 to 50 HK$ (He was like 'final price' and I panicked. And another dude wanted 50, I offered him 20, he laughed at me so I walked away. Yuck. I don't like haggling.
Not sure what I'll be up to tomorrow, I'd pencilled in Lantau Island and the giant Buddah that's there, but I'm not sure I feel like making the hike. maybe I'll go check out Wan Chai. I guess I'll see what I feel when I get up tomorrow.
Anyway, I'm off for some noodles, back tomorrow!
posted by Jono Russell at 3:22 AM
1 Comments:
ah, haggling, so many fond memories... it really does take some getting used to, so embarassing :P good luck with it! hope the noodles were good :)
Cass
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