With four rubbish Harris Knees between us (one post-Winter trauma) we elected to do a Big Bus Tour for the day and made our way to a pickup point at the Man Mo Temple.

Wandering around the temple was fascinating as it is the oldest in Hong Kong but still very much in use. The incense coils hanging from the room can burn for a week and every nook and cranny has a god or six to pray to. Incense sticks can be bought and placed before your god du jour, much like lighting a candle for someone in a Catholic church. Potentially not allowed to take photos, but I shot some from the hip while looking the other way – cos that’s how I roll.

I’ll probably have a curse of a thousand dragons following me for the rest of my life, but a gal can always do with more drama in her life.
Coils

Surly bus drivers are the norm, apparently. Even on tourist buses we’ve been yelled at and waved on.

Many loops through the Central and business district of Hong Kong Island where you can find Gucci, Harvey Nicholls, Armani and of course, Marks and Spencer – gotta love the Brits.

They sure do like their branding here. Many chaps of indeterminate age and gender preference wearing Burberry belts matching their Burberry bags and making sure it’s in the photo.

On up to The Peak to see what we can through the smog. The cable car runs at an extraordinary angle and fires up through the sky-scraping apartment and business blocks to the green belt above. From there we could look down on the roof-tops and a couple of swimming pools. MUCH revolting tourist trappings and eating places at the top. And though we knew we were in major tourist food prices, we were starving and snarfed back some noodles and wontons.

[peak]

A bit later we had a wee rest at Mingle On the Wing and then headed out to ostensibly catch the Star Ferry and then join the night tour of Kowloon. Instead of walking, we elected to get back on the Big Bus expecting it to take us to the pier, but no! Well, not in any time that was useful as we struck peak-hour traffic and much horn-blowing.

We eventually got down to the pier and had a civilized gin and tonic and bar snacks instead, biding out time till the light show we’d been advised would happen at 8.00pm.

We watched said light show and were singularly underwhelmed as the description did not quite stand up to reality. Or we struck an off night.

[night shot]

Nevertheless, it was watched and we then wandered back to MOTW. Dog-tired, much over the constant noise, we put our heads down and conked out.