HONG KONG 1

This is the first of a series about my days in Hong Kong in May 2009. The business part of this trip was quickly finalized when I signed the contract with a Chinese firm to have copies of my book Wildflowers, wilderness and wine printed and shipped to Brisbane for Australian distribution. It now appears that these books will be available for me to autograph by July. During my absence  our business Das Helwig Haus B&B was closed. My eldest daughter, Carol, accompanied me. Both of us had been to Hong Kong on previous trips and knew how to travel around the islands of Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories using the efficient underground trains, ferries and buses, all of which are inexpensive forms of transport. Our hotel was centrally located in Kowloon near the Mong Kok entrance to the subway station and from our window on the 36th floor we were able to look across the buildings to the island of Hong Kong. Our window gave us a view towards the west with the morning light shining bright on the tall buildings over which we looked towards the island. Although the whole region is commonly known as Hong Kong and there are several islands within the area, this one hilly section ringed by sea is called either Hong Kong Island, or The Island.

Western view across to Hong Kong Island.

It was interesting on my first early morning start -  I was still functioning on Australian time which is two hours ahead of this region, to look out this window and see almost no movement in the streets below, but people practicing exercises in the park. Like all Asian countries Hong Kong is slow to swing into action in the mornings, but residents party or shop well into the night.

Carol and I lingered over our breakfast coffee waiting for Ashlea, my Granddaughter and Carol’s niece, to arrive at 10.00am. Ashlea is an unpaid volunteer working with disabled children in mainland China and to maintain her visa she must leave China to have it stamped to show she has left the country, but may also return across the border the same day. The monthly overnight bus trip to Hong Kong to achieve the stamping of her passport and visa is a considerable expense. It was great to be able to spend a day with her and it was decided that firstly we should check out the flower and bird markets, lunch, and then spend the afternoon at the Ladies Market bartering for clothes. All these markets were only short distances away, either walking or by subway.

The Flower Market begins.

Unlike some of the other Chinese markets I have encountered, this one was not under one roof canopy, but comprised small shops, sometimes on both sides of the street within a whole city square.

Flowers shops, as seen from above.

We climbed steps to the vantage point offered by the bird market. This was rather disappointing as the marketing of birds has been discouraged by the fear of Avian Flu.

Caged birds.

Most of the birds on display were Australian breeds, in particular the little yellow breasted silver eyes that pick at fruit in my garden, Quarrions and Budgerigars.

Quarrions - a form of cockatiel.

You can’t keep birds without the food required to feed them, so there were grains, grubs, grasshoppers and many other insects available in plastic bags.

Creepies and crawlies for bird food.

Back we went to the more salubrious region of the flower stalls.

Here we walked along a narrow pathway between the shop entrance and the produce spread to the kerbside.

Flowers to the kerb.

Behind each shop front was a narrow, deep cavern of more flowers.

Carol and Ashlea admire the flowers.

The girls kept me busy identifying the flowers they sighted, but were rather amused when they asked me to identify a Paeony, a flower which is seldom grown in Queensland. I replied, “Phingst Rosen.” I first saw these beautiful flowers in bloom in German gardens in 1990 and was then given the German name.

Carnations on one of the many shop fronts.

Rose buds, paeonies, carnations, daisies, stocks, snapdragons, water lilies, orchids, sun flowers – you name it, they were all there in profusion.

Paeony bunches

I could only look - not buy.

We lunched and moved on to the Ladies Market, where Ashlea discovered Carol and I were a hilarious team as we bartered for clothes. Ashlea recognized, as an adult in the company of her grandmother, that “Gran really does have a frivolous sense of humor.” It was a pleasure for us to assist Ashlea to acquire some new clothes.

Amongst other items, Ashlea gained a new dress and pink shoes.

Das Helwig Haus B&B is situated at Glen Aplin, near Stanthorpe on the Granite Belt of southern Queensland, Australia.

This is a region noted for summer stone-fruit, autumn apples,  Christmas in July, wildflowers, wilderness and wine.

Technorati Tags: Australia, Australian, Brisbane, China, Chinese, Christmas in July, Das Helwig Haus B&B, German, Glen Aplin, Hong Kong, Queensland, stanthorpe, the granite belt, Wildflowers wilderness and wine

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