Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (Hong Kong)

Today is our last day in HK. We fly out early tomorrow morning. As in, it's just morning, 12:40am. As a precaution, I booked the room for the entire night so we weren't forced to wander the streets waiting for the gate to open at the airport. There is still much to do here but we opted not to try and see everything. It is a great place for a stop over on the way to Europe or back home, so I'm fairly certain we'll be back.

The morning wasn't as bright as yesterday but the temperature and humidity were still up there. We had breakfast in the hotel: pastries, juice and coffee. It was crowded and we had to wait for a table. One of the wait staff we met on day one explained the best time to arrive for breakfast was before 8:30am and that it was always crowded on the weekend at this time of year. Apparently HK is a weekend getaway for mainland Chinese. Note to self, avoid weekends in future visits.

A junk motoring down the harbour.

Before we ventured out, we discussed Dim Sum options with the concierge. He offered K11 as an option - a massive shopping centre filled with designer label stores. It was down on the harbour and we were intending to be down there so it was an option. The other place was next door to the hotel, away from the tourist and shopping crowds. It wasn't fancy like Maxim's Palace, just laminex tables. At least we had a choice.

The first target this morning was the walk along Victoria Harbour itself. It boasts a statue of Mr Bruce Lee and a walk that has the handprints of celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry. It is modelled on the Hollywood walk of fame and is named the Avenue of Stars. Rather than stars on the walkway, it has handprints in silver (probably stainless steel) on the hand railing along the water.

The walk down to the harbour proved to be as challenging as always. One incorrect choice on which side of the street to walk can make all the difference. Finding the entrance to the overhead walkway saw us chalk up more steps than was really necessary because we did choose the wrong side of the street. We finally made it harbourside and for the first time were able to identify our hotel building. Out came the camera. Frustration. I'd left it in the camera bag until that point. The lenses fogged up immediately due to the sudden temperature and humidity change from the hotel aircon to the outside. Hence the dearth of photos taken today (I used some I had prepared earlier).

That's us, centre picture.

While we waited for the problem to resolve itself, we were accosted by a local who wanted discuss the meaning of 'insecurity' and how misleading a word it could be. After a few minutes, he wandered off. Jayne asked, "Was he just practising his English on us?" Pretty much.

The breeze off the water was quite strong, but the humidity was sapping and there was no avoiding the sun. The boardwalk was completely uncovered. Dodging people and umbrellas, we set out for the other end of the walk and K11. We had completed almost half the walk before I realised that we hadn't been looking for the celebrity handprints. Today's title is inspired by the hands, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey has the line "hands across the water".  A Wings classic from 1971, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvUkPtSheyg.

Across to HK Island.

Much like the Symphony of Lights, it was underwhelming and not just because I didn't know who most of the stars were. Crowds gathered around some exhibits while others were totally ignored. The biggest celebrity appeared to be a statue of a golden pig, McDull. Apparently the hero of a comic strip. Ring any bells, dear reader? No, me neither. Snapping a picture of said pig without someone hanging off its ear was a challenge.

McDull. Aptly named.

On we went in search of the entry to K11. It was not to be. Ingress was only from the street, not harbourside. Thankfully the end of the walk was insight and we made for K11 and the air conditioning. Also more crowds.

It was delightfully cool inside the shopping centre after the humid, blustery conditions outside. Now to locate the Dim Sum place. I found a board that named the different levels. Not helpful. And then another that directed hungry shoppers to a food court on B2. Jackpot.

Of course there is a Legoland.

As with all modern shopping malls, the escalators to differing levels are hidden throughout the complex to ensure shoppers are trapped for the maximum time to spend more money. We found the correct escalator and descended to the food court. It was packed. There was not a vacant table in sight. We did a couple of laps but it appeared nobody was keen to move. Not that they were eating; enjoying the cool temperatures and doom scrolling seemed the order of the day.

Back out into the real world, we set course for One Dim Sum, close to home. It was near capacity but a table for two was found underneath the air conditioning so my shirt dried off quickly. We were the only westerners in the restaurant, an excellent sign. The food was lovely. We had five different courses for just over $30AUD. The only disappointment? It wasn't licensed. After lunch we walked around the corner to one of the local bars that opens before 6pm and had a refreshing beer.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent preparing for the next leg of our journey. While we are in Business Class for the longer legs of the trip, we are in Economy from Zurich to Ljubljana and also from Dubrovnik to Barcelona. That requires playing with our bags to get the weight right. We travel with one suitcase between us, so it is slightly over the allowed 23kg in Economy. And of course, different airlines means different weight restrictions on baggage. Today's attempt will not pass muster. I'll need to have another look at it in Zurich.

The view from the Peak.

We vacated the room at 8:45pm and for once did not have to wait for the elevator. We were all checked out by 9pm and outside the hotel, chatting with staff while we waited for our Uber. The staff were all lovely and went out of their way to make you feel at home. I'm sure we'll be back in HK for a holiday or as a prolonged stopover and the Mondrian would definitely be our home.

HK turned on a thunderstorm and rain to make us feel at home as we drove to the airport. Once we had left the Kowloon traffic behind it was a quiet trip. Check-in and security went smoothly and we were soon in Emirates Lounge enjoying champagne with dinner. It is a 14 hour trip to Zurich plus a 4 hour layover in Dubai. Happily we are flying in my favourite aircraft, an A380.

An Oriental Magpie Robin

Catch you in the land of watches, Roger Federer and Lindt chocolates.

Until tomorrow.