Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Middling England
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Black Hole Sun
Out beyond Stepper Point, the classic images emerged around every corner, though the sea was surprisingly subdued, less in the way of dramatic crashes and rushes of pounding water echoing around. There were cows, and a few people, the odd foreign looking type enjoying their summer holidays somewhere cooler than home, and a friendly man walking the dog to get away from the wife who he left shopping in Padstow. He must have been worried, as I passed him again coming back in the other direction, in somewhat of a rush to get back to Padstow and rescue his credit rating.
I probably should have followed him but decided to follow a cross country signpost vaguely indicating the direction of Padstow, thus creating a perfectly formed loop path. Alas it was mostly along a country lane that was so typically narrow to the extent that I had to breathe in when anything bigger than a Nissan Micra passed by and you couldn’t see much because the magnificent hedgerows were like 200 feet high or something. It had also now decided ‘oh yes I will actually rain today like I was supposed to’, at which point your feet suddenly start to hurt and you have a mini losing the will to live type episode. This losing the will to live episode continues unabated as you wait for several buses to connect you back to Bodmin Parkway and its jaunty little station, and realise you actually spent more time today on public transport than being outdoors.
England really does has an excess of chlorophyll, though one thing I don’t get is that if green is supposed to be a relaxing colour, why isn’t everyone here just sooooo chilled? I blame Eastenders or something, all that screaming and shouting about nothing in particular. Now if people watched In the Night Garden more then things would be very different, although perhaps that tune would get stuck in their head, driving people to despair and even increased murderousness. Oopsy daisy, as they say.
Ah, the children, what it is all about...each trip to Europe involves several bouts of peekaboos and getting beaten up by kids and reading stories about a blue thing with a red towel. Despite the tiny terrors it’s actually rather joyous to visit family and friends with little ones. I figure it’s something I don’t really get exposed to so much in Australia, what with my own
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Bonkers Honkers Zonkers
The first day in Hong Kong was spent getting out of Hong Kong, with a trip to Lantau Island, and a cable car ride up to the ‘Big Buddha’. Naturally, you’d find this would be the first thing on any Australian’s list, and it was infinitely better than the big potato or big cheese. Sure, there was a theme park feel to the place, what with the insatiable appetite for consumption in the air, but once you actually made it to Buddha and ambled around the nearby Po Lin Monastery, you got that serene feeling that seems to come with the smell of incense, vegetarianism, and repetitive monosyllabic chanting.
The Big Buddha itself sits atop many many steps, paying pilgrimage a chore in the midday sun. But he has a terrific view, along with an inside that is blessed with some of that spiritual air-conditioned comfort. While hot, the weather was in fact marvellous, a splendid day to take in the mountainous surrounds and many islands spread out afar. An introduction to a side of Hong Kong that is not all high-rise mayhem.
Up here, vegetarian fare seemed to be the order of the day, given all these Bok Choi loving Buddhists and one extra cabbage muncher called Jason who was with me on this day. Apart from the excellent tofu, it was gloopy fare for the most part, but at least it took us into the serenity and shade that was the Monastery and various temples and gardens.
The city is spectacular and crazy, though where the city starts and ends is virtually impossible to ascertain. A rather good perspective was attained from ‘the other side’ on Wednesday night – or Tsim Sha Tsui as I preferred not to try to pronounce it. Generally, the biggest, shiniest skyscrapers seem to broadly indicate the city, but then these stretch on and on along the narrow line of land between harbour and mountain. Still, whichever way you look, a stunning view to soak up and all for the price of about 25p on the Star Ferry.
Many an ambling was done in Wan Chai, where we were staying just to the east of the city proper. Here, the contrast between east and west is all around, from large corporate offices and Starbucks to the narrow lined markets selling lots of anything and everything. The caramel frappuccino may be slightly more appealing than the rows of fish and hanging intestines, but the latter is certainly more authentic...I think. But in true Hong Kong style it doesn’t matter, each can naturally exist in their own right...dim sum can be next to an Irish bar which can be next to a Thai massage long time happy valley ending which can be next to an electronics store which can be next to a fruit and veg stall which
Which is exactly what we did by jumping on a tram, or something very narrow and tall that looked as though it could topple over at any moment on rails. It was great to just sit at the top of the back deck, get some slight relief from a breeze and watch the city bustle its way along. Breezing past the shiny cleanliness of skyscraper world, where important people were no doubt doing important things like pillaging the global economy. On to Central, where designer boutiques and the occasional colonial artefact were interspersed with narrow alleyways stuffed with market goods. Heading deeper into a less anglicised world of Chinese shops and shoebox apartments and – yes that very very Chinese thing – construction sites. And probably a step too far, Kennedy Town, a pleasant enough neighbourhood, but one from which we had to return on a more crowded tram.
The road down from the Peak, in a very full bus, never seems to end, a constant winding freefall through the trees past opulent houses and the occasional apartment block. It does end though, and very handily close to the hotel. This made it extremely easy
From one island to another to another
Apparently it’s not surfing that’s the go-go here, but windsurfing. However, today there was hardly a breath of air on what was turning into the most humid day, the sunniness of previous days replaced by an indecisive greyness that could either turn into a deluge or break into watery sunshine depending on what mood it was in. This set the scene for a rather sweaty walk up from the beach and along undulating streets to the southern part of the island. Here, more substantial and leafy houses dotted the way,
Back around the bay a little to the ferry harbour I picked up some coke and an ice cream, an attempt to cool down a little. I thought