In February 2008, we took a one week trip up to Hong Kong from Phuket, the first time for David in over three years, and the third time for Gail since we'd left in 2004. We managed to almost halve the cost of flying direct by travelling the scenic route - AirAsia from Phuket to Bangkok, then from Bangkok to Macau, followed by the jetfoil over to Hong Kong. We arrived on a chilly evening after dark, our ID cards having been declared museum pieces by the very friendly immigration guys. After ten minutes it seemed like we had never been away, and very much like coming home. Hong Kong really is like nowhere else and with our long history there, it was a great feeling to be back. We stayed in Shek O, which is a beach community on the south-east corner of HK Island. The first morning after arrival we were reminded of HK's mind-blowing efficiency, achieving several major things like ID card renewal, banking etc in a matter of hours. In Italy such things require allocating days of time, if not longer and often bureaucratic frustrations on the way like the sudden need for little documents that no one bothered to remind you about, etc.
The place is ever-changing - at present there is the major construction on the waterfront in Central with lots of reclamation and tunnel building, but that HK buzz remains the same. It was great to go back to the Yacht Club to be greeted by the Bistro staff - hello Mr and Mrs Clarke, haven't seen you for a while, have you been away? And of course the magic of Middle Island and rowing was brilliant. Fellow ex-rowing captain Martin Reynolds had organised a group of other ex-captains who came along for a Saturday afternoon jolly, some on the water. Naturally one or two lemonades were consumed.
