Fish Balls Are A Fallacy

Our last week in Asia has been much different than the last two months with our visits to the small nations of Hong Kong and Macau. In relation to the previous four countries we were treated to the upscale and technologically advanced urban sides of SE Asia.

We knew immediately when we arrived in Hong Kong that we were not going to be enjoying the laid back lifestyle that we had become so accustomed to in Thailand and Laos but we were also well aware that this wasn't a country or city such as Saigon, Vietnam where noise, pollution and chaos are an initial perception. Hong Kong was a British colony for just over a century due to a treaty resulting from the Opium Wars until it was returned to China in 1997. The British influence is very apparent due to the orderly fashion of vehicles, sidewalk and subway traffic. People here actually wait in line and there is no pushing or butting in lines (from the HK citizens anyways, not so for the Chinese tourists) and you rarely hear a car horn. You also see the influence in the cleanliness of the subway and streets since there is no littering or spitting which is a nice change. Hong Kong is called Asia's "World City" and with the vast number of international corporations and executives set up here this may be a big reason why the areas we visited were as clean and orderly as what we witnessed. However, with big money comes big prices and this is evident in hotels, restaurants and the abundance of malls and designer fashion stores. Although we never set foot in the fashion outlets we can attest to expensive meals and hotels as we stayed at the YMCA, typically skipped breakfast and ate more McDonalds than I can ever remember. We could have ate a little better but it came with a high cost we were unwilling to bend for; a neighbouring hotel offered up a free British high tea everyday complete with sandwiches, milkshakes and desserts but to be granted access we would have had to wear long pants and no T-shirts or flip flops....this was definitely not a price we were willing to pay as we have become very attached to our tanned legs and fallen arches. Using the subway, ferry, buses as well as logging a lot of miles on foot we did see a lot of HK such as the harbour, more markets, HK Island including Stanley and Disneyland. The Stanley area on HK Island was one of our favourite places and Disneyland was a blast even though it is much smaller than the original. To hear Mickey speak Chinese seems a little goofy too...pardon the pun! I also wonder if Walt Disney would be rolling in his grave if knew Fishballs on a Stick were being served rather than corn dogs?

With an extra day at our disposal, we decided to take a ferry to the tiny island nation of Macau. In actuality I think Jeff just wanted an extra stamp in his passport since he really had no idea what there was to see or do there or what currency or language they even spoke. When we were standing in the 45 minute immigration line in Macau I think he finally started to regret his impulse and stamp obsession. However, once we got through immigration and got our bearings it turned out to be a neat place. Much like Hong Kong, in 1999 it was also returned as a Chinese colony after being under Portuguese control prior. In fact Macau is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to it's unique architecture and streets which hold both Portuguese and Chinese influences. In addition to the historical aspects of the nation the family realized why Jacquie so readily went along with the idea to visit another country for less than a day. Turns out, Macau is Asia's playground and is more like Las Vegas with casinos such as MGM, Wynn and Sands and is also home to horse racing and the Asian Grand Prix. Will power and restraint won out and Jake did not even set eyes on a blackjack table and the family was able to afford our return back to Hong Kong at day's end.

Five days was lots in this area and although the urban life was nice to see again I think we are all ready to move on. I think El put it best when she said "I'm Asia'd out!". The last two and half months has flown by and we have been fortunate enough to visit six very different countries in a relatively small area and feel like we got a real good sense of each country. Whether it was Hong Kong's luxurious style, Thailand's beach hammock pace, Cambodia's graphic history or Vietnam's friendly people we loved it here and all have left with positive memories. We also know that if we could ever return we would see many changes such as much more developed Thai beaches, a more Chinese influenced Hong Kong and a Vietnam that is moving at light speed to catch up to it's newfound fame.

The kids will both be posting some sort of SE Asia blog soon and are collecting their thoughts...in all honesty they probably won't be done until we take their Ipods away.

We are off to South Africa with less than a month left on our journey and are trying to savour the last moments of our freedom. Bye for now!