4/5th February 2011

Well, even the best laid plans can go awry and that is what has happened. Our intentions were that on the second day in Hong Kong we would take the tram and go up to the top of The Peak which would give us magnificent views of Hong Kong Island and beyond and then walk one of the several nature trails. However, we hadn't taken into account the New Year celebrations which last for 3 days; so with most offices closed, as well as shops it seemed to us that the entire population of Hong Kong had decided to do the same as us and by the time we got to the Peak Tramway there was a nearly 2 hours wait just to get to the ticket office, so reluctantly we decided we didn't have enough time and abandoned the plan.

Rosalyn took me back to Times Square in Causeway Bay which is home to a large number of Designer Label shops but I am proud to admit that I kept my hands very firmly in my pockets!!! We did visit a large shop which boasts the only CURVED escalators we have ever seen. This time I have remembered to take pictures and if I get the chance I will post a photo so you can see exactly what I mean. Uploading photos takes ages and we had the time in Hong Kong because the hotel had free broadband in the bedrooms. Unfortunately the hotel in Sydney charges an arm and leg for the internet so postings will be whenever we can find somewhere offering wifi. Hence, the gap between postings.

While I remember, once we board the Diamond Princess on Tuesday posting really will become a case of when we have the chance. Although the ship offers internet it is satellite
based and apparently is even slower than the old dial-up system. All I can ask is that you keep checking the blog to see if it has been updated.

We flew into Sydney this morning and again our plans had to be changed. Sydney is experiencing its 6th day of extreme heat , well into the 40s, and the walk we had planned was shelved simply because it was so blooming hot. I know that most of you reading this will have no sympathy, but trust me, temperatures in excess of 40degrees centigrade are no fun. Instead of the walk we took the ferry across to Manly and found some shade so we could 'people-watch' We returned to the hotel from the Ferry Terminal in Circular Quay by using the City Rail. This is a subway system but the trains are triple-deckers. As you board there is an area for 10 people to sit and for people to stand. There is also the option to go up or down stairs to more seating areas. The ferry ride is one of the more scenic journeys as you depart from a wharf between the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, two of the most amazing travel icons you are ever likely to see. Alongside the Passenger Terminal was the Rhapsody of the Seas; this is the ship we were on when we did our last trip to Oz and as we returned from Manly she was just setting sail – leaving room for the Diamond Princess!