Pink Dolphins at Tai O

I decided that it was time for Richard to visit Tai O to see the village on stilts and hopefully catch a glimpse of Pink Dolphins. I had been to Tai O some months ago with my year 6 class. It is a great time of the year for a visit as the weather was perfect, warm but not hot with big clear blue skies.

Tai O is better known as the Venice of Hong Kong as it is a rare example of a Chinese stilt – house community situated on the far northwestern coast edge of Lantau Island. It is home to the Tanka people, a community of fisher folk who have built their homes on stilts above the tidal flats for generations because they do not feel safe on land. It took us a couple of hours to get there; bus to central, then the ferry to Mui Wo and finally a bus to Tai O, but it was well worth it.

We began by strolling through the markets filled with stalls selling pungent shrimp paste, dried fish and handicrafts. Fish of all sizes from shark to squid hang drying wherever you seem to look and there are baskets of what looks like lime peel soaking up the sun as well. What they do with this I am not sure, but at the moment it seems like a popular thing to dry.

We had a look through an exhibition of local antiquities organized by the Tai O Rural Committee which has a good collection of relics, photographs and other memorabilia of a time when Tai O was a thriving port. Over the fairly recently built bridge that has replaced the rope drawn sampan that ferried people across to the other side, we wandered over the canal and glimpsed our first stilt houses. More markets filled the streets, offering free samples of food to draw in the hungry hordes. We headed to a restaurant for lunch of delicious salt and pepper squid (my favourite) and rice.

After lunch we decided to leave the busy market place and head further along the lanes to see what life was like living there. We passed the Kwan Tai Temple and numerous small shrines and then hit the canal.

We discovered a whole host of other restaurants including a funky café on the edge of the town’s main canal. It turned out to be a great place to sit and absorb activity on the canal including birds fishing for their dinner. The owner brought out books of the history of Tai O , full of great photos for us to browse through so that we got a better sense of what the place would once have been like.

Once our lunch and coffee had settled, we decided to go on a 25 minute boat ride up the canal to get a look at the stilt houses from the water, and then we headed out to sea to do a bit of dolphin spotting.

Chinese White Dolphins, often called pink dolphins, can be seen frolicking off the coast close to Tai O and a marine park north of Tai O has been developed to help protect them. When I went with my class we spent over an hour out watching them and saw loads and loads, swimming in family groups, breaching the water, generally having a great time playing. On Friday we were only out in the ocean for a very short time, but in that time did manage to see a couple of dolphins having a good old frolicking. Well worth the HK$20 that we paid. The photos below are from the first trip we did, as I knew I already had some good photos so did not bother taking any more, just enjoyed the view.

All too soon it was time to head home. On the way out we briefly visited the Tai O Culture Workshop which was opened by a local woman in the ground floor of her family home and contains loads of implements used by generations of fisherfolk. We decided to catch a bus to Tung Chung and then the MTR to Central and a bus home. Tai O turned out to be a fabulous place to explore and we decided that it would be worth coming back again, next time for an overnight stay as we found a great looking little B&B in fact we have booked a stay there for my birthday.

Seeking Spirituality in Mid Levels

Hong Kong Island is dominated by a steep hilly terrain with the majority of the population living in towers around the edge of the island. The area known as Mid-Levels is situated on the slopes above Central overlooking Victoria Harbour however because of all the development and the hundreds of towers, it is now impossible to glimpse the harbour from street level. To help with the movement of loads of people the government cleverly decided in 1993 to build an escalator system that would effectively link the Central and Western Districts and decrease traffic problems. There are a total of 20 outdoor escalators and three moving sidewalks making it over 800 metres with a vertical climb of 135 metres and if you were to go from the bottom to the top standing on the escalators rather than walking along them, the travel time would be approximately 20 minutes. Apparently it is considered to be the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world and supposedly moves around 55 000 people per day! The escalator runs down the hill between 6am and 10am to get people to work in Central and then it is turned off and the direction changed to going uphill from 10.30 am until midnight when it stops. I had always thought of Mid-Levels as literally the area surrounding the escalators with restaurants, bars, and shops lining its route and therefore common place to find expats out for a good time, thus associated with excessive drinking and partying, so not really my ideal haunt and therefore up until now little explored by me except for the odd dinner out. But I was to discover that it is so much more than this.

I had purchased a book called the leisurely Hikers Guide to Hong Kong, I liked the word leisurely in the heading. This book contains lots of different walks, both out in the natural areas of Hong Kong and in the centre of all the hustle and bustle of city life. The walk we decided to do this Saturday was called a Spiritual Hike… being centred around Mid Levels I am sure Richard thought that Spiritual referred to a different type of spirits…and took in a couple of small shrines and the Man Mo Temple (Literary and Military temple) dedicated to two separate gods who represent culture and soldiery respectively. We left the escalator system at Stauton Street where the SoHo fair was almost in full swing. Loads of restaurants line this street alongside funky vintage boutiques and antique stores. Here is what is now called SoHo.

The pungent smell of incense grows thicker the closer we get to Peel Street where there is a small but well patronized shrine on the corner.

Soon after this the crowds began to peter out and we found ourselves wandering along small lanes where there are no cars and you could actually hear the call of birds. Wing Lee Street contains a line of traditional Hong Kong tenements which have survived from another era. Most of them still have the antique printing presses operating from the ground floor as this area was originally dedicated to printing. After walking through a small park and soaking up the sunshine and quietness of the old area, we headed down an area of old stone stairways, a good indication of what the Mid-Levels were like before the advent of the motor car. The district that we were in was formerly known as Tai Ping Shan, once a hotbed of crime, disease and prostitution. After an outbreak of the plague sometime in the 19th Century they razed the whole area allowing for the development of multi story tenements to then be razed to allow the development of the towers that now dominate the island.

Once we reached Hollywood road (referring to the Irish estate of a former governor rather than links to Tinsel town) we found the Man Mo Temple. We were aware of its existence well before finding it for the smell of incense was almost over powering. Many Temples and Shrines in Hong Kong are dominated not just by individual sticks of incense but by huge coiled incense hanging from the ceiling. I am beginning to think the haze that often lies over Hong Kong is not caused by industry in China but by the incense being burnt in the thousands of shrines and temples throughout Hong Kong.

We were unable to spend more than a minute of two in the temple before my lungs decided they would no longer work, so we head down Hollywood Street to check out all the antique shops. We found a fantastic little street off Hollywood road containing a collection of antique shops, second hand stores and loads of bric-a-brac stalls, much more interesting that the other markets that we have frequented. Apparently once upon a time, this was the place to go and buy back whatever you had had stolen from you in the morning. Not something that would happen now, as the crime rate is so, so low. I am beginning to understand why it is so low, as the laws are pretty strict. I saw a poster the other day that said that the penalty for shoplifting is 10years imprisonment… that is some deterrent!

Finally we emerged from Mid Levels into the Western District at the Western Market. This Edwardian building has been renovated and now houses small shops including a lot of fabric shops. There was also a Chinese desert house here where I decided it was a must to enjoy a cup of tea and a Chinese sweet. Unfortunately I could not tempt Richard to partake in anything but the tea as he is definitely not a fan of the glutinous rice sweets that they eat here, something that I learnt to love in my time living in Japan.

Time to end the trip with a tram ride back to the bus station. We managed to procure a seat up the top of one of the many double decker trams that ply the streets of this part of the Island. As the trams have no air-conditioning, they have open windows and as it was not hot, it was a perfect place to sit and watch the city go by as the tram slowly made its way to its destination.

We decided that we would not get off at the Central bus station but continue on the tram as far as Causeway Bay which was probably not the best decision in hindsight as Causeway bay is very busy with people at the best of time, let alone a month before Christmas when the department store Sogo was having a sale. You could hardly move through the sea of people, but with a bit of subtle maneuvering we did make it to our bus stop and headed for home.

Secrets to relaxing - Hua Hin

A large three headed elephant appeared to float beside the freeway as we headed south to Hua Hin. Conical gold temples glitter in the distance surrounded by towering phallic spires. Traditional multi tiered roof lines, adorned with curling pointed extensions at each end, some with large mythical serpents winding down the eves, can be seen everywhere, even on bus shelters. Orange Robed monks wander along the roadside in contrast to huge empty bill boards cluttering rice paddies between the towns. As we draw closer to our destination, Resorts tower along the coast between jagged mountains that appear to have broken their way out of the flat landscape. "Sawasdee kha" hangs in the moist fragrant air, accompanied by a prayer like gesture - fingertips touching the nose and a slight bow of the head. We are in Thailand - meaning the land of the free but more commonly known through its promotional slogans as land of smiles. Everywhere the beautiful smiling faces of the Thai people are evident. The hotel staff are dressed in traditional Thai silk dresses as they show us to our room for the next 5 days - 5 days of decadence, relaxing by the pool, reading, sleeping, eating. The palm tree haven of the pool soon becomes our friend. The occasional gecko drops out of the trees then skitters across the hot concrete to get out of the mid day sun. Frangipani blossoms flutter from the trees to float in the pool releasing their scent in the hot heavy air. All around the resort frangipanis can be found floating in water, even the top of rubbish bins contain a depression filled with water and frangipanis. In the evening we sat by the ocean under trees festooned with coconuts. A full yellow moon hung heavily in the sky providing the perfect back drop for the lights of the fishing boats and navy ships out at sea. The sound of waves washing against the sea wall lulled us as we tucked into spicy Thai coconut curries with mountains of seafood.

A trip into the township of Hua Hin obviously essential if we are to keep up the pretence of being tourists and not just pleasure seekers. After Thai seafood eaten on the pier we wandered through the streets admit the cry of "want to buy a suit - hand made, made to measure". The streets are lined with tailors, jewellery stores and surprisingly, of all things, opticians. Obviously if you need to get glasses this is the place to do it. However the lovely thing about Hua Hin was that no one really harassed you. Along side the many bars were Thai massage shops specialising in foot massages but we were keen to try something different. While by the ocean, why not partake in a Fish pedicure.

Flesh eating fish feast on your feet

What am I talking about I hear you groan. What on earth is a fish pedicure. For us it consisted of large fish tanks stocked with a small tropical fish called Garra Rufa or also known as Turkey fish, nibble fish or doctor fish. Apparently they can thrive in temperatures of up to 43 degrees Celsius and are a natural method for treatment of skin diseases. How does this work? The fish seek out any dead or damaged skin and basically eat it. As we dipped our feet into the tank, hundreds of fish converged on us and immediately began feasting. What an amazing sensation, ticklish at first and with a mild tingling sensation a little like having a light electrical current passed through your feet. But once you got over this initial feeling it was not at all unpleasant. As we were sitting outside on a busy tourist street we got many a strange look from passersby who enquired about what was going on and then walked off bewildered when we told them the fish were eating dead or in Richard's case - diseased, skin. Great for Athletes foot and psoriasis. Half an hour of tickling later we emerged from the tank with feet that felt like they were walking on air, impossible to describe but the feeling continued for much of the day. Would we have another one? Absolutely... in fact I have just found one in Hong Kong!!

Perfect pampering in paradise

There was no way we were going to let the fish pedicure be the end of our decadent treatments. Time for a Spa Date for two at the Imperial Spa which boasted that it was the exotic Thai way to relax your body and soul. A beautiful spa designed around wood and bamboo and our double treatment room was facing the ocean, frangipani flowers were scattered around the room and in the shower, even floating in bowls of water under the table so when you were face down you could see them. We emerged like butterflies from a chrysalis, blinking against the brightness of the sun, legs feeling a little wobbly and skin all plump, polished and glowing after 3 hours of pampering. We began with a full body exfoliation using traditional Thai black sticky rice crushed in sweet almond oil. This was followed by being coated in clay, then wrapped in plastic - admittedly a little claustrophobic and then the most relaxing massage that either of us have ever had. The final treat - an Imperial facial. Between each treatment we washed off in the shower that looked out over the ocean.

The Art of Eight Limbs

Chants of monks juxtaposed with the loud music coming from a myriad of bars behind the temple, ladies of the night patiently waiting on beer stools, the night still young. But we had something else in mind.

"Oooh Aaah" yelled the crowd, fingers jabbing in the air. With a nod of a head across the ring, bets were made. The smell of tiger balm filled the air making it difficult to breathe. Two well toned fit young men stood in the middle, undertaking a dance-come-prayer ritual, then the bell rang. With a touch of gloves, it was on. Around they danced in time with the music, lifting their knees alternatively, testing each other out. Kick, a punch, an elbow then a knee to the back. Ding ding, round over another touch of gloves , a smile and back to their respective corners to be rubbed down with ice ready for the next round.

We were watching one of the most exciting and popular Thai sport - Muay Thai or Thai boxing. Steeped in 3000 years of history, Thai boxing is also known as the "Art of Eight Limbs" because it makes use of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes, thus using eight "points of contact", as opposed to "two points" (fists) in Western boxing and "four points" (hands and feet) used in sport-oriented martial arts. Each match consisted of 5 rounds each round went for 5 minutes.

Check out the following National Geographic youtube link to get an idea of what it is all about, especially to get an idea of the strange music that they play throughout the match.

National Geographic Thai Boxing