|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread | Display Modes |
1 Nov 19, 01:10 PM |
#1
|
|
Imagineer
|
Hong Kong 2019 - Day 7 Wetlands and Ping Shan Heritage Trail
The only day when I won't see my boy at all. This morning he has the listening part of his chinese mid term exam and tomorrow he has another maths quiz. I actually slept really well - all that walking yesterday! After a shower, I went down to breakfast and had a stir fry with coriander again and my usual cappuccino. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do today so has a look at the Discover HK website which has quite a lot of options that are off the beaten track a bit. One of the options was the Hong Kong Wetlands park near the chinese border. This sounded ideal. After getting myself ready, I went down to the MTR station and added another HK$100 to my octopus card. The route included 4 different lines but transferring between lines here is very straightforward; usually you get off the train and the next train is just across the platform! There was a bit of a walk at Mei Foo as I had to get on the West Rail line. I took the opportunity to buy a sandwich and crisps as a picnic lunch. It took about an hour to get to the station at Ton Shui Wai and then I had to get the light railway train 705 to the Wetland stop. The total cost for the whole journey was HK$26. A bargain! Thankfully the park was signposted from the train stop! It cost HK$30 to get in. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was absolutely fabulous. I was actually surprised to see that it really was in the middle of town. I had expected it to be in the middle of nowhere. There was effectively a circular walk along boardwalks and paths with lots of information about what you were seeing. It looks s though there was nobody else there but in reality there were quite a few school groups but I managed to avoid them! At about 12pm I found myself a quiet bench and had my sandwich and crisps! It was also a popular place for the twitchers - there were some impressive lenses on show! Back in the main building there was a display of the animals and fish that could, at one time, be found in Hong Kong. I couldn't decide if the alligator was real or not! I left at about 12.15pm and caught the train back to the town for the second part of the trip. This was the Ping Shan Heritage Trail. This was supposed to be only a 1.6 km Trail linking up some traditional Chinese buildings so as to learn more about traditional life in the New Territories. Unfortunately the signage was a little haphazard so I did more than that but it was worth it. The 600 year old pagoda which was built to ward off evil spirits from the north and to prevent flooding. It even had someone guarding it. This was the Shrine of the Earth Good - literally at the entrance of a car park! The next building could only be looked at from the outside. Built with traditional green bricks, it is a traditional walled village. The next was Yeung Hau Temple. Although several hundreds of years old, blink and you would have missed it. The next were two ancestral halls next to each other. Both were about 500 years old, and very impressive given their age. By this time I was getting quite tired as it was very hot! Some of the temples were closed. I couldn't find the last building: I found a sign pointing to it, then another point back in the direction I had come but I just couldn't see it. I decided to cut my losses and head back to the MTR station for part three! The final part of the day was a two stop ride down the metro line to Yuen Long. This town has a very different feel to downtown Hong Kong. Certainly less tourists and more local. I am not convinced by the cheese topped tea... By this stage I was flagging so headed back to the hotel, though one of the connecting stations was closed (I found out later for to protests) so I had to change at the following station which wasn't a big deal. After a rest, I went back out to Temple Night market as I had promised to get my colleague a Hong Kong t-shirt. It wasn't so busy: however getting back to my hotel room I discovered that the protest had not been so far away! I got two t-shirts for my colleague and two birthday cards for O to write for his sister and his best friend. On the way back to the hotel I picked up some sushi from the supermarket (HK$15) as I was shattered. I had walked over 18 km today and my legs knew it. Edited at 02:10 PM. |
|
|
1 Nov 19, 02:04 PM |
#2
|
DIBB App Manager
Join Date: May 18
|
New Photo Added by Melbatb - 1 Nov 19 1:04 PM.
|
1 Nov 19, 03:51 PM |
#3
|
VIP Dibber
|
Another great sightseeing day
Joan
__________________
|
1 Nov 19, 07:30 PM |
#4
|
|
Imagineer
|
Great day, wouldn’t fancy the cheese topped tea either
__________________
Jenny July/August 2010 ~ Villa, Mission Park & RPR, July/August 2012 ~ DIBB Villa, Highgate Park & RPR, July/August 2014 ~ Sadly had to cancel, August 2019 ~ POR 1st time on site New York 2017, trip report HERE |
|
|
1 Nov 19, 09:55 PM |
#5
|
|
Imagineer
|
Another varied and interesting day and I'm glad you avoided the protests. I know you're there mainly to see your son but the protests must be having a severe impact on tourism in the area as most places you are going (although some are off the beaten track) seem so quiet for HK.
|
|
|
1 Nov 19, 11:04 PM |
#6
|
|
Imagineer
|
Wow, what a busy day Mel. It all looks so interesting and varied though. Cheese topped tea is definitely a no-no, that’s sounds terrible. I’m pleased you are managing to avoid the protests. I really hope the exams are going well for O too
|
|
|
2 Nov 19, 01:07 AM |
#7
|
|
Thread Starter
Imagineer
|
It was - a bit different but my sort of thing!
It sounds horrendous! Cheese in any drink is a no-no Tourism is down by 50%+. We haven’t had to queue to get anywhere which is a real shame for the tourist industry. Hotel prices are down - we are in a 4 star nice hotel and I paid 90euros a night including breakfast. It is usually double that! The exams are over The big protests will be tonight and tomorrow - hopefully avoidable!
__________________
Index of my trip reports 2016 Quebec - Kuala Lumpar - New York City 2017 Dubai - Eurocamps France - Ontario and Quebec - So-Cal 2018 Montreal - Bangkok - New England 2019 Argentina - Quebec City - Hong Kong - 2020 Switzerland 2022 Arizona - Costa Med Cruise - Oslo 2023 Hong Kong - Gothenburg |
|
|
2 Nov 19, 08:26 AM |
#8
|
Imagineer
|
I like cheese ... I like tea ... but cheesy tea is a step too far for me!
__________________
Kate |
2 Nov 19, 08:56 AM |
#9
|
|
Thread Starter
Imagineer
|
__________________
Index of my trip reports 2016 Quebec - Kuala Lumpar - New York City 2017 Dubai - Eurocamps France - Ontario and Quebec - So-Cal 2018 Montreal - Bangkok - New England 2019 Argentina - Quebec City - Hong Kong - 2020 Switzerland 2022 Arizona - Costa Med Cruise - Oslo 2023 Hong Kong - Gothenburg |
|
|
2 Nov 19, 08:56 AM |
#10
|
|
Very Serious Dibber
|
We are supposed to be going in March as we booked some amazing flights earlier this year before the protests started. We have been looking at perhaps just doing HK Disney and then flying to maybe Singapore but your report is putting me more at ease about still going so thank you.
__________________
|
|
|
|
DIBB Savings |
AttractionTickets.com
Get £10 off each Disney Ticket with the code ATDIBB10 Get up to £50 off per room at Disney or Universal with the code DIBBHOTELS |
theDIBB Blog |
Guests can book their 2025 Hotel and Ticket package early to enjoy Free Dining &... Read More »
The iconic 1900 Park Fare restaurant is opening its doors once again at Disney’s Grand... Read More »
One of the the five worlds found in Epic Universe, How to Train Your Dragon... Read More »
|
theDIBB Menu |
Exchange Rates |
US Dollar Rates
Euro Rates |
DIBB Premium Membership |
Did you know you can help support theDIBB with Premium Membership? Check out this link for more information and benefits, such as... "No adverts on theDIBB Forums" Upgrade Now |