10th June
Hang on a minute you might be saying, what about the days you were in Hong Kong, and what about your trip home?
You may well ask!!
Yesterday when I wanted to finish off the blog we could not access it. It was as if we were back in China and was really frustrating.
So I will tell you what happened in those last few days but using my diary and memory instead of doing it on the day. I will do a posting for each day so you can see what a wonderful ending to our trip we had
Monday, 10 June 2013
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Ducks, museums and a scrummy lunch and the red silk!
still 4th June
After talking so much rubbish we discussed a plan for the day. Ruy and Karen live at Tai Po which is in the New Territories and is a beautiful green area with mountains and sea and islands and wonderful wild life. More of this later
Karen suggested we go over to Hong Kong Island on the Star Ferry and see the Maritime Museum in its new quarters and the Museum of Medical Science which she said was interested. With such a contrast this sounded great so after breakfast we set off.
The weather is hot and humid and we did not rush about much. Parking the car on a rooftop car park close to the ferry we first saw a huge six storey high yellow duck. Just like children have in the bath. You may have read about him. He is quite cute but is rather bizarrely placed in such a prominent place in the harbour
As we walked down to the ferry we walked by crowds of visitors who were having their picture taken with the duck in the background or with the numerous other smaller ducks that were placed on the walkway down to the Star Ferry
The Star Ferries go back and forth over to Hong Kong Island all day taking workers and tourists over the harbour to the main part of Hong Kong City
We landed by the Maritime museum which we visited. It was really interesting to add some more details to things like the Opium Wars and the tea and silk trade in China. Granny mentions these in her writing s on many occasions back in the 20s and 30th so it was good to see several references in the museum.
My Great Grandfather worked for Jardines who were traders and they too are mentioned many times The ships they used are also mentioned in some of the writings and the photographs we have so I will research whether the family ever travelled on the Company's ships when they came back to England. Who knows.
We were in the museum for some time and then had a scrummy lunch in a harbour side restaurant before taking a cab up to the Museum of Medical Science. This is an important building because it was build after bubonic plague hit Hong Kong and many people died. Research suggests that is was in Hong Kong that it was discovered that rats were the cause of the plague and there are some gruesome models of medical students dissecting rats and making the discovery that they carry the plague.
There was also interesting displays covering SARS and Bird Flu and altogether the museum gave some interesting insight to these diseases
After this museum we walked down some very old streets in the area that our families had lived in the past. Lovely old buildings and other evidence of a grander past.
I was surprised that we could be in such a big city, full of high rise buildings and still feel that it was not the overbearing place I had thought it might be.
Lovely day and finished off by a purchase of red and black silk that you may see me wearing at Christmas if I have the courage to take my scissors to it and a visit to a favourite spot of Karen's called the Honeymoon Dessert (I think) fabulous ice-cream based desserts to die for!
A great first day with my cousin and more catching up to come over the next couple of days
Talking Rubbish
4th June
Hong Kong
Today when I got up I heard Tone and Ruy talking about a new proposal for managing household waste in Hong Kong. Tone was telling Ruy that I had been involved in a similar plan in Hampshire a long time ago. You may not remember or you may never have known that I was responsible in Hampshire for introducing a Waste Disposal plan for the whole of Hampshire about 20 years ago. I talk rubbish better than anyone you know!
Tony was telling Ruy this and it was suggested that it might be encouraging to the planners if I wrote a supportive letter to the daily papers. Having spent a lot of my early political life writing letters to the editor of my then local paper this seemed like a good plan. So I did some homework and was in my element doing something that I was very interested in and going back to my political roots too. By the end of the week the letter was written and sent off and we will wait to see if it is printed and if there is any response, I was pleased to see so many similarities proposed that are the same as we did in Hampshire so successfully.
It seems very odd to me that a fast moving, energetic, prosperous city and territory like Hong Kong could not seem to grasp the basic benefits of a proper waste management system in financial, environmental and power generation terms but we did not have a lot of time to come to a well thought out conclusion, perhaps there may be an opportunity to help further. (Tony)
Hong Kong
Today when I got up I heard Tone and Ruy talking about a new proposal for managing household waste in Hong Kong. Tone was telling Ruy that I had been involved in a similar plan in Hampshire a long time ago. You may not remember or you may never have known that I was responsible in Hampshire for introducing a Waste Disposal plan for the whole of Hampshire about 20 years ago. I talk rubbish better than anyone you know!
Tony was telling Ruy this and it was suggested that it might be encouraging to the planners if I wrote a supportive letter to the daily papers. Having spent a lot of my early political life writing letters to the editor of my then local paper this seemed like a good plan. So I did some homework and was in my element doing something that I was very interested in and going back to my political roots too. By the end of the week the letter was written and sent off and we will wait to see if it is printed and if there is any response, I was pleased to see so many similarities proposed that are the same as we did in Hampshire so successfully.
It seems very odd to me that a fast moving, energetic, prosperous city and territory like Hong Kong could not seem to grasp the basic benefits of a proper waste management system in financial, environmental and power generation terms but we did not have a lot of time to come to a well thought out conclusion, perhaps there may be an opportunity to help further. (Tony)
Keep it in the Family
3rd June
Today we flew from Guilin to Hong Kong. We had been invited by my cousin Ruy Barretto and his wife Karen to stay with them whilst we were in Hong Kong and as we had never met them we hoped they would not regret their generosity!
Arriving at Hong Kong airport we did not know who we were looking for and although we noticed the man with the check shirt and the lady with the red hair we were not sure if it was them. Ruy said he saw a family resemblance and assumed we were who they were waiting for! So all was well. Hugs and kisses all round and the start of a wonderful visit to Hong Kong.
I actually saw two people smiling at what I thought were the people behind us but I was wrong it was Ruy and Karen! (T)
It was so good to meet them after all this time. We had been in correspondence by email over the years as Ruys Grandmother and my Great Grandmother were sisters and Ruy has a huge amount of information on the family.
They drove us back to Tai Po where they live in a house that Ruys parents build 60 years ago. They have a huge garden much of it wild jungle and consequently there is a lot of wild life. "Don't go outside by yourselves and don't go out with bare feet!"
In reply to our wondering why not we were told that there are amongst other things 23 different sorts of snake that they have seen in the garden over the years plus various other wild animals. Recently Ruy has seen and photographed a large python!
Clearly we were going to do as we were told. "for once in your life" said Tone!
Large gins and a delicious supper followed plus a great deal of catching up with people in our families. Over the time we were there we discovered that a boat that I had thought was in Shanghai and called Loiterer was actually in Hong Kong and called Lontra. (not sure of spelling)
This proved that Granny and Grandpa almost certainly spent some of their honeymoon in Hong Kong which we were not aware of till now. I say this because in the series of photos we have including Granny and Grandpas honeymoon the boat is mentioned and they spent some time on her!
It is great to be here although I must say the thought of the big python will certainly keep me in my place for the next few days!
Today we flew from Guilin to Hong Kong. We had been invited by my cousin Ruy Barretto and his wife Karen to stay with them whilst we were in Hong Kong and as we had never met them we hoped they would not regret their generosity!
Arriving at Hong Kong airport we did not know who we were looking for and although we noticed the man with the check shirt and the lady with the red hair we were not sure if it was them. Ruy said he saw a family resemblance and assumed we were who they were waiting for! So all was well. Hugs and kisses all round and the start of a wonderful visit to Hong Kong.
I actually saw two people smiling at what I thought were the people behind us but I was wrong it was Ruy and Karen! (T)
It was so good to meet them after all this time. We had been in correspondence by email over the years as Ruys Grandmother and my Great Grandmother were sisters and Ruy has a huge amount of information on the family.
They drove us back to Tai Po where they live in a house that Ruys parents build 60 years ago. They have a huge garden much of it wild jungle and consequently there is a lot of wild life. "Don't go outside by yourselves and don't go out with bare feet!"
In reply to our wondering why not we were told that there are amongst other things 23 different sorts of snake that they have seen in the garden over the years plus various other wild animals. Recently Ruy has seen and photographed a large python!
Clearly we were going to do as we were told. "for once in your life" said Tone!
Large gins and a delicious supper followed plus a great deal of catching up with people in our families. Over the time we were there we discovered that a boat that I had thought was in Shanghai and called Loiterer was actually in Hong Kong and called Lontra. (not sure of spelling)
This proved that Granny and Grandpa almost certainly spent some of their honeymoon in Hong Kong which we were not aware of till now. I say this because in the series of photos we have including Granny and Grandpas honeymoon the boat is mentioned and they spent some time on her!
It is great to be here although I must say the thought of the big python will certainly keep me in my place for the next few days!
And so the end is nigh!!!
On 3rd June we had a slow start and walked back down to the car at about 11am. Having felt pretty rotten as we walked up it was nice to notice the wonderful scenery and the light as we returned down the 900 feet to the car park at the bottom of the hill. Actually it is by no means the bottom as we descended for many miles before we reached the river in the bottom of the valley but by now we were in the car so it was easy.
Well actually it was anything but easy as the road is dreadful. Landslides, road works and a very high river level made for an anxious drive for a good part of the drive back to the place where we had left our cases. One landslide had almost blocked the road and we were beginning to hope that we had left enough time to get to the airport for our flight to Hong Kong.
We had left enough time and it was a sad farewell to Helen and our driver who we had spent some lovely days with.
Helens enthusiasm for life and her job never went below nuclear. I imagine if you were not a happy soul yourself as we are for 99% of the time, she would be exhausting but we found her charming and a wonderful guide and were sorry to say goodbye.
At the airport we hoped the flight would be on time as my cousin Ruy and his wife Karen were meeting us in Hong Kong and we were really looking forward to meeting them. The plane did leave and arrive pretty much on time and this brought to an end the part of our trip organised in advance for us.
So a big thank you to Rail Select and to Audleys who made the arrangements. Rail Select did the bit up to Moscow and Audleys on to Hong Kong. They never said you should do this another way or it would be better if you went here first. They just took Grandpas Diary and made the arrangements for us to follow it as closely as you know we did.
We are now finishing our trip with a few days with Ruy and Karen and are looking forward to it very much
Well actually it was anything but easy as the road is dreadful. Landslides, road works and a very high river level made for an anxious drive for a good part of the drive back to the place where we had left our cases. One landslide had almost blocked the road and we were beginning to hope that we had left enough time to get to the airport for our flight to Hong Kong.
We had left enough time and it was a sad farewell to Helen and our driver who we had spent some lovely days with.
Helens enthusiasm for life and her job never went below nuclear. I imagine if you were not a happy soul yourself as we are for 99% of the time, she would be exhausting but we found her charming and a wonderful guide and were sorry to say goodbye.
At the airport we hoped the flight would be on time as my cousin Ruy and his wife Karen were meeting us in Hong Kong and we were really looking forward to meeting them. The plane did leave and arrive pretty much on time and this brought to an end the part of our trip organised in advance for us.
So a big thank you to Rail Select and to Audleys who made the arrangements. Rail Select did the bit up to Moscow and Audleys on to Hong Kong. They never said you should do this another way or it would be better if you went here first. They just took Grandpas Diary and made the arrangements for us to follow it as closely as you know we did.
We are now finishing our trip with a few days with Ruy and Karen and are looking forward to it very much
The Yao People - We attend a lock in
Still 2nd June
Once we returned from our walk Tone retired wounded for a couple of hours and Helen and I wandered through the village. I had asked her if she could arrange for me to take a photo of one of the Yao ladies I had seen in the village. These ladies don't cut their hair very often and wear it wound round their heads in a particular style that shows whether they have children of not depending on the way it is wound. Not only did she arrange the pic but two of the ladies were her friends and they agreed to show us how it is done!!
So we returned to their shop at 5 with Tone and the ladies took us into the back of their shop and locked the door!!
Then one of them showed us how she takes down and then puts back her hair. Yao women cut their hair when they are 16 and then not again. When they comb their hair they collect the hair and make it into another bunch and our lady had the one she had cut at 16 plus another piece at least as thick that she had collected up over the years.
They wash their hair, like their clothes, in the river and they rinse it using fermented liquid that has been used to cook rice!! Their hair is black and very thick and shiny so perhaps we might try it. Although I may not be eating much rice for a while once we get home so wont have any rice water!!
Then once she had her hair back up safely they sang us a song. These ladies were probably 45 and I don't think they will abandon these traditions. It will be interesting to see if their children keep them up. The daughter certainly had very long hair but it was not put up it just hung down her back in a shiny mass.
We were then invited to a concert in the evening at the school which was about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. Thank you, we said, yes please.
The concert was in the playground of the little school and started at 8 'ish. Tiny benches and stools were brought out and we were asked to sit in the middle of the front row and as has happened before the locals were taking pics of us and not the people performing! As you know we have been the object of some curiosity before and this was no exception. We were glad when the performance started and it as just like a caleigh. Music dancing and singing . A lovely evening to mark the end of the three days to celebrate the beginning of the rice growing season. More good luck and a great evening.
Once we returned from our walk Tone retired wounded for a couple of hours and Helen and I wandered through the village. I had asked her if she could arrange for me to take a photo of one of the Yao ladies I had seen in the village. These ladies don't cut their hair very often and wear it wound round their heads in a particular style that shows whether they have children of not depending on the way it is wound. Not only did she arrange the pic but two of the ladies were her friends and they agreed to show us how it is done!!
So we returned to their shop at 5 with Tone and the ladies took us into the back of their shop and locked the door!!
Then one of them showed us how she takes down and then puts back her hair. Yao women cut their hair when they are 16 and then not again. When they comb their hair they collect the hair and make it into another bunch and our lady had the one she had cut at 16 plus another piece at least as thick that she had collected up over the years.
They wash their hair, like their clothes, in the river and they rinse it using fermented liquid that has been used to cook rice!! Their hair is black and very thick and shiny so perhaps we might try it. Although I may not be eating much rice for a while once we get home so wont have any rice water!!
Then once she had her hair back up safely they sang us a song. These ladies were probably 45 and I don't think they will abandon these traditions. It will be interesting to see if their children keep them up. The daughter certainly had very long hair but it was not put up it just hung down her back in a shiny mass.
We were then invited to a concert in the evening at the school which was about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. Thank you, we said, yes please.
The concert was in the playground of the little school and started at 8 'ish. Tiny benches and stools were brought out and we were asked to sit in the middle of the front row and as has happened before the locals were taking pics of us and not the people performing! As you know we have been the object of some curiosity before and this was no exception. We were glad when the performance started and it as just like a caleigh. Music dancing and singing . A lovely evening to mark the end of the three days to celebrate the beginning of the rice growing season. More good luck and a great evening.
Walking and a bit wounded but with four treats to lighted our hearts!
Today 2nd June
We were to have done a very long six hour walk with the driver taking us to a village about 10m away and us walking back across the hills and rice terraces through several villages to the guesthouse! We decided thankfully that this was not a good idea and decided to take a walk to the next village walk of about 90 minutes each way. We set off down a steep stone path in a direction away from the path we had taken yesterday and soon we were right in amongst the rice terraces and there was no one about except for us. Up hill and down dale we were both suffering from the heat even though it did rain at time. Tone still coughing well.
We saw a lady picking vegetables as Helen calls everything that is green and is not beans. Helen asked her for me if I could take her picture as she had one of the cloaks we had seen before which is made of palm and is warm and waterproof. See pics. The lady agreed but not before straightening
her hair and her hat and taking off her glasses. This lady who is working miles from anywhere and still cares about how she looks for the pics is fantastic. She is eking out a living by growing two crops alongside each other. Vegetables like pak choy and Corn. She will take her vegetables to the market in the village where we are staying, as you have realised a difficult walk, and she will set them up beautifully arranged on a little stool or table and hope someone will buy them.
We climbed up to a lookout where we rested and I decided Tone had had enough. It did not take any of us much persuading to agree that the walk back to the village would be enough for us for one day.
And another treat was in store for us.
You may remember when Helen picked us up from the airport she sang some of her minority groups folk songs to us in the car on the drive to the hotel. She had promised to sing some more and this was the perfect spot. Surrounded by the most astounding views she sang several songs and then played on her gourd flute. Again haunting sounds and in a perfect place. She has only learned to play the flute over the last 2 years and is very good. It was a lovely musical interlude.
And then another treat was in store for us
We started to walk back to the village and as we went we saw more and more people working in the rice terraces. Helen said she had never seen so many before and we stopped several times to watch. One man mending the banks of the terraces and cutting little notches in the bank to let the water cascade down into the next level. A couple ploughing together. She pulling the plough and him pushing it. They had a pole between them hooked onto their shoulders to keep them the correct distance apart and both wearing the cloaks made of palm leaves we have seen before. And then a man ploughing using his water buffalo. They were all working in terraces which were very narrow. The water buffalo just made two passed through the terrace and it was done!
This was the first day of the planting season and so we also saw some farmers planting the rice as you will all have seen on the telly
An amazing sight.
Then the fourth treat.
As we neared the village we heard fire crackers in the lower part of the rice terraces. Helen was beside herself with excitement. A wedding she said and clapped her hands with glee. We are so lucky she said again and again!
And we were. It is the custom when there is a wedding for the brides family to process round the rice terraces in a single file. The town band leads with various instruments. They were not as pretty as Helens gourd flute! Then the band is followed by the ladies all in their best costumes which are white embroidered cloth instead of the black they wear to work in. The bride was about fourth in line and they all had red umbrellas. There were at least fifty of them all walking round the rims of the terraces in the mud!! and the occasional rain! Following the ladies were men carrying boxes on bamboo poles between them. The boxes were laden with presents. Then more people carrying presents of wine, rice, the local bacon which is black with being smoked and is VERY fatty! Then I think Dad and a few male relatives . Every now and then there would be more fire crackers as they walked. Up through the terraces, down through the village they went. They were going to the grooms house to meet his relatives before the wedding. Helen could not describe what the rest of the day entailed but to see this was again brilliant. And Helen you are right it is beautiful, and we are lucky.
We were to have done a very long six hour walk with the driver taking us to a village about 10m away and us walking back across the hills and rice terraces through several villages to the guesthouse! We decided thankfully that this was not a good idea and decided to take a walk to the next village walk of about 90 minutes each way. We set off down a steep stone path in a direction away from the path we had taken yesterday and soon we were right in amongst the rice terraces and there was no one about except for us. Up hill and down dale we were both suffering from the heat even though it did rain at time. Tone still coughing well.
We saw a lady picking vegetables as Helen calls everything that is green and is not beans. Helen asked her for me if I could take her picture as she had one of the cloaks we had seen before which is made of palm and is warm and waterproof. See pics. The lady agreed but not before straightening
her hair and her hat and taking off her glasses. This lady who is working miles from anywhere and still cares about how she looks for the pics is fantastic. She is eking out a living by growing two crops alongside each other. Vegetables like pak choy and Corn. She will take her vegetables to the market in the village where we are staying, as you have realised a difficult walk, and she will set them up beautifully arranged on a little stool or table and hope someone will buy them.
We climbed up to a lookout where we rested and I decided Tone had had enough. It did not take any of us much persuading to agree that the walk back to the village would be enough for us for one day.
And another treat was in store for us.
You may remember when Helen picked us up from the airport she sang some of her minority groups folk songs to us in the car on the drive to the hotel. She had promised to sing some more and this was the perfect spot. Surrounded by the most astounding views she sang several songs and then played on her gourd flute. Again haunting sounds and in a perfect place. She has only learned to play the flute over the last 2 years and is very good. It was a lovely musical interlude.
And then another treat was in store for us
We started to walk back to the village and as we went we saw more and more people working in the rice terraces. Helen said she had never seen so many before and we stopped several times to watch. One man mending the banks of the terraces and cutting little notches in the bank to let the water cascade down into the next level. A couple ploughing together. She pulling the plough and him pushing it. They had a pole between them hooked onto their shoulders to keep them the correct distance apart and both wearing the cloaks made of palm leaves we have seen before. And then a man ploughing using his water buffalo. They were all working in terraces which were very narrow. The water buffalo just made two passed through the terrace and it was done!
This was the first day of the planting season and so we also saw some farmers planting the rice as you will all have seen on the telly
An amazing sight.
Then the fourth treat.
As we neared the village we heard fire crackers in the lower part of the rice terraces. Helen was beside herself with excitement. A wedding she said and clapped her hands with glee. We are so lucky she said again and again!
And we were. It is the custom when there is a wedding for the brides family to process round the rice terraces in a single file. The town band leads with various instruments. They were not as pretty as Helens gourd flute! Then the band is followed by the ladies all in their best costumes which are white embroidered cloth instead of the black they wear to work in. The bride was about fourth in line and they all had red umbrellas. There were at least fifty of them all walking round the rims of the terraces in the mud!! and the occasional rain! Following the ladies were men carrying boxes on bamboo poles between them. The boxes were laden with presents. Then more people carrying presents of wine, rice, the local bacon which is black with being smoked and is VERY fatty! Then I think Dad and a few male relatives . Every now and then there would be more fire crackers as they walked. Up through the terraces, down through the village they went. They were going to the grooms house to meet his relatives before the wedding. Helen could not describe what the rest of the day entailed but to see this was again brilliant. And Helen you are right it is beautiful, and we are lucky.
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