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Before boarding our cruise in Hong Kong we stayed a couple of nights at the Marco Polo in Kowloon and then made an excursion into China.

While its not The Peninsular, it's still quite nice; and it's very convenient to both the Ferry to Hong Kong Island and to the Metro (that goes everywhere in HK).

The Club Lounge

 

In the morning we caught the Kowloon Ferry over to the City and a bus to the top of Victoria Peak on the very winding and precipitous road - quite an adventure - not for those afraid of heights.

As often seems to be the case, it was misty, restricting the view, so we caught the tram (actually a cable-funicular, a single track with the up and down cars passing in the middle) down.

We eventually returned to Kowloon, after a bit of on-foot exploration, using the Metro.

 

 

  More images around town

 

According to my phone I had walked 12 km but Wendy was not yet done. She was off to the markets.

At night we took a stroll to see the New Year's lights.

 

 

Noticeably less people in Hong Kong speak English. We were told that many English Speakers have left the Colony, now that China has gained more control here. One country one-and-a-half systems.

The following day we were off to China ourselves, just to Shenzhen across the border.  Conveniently, the two metro systems have stations on either side and thousands of people a day cross from one to the other - many are daily commuters who have credentials that allow them to pass through quickly.  Foreigners, like us, have to go through all the usual border controls, like passing from one country to another.

Apart from running on the opposite side, like the road traffic, the two Metro systems are very similar, with electronic displays and announcements in Chinese and English. While both are very inexpensive by our standards, the Metro on the Chinese side is free to persons of a mature age, including us.

 

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Travel

Cuba

 

 

 

What can I say about Cuba? 

In the late ‘70s I lived on the boundary of Paddington in Sydney and walked to and from work in the city.  Between my home and work there was an area of terrace housing in Darlinghurst that had been resumed by the State for the construction of a road tunnel and traffic interchanges.  Squatters had moved into some of the ‘DMR affected’ houses.  Most of these were young people, students, rock bands and radically unemployed alternative culture advocates; hippies. 

Those houses in this socially vibrant area that were not condemned by the road building were rented to people who were happy with these neighbours: artists; writers; musicians; even some younger professionals; and a number were brothels.  

Read more: Cuba

Fiction, Recollections & News

Skydiving

 

 

On the morning of May1st 2016 I jumped, or rather slid, out of a plane over Wollongong at 14,000 feet.

It was a tandem jump, meaning that I had an instructor strapped to my back.

 


Striding Confidently Before Going Up

 

At that height the curvature of the earth is quite evident.  There was an air-show underway at the airport we took off from and we were soon looking down on the planes of the RAAF  Roulette aerobatic display team.  They looked like little model aircraft flying in perfect formation.  

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Opinions and Philosophy

Holden - The Demise of an Iconic Brand

 

I drive a Holden. 

It’s my second. The first was a shiny black Commodore.  A V6 Lumina edition.

I have owned well over a dozen cars and driven a lot more, in numerous countries, but these are my first from General Motors.

The new one is a white Calais Sportswagon and it's the best car I've ever owned.

Based on the German Opel, it has traction control conferring impeccable braking and steering and ample power and acceleration even with four adults and luggage.  Add to that: leather seats; climate control; head-up display; voice commands for entertainment, phone and so on; and it's a luxurious ride.

Yet I’m starting to think that I can put an end to any car brand, just by buying one.

Holden finally ceased manufacturing in Australia just after my present model rolled off the production line.

Read more: Holden - The Demise of an Iconic Brand

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