Well, once again my rucksack, guidebook, camera, flip-flops and I (oh, and the obligatory pashmina) set off on a mini-adventure. I decided go for a summer dress though this time, after last week’s beach-in-jeans “experience”.

Today was a trip over to Kowloon, part of mainland HK. I set sail in the ferry across the stretch of water that separates the mainland from HK Island. The distance needed to travel has reduced over the years, due to land reclamation, and now it only takes between 5-10 minutes to get across. The Star Ferry has been going since 1888 and is both a famous tourist “must-do” as well as a regular method of commute between the Island and the mainland, and vice versa. The Star Ferries all have very romantic names – mine was called Celestial Star. Others are Night Star, Twinkling Star etc. The ferry cost 2.2 HK$... this is around 10p. You can’t even use a slot machine or go to the toilet at Victoria Station for 10p in England.

So, I landed and began wandering along Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. It had only just turned 10am, but the temperature was already around thirty degrees. The litter bins amuse me – they look like they’ve been removed from an English train station. I looked at the former KCR clock tower and then wandered along the so-called Avenue of Stars. The HK equivalent of Hollywood, it is lined with lanterns and there are tributes to famous stars and the obligatory hand-prints on the floor…

Then I happened upon a sculpture park. Unlike the sculpture park near Ollie, this one actually has sculptures in it… although at least the Berkshire park is at least, “a park”. Clearly sculpture parks that are both parks and contain sculptures are just not to be.

I then went into the HK Art Museum a) for the air conditioning; and b) for the artwork. I think the former was more instrumental in deciding that I went in, although it was definitely worth it for the latter. This has to be one of the coolest street lamps.

I then wandered north of the City (? whether Kowloon is a city, anyway) and had a brief (by this I mean 90mins or so) wander around the HK Museum of History. Some fabulous artifacts – incredible detail on something so old and seemingly practical – I mean, it’s a pot, right?

Then I wandered along to Kowloon Park…

… and then down Nathan Road, which is packed with every imaginable shop and relentless crowds and people touting their wears. It’s typically famous for the number of tailors that line the streets.

I’d had just about enough of this when I reached the Peninsula hotel around 3pm, in time for a late lunch. On line with Raffles, the Peninsula is one of the finest hotels in the world. For HK though, taking lunch / afternoon tea in “the Lobby” is something of an institution. A pretty expensive one, but worth it all the same. Don’t you love bottles of water that cost around £3.50? HK’s answer for Claridges. It’s wonderfully imperial though, and there are a line of hotel Bentley’s waiting outside.

So therein lies a brief summary of my day. As I returned at 4pm, the clock (a reminant of British-occupied HK) on the Central Pier chimed the Westminster Chimes. It sounds a little whistle-stop, but I was over in Kowloon for 6hrs or thereabouts, so it can’t have been too whistle-stop! I walked for miles though and I confess to being slightly shattered, aided by a touch of sun stroke I think (well, not sun stroke but the effects of being in the sun for so long, coupled with possible lack of salt). My nose has caught the sun and gone all freckly. Also, I did have a broken sleep last night as I decided it would be a good idea to be patriotic and watch the rugby… oh, at, around 3am. But that was fine... I slept from 10pm – 3am and then around 6pm – 8.30amish. I mean, sensible…