488

 In Wan Chai - my favourite part of 'downtown' Hong Kong.  Streets teeming with workers and shoppers, buses and trams and taxis - and huge numbers of very expensive cars.  All those Mercs and BMWs and Bentleys mean that there must be a lot of very wealthy people here.

Street-traders like these are everywhere.  The one nearest to you is a locksmith; next door to him is the only street-trading estate agency I've ever seen.

 Across thr road...Ada (!), a favourite street-food outlet for locals

 Not forgetting good old Marks and Sparks, directly opposite Ada.  I was so surprised to see this 

that I went inside and bought a sandwich.

It genuinely amazes me that M&S finds it profitable to ship a big range of their food 6,000m 

to a solitary outpost like this.

(The sandwich was cheaper than it would have been at home.)

Hong Kong is relatively cheap, although I didn't think so when the taxi driver charged me 60 dollars to get me to the hotel.  It sounded like a lot - but the Hong Kong dollar is worth about 8p so the ride cost me less than a fiver... 

 Everywhere - the Lion of Hong Kong

 The old British colonial offices overshadowed by the brash - even shameless - modern Hong Kong.

 This 'International Fireworks Display Contest' looks like great fun but it's taking place on dates when I'm not here.  The list of participating countries includes Portugal, Spain and France - 

but not Great Britain.

 The Lippo Building.  It's meant to look as if there are koala bears climbing up the outside - the architect was Australian.  There are large numbers of Australians here - Hong Kong is one of their key markets.

 The other side of Hong Kong wealth.  Thousands of Filipinos and Malays live here, working as maids, cleaners, hotel domestics - the jobs that Hong Kong people won't do.  They gather here in Statue Square every day - specially on Sundays ( - their only day off).

 The only loitering allowed is, presumably, authorised loitering.

 The cenotaph behind the sign above.  I think it's an exact copy of the one in London.

 Pok Fu Lam - the ancient village over the road - is preparing for the Autumn Festival of Lights this coming weekend.  Everyone says it's great fun - specially the dragon dance - 

but I will have left by then.

 The use of cum to mean 'with' is unsettling - and potentially confusing, don't you think?

The animated video floor outside the hotel's 'guest lounge'.

The T Hotel is actually part of Training Centre for 'Hospitality' Trades - receptionists, assistants, cooks, wine waiters, hotel electricians, security staff, cleaners.  So I'm being VERY attentitively looked after...

Watch this space...