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Friday May 8, 1998. Cheung Chau Island and Weird Dharma at the Temple

I had been all over Hong Kong Island, I had traveled around Kowloon, now I had to see the outlying islands—or at least get a taste of them. I borrowed a friends Lonely Planet Guide to Hong Kong and Macau, (the short sections in the LP China and Southeast Asia guides doesn’t do Hong Kong justice) and decided that Cheung Chau Island, a tiny horseshoe shaped island off of Hong Kong’s west coast would be a good sample.

I took the Star Ferry across to Central. I probably should tell a bit more about the Star Ferry, it’s more than just public transport, it’s a part of Hong Kong history.

The Star Ferry has been running for one hundred years—they had a big celebration last week, it was their 100th anniversary. It also plays a pivotal role in China retaking possession of Hong Kong. In the mid-sixties, the Star Ferry raised it’s price five cents, riots over the fare increase--and British rule--ensued. Many people attribute this as the point where Britain seriously started to think about what the future of Hong Kong was going to be.

In Central I grabbed a take out lunch of grilled eel on rice (eel may sound repulsive to a westerner, but grilled eel with teriyaki sauce is absolutely fantastic) and caught the Cheung Chan ferry (HK$9.60, about US $1.25) from pier 7, just a few hundred meters west of the Star Ferry terminal.

Cheung Chau is a quiet little island that mixes a sleepy Chinese fishing village with a posh bedroom community for Hong Kong executives and weekend getaway for burned out city dwellers.

Cheung Chau, like a lot of the outlying islands, has no bridges connecting to the mainland and allows no cars. There are narrow alleys that pass through the city center, people riding bikes and walking, and a odd motorized freight cart or two making trips to and from the pier.

While wandering the streets I stopped and talked to a couple of Aussie tourists. The y told me that I had missed the famous Cheung Chau bun festival; it had happened on the fifth, three days earlier. I was very disappointed. I had heard about the large towers of buns that they construct. I wanted to get pictures of some good bun architecture for the pages of Travelog.net, but it wasn’t going to happen.

The day was spent just wandering around the island. It’s only about five or six kilometers long so there’s no point you can’t walk to—if you don’t mind climbing the hills.

Fisherman in his boat (DCS-120)

Fish and shrimp drying in the sun (DCS-120)

Somewhere along the path I heard a noise in the brush right next to me. I looked over—there was a huge snake about five feet from me. It was as big around as my upper arm and all of ten feet long. It slowly slithered off.

I took off my camera pack and rested for a minute to drink in the smell of the burning incense and guzzled a little water to replace the fluids that were draining out through my pores and soaking my clothes.

There was a man renting flashlights at the cave entrance (HK$ 10, US$ 1.25) per flashlight. I used mine, I always carry a small one with me. The cave entrance was very narrow and descended vertically. I had to take off my daypack and fanny pack just to fit. I only went in a little way; I was already fatigued from a day of walking in the hills and ten feet into the cave my foot slipped on a damp rock and almost sent me hurtling into a chasm. I decided that was far enough and made my retreat to the surface.

In that instant I had experienced a bit of Nirvana; everything seemed so fresh, so linked, so beautiful, so perfect. I wandered back to the city and the pier the happiest I have been in months.

I took the ferry home, fatigued but happy. My state of Nirvana was shattered when I got back to the room. I had asked Manooj, our innkeeper to change my bedding. When I took the sheets off my bed, I noticed a few creepy crawly things on the bed. My mind started processing information rapidly: I had mosquito bites, but I hadn’t seen any mosquitoes; I had bugs in the bed however…. I picked up on of the little buggers and squeezed it, it popped and left a red stain. Bedbugs. Fucking bedbugs in my room!

I grabbed Manooj and demanded fresh mattress, fresh sheets, and that he bomb the room immediately. I would have moved, but I was only staying a couple days more and had already paid for the day—it seemed easier to get the bugs out. So far, it seems to have worked.

That evening, Mark, Colin and I went out for a big Friday night. We went to Lan Kwai Fong in Central, which impressed me not the least. It is a trendy, upscale little ghetto of Euro-eateries and western drinking spots, filled with the sort of pompous asses I try to avoid associating with at home. It’s only redeeming factor was the Midnight Express at the south end of Lan Kwai Fong street. I had  the best falafel and hummos sandwiches there I have ever had—and I am an expert on the subject. After that we beat a hasty retreat to Wanchai.

Wanchai is the other major Gweilo entertainment district in Hong Kong. Wanchai is seedier, but definitely more fun. We stopped I a couple bars; Dusk 'til Dawn had a kickin’ Filipino band; Joe Bananas was a mix of Gweilo and a few Chinese and Neptune was pretty much Filipinas looking to meet westerners to they could quit their jobs as amahs (domestic helpers) and live a better life, or perhaps just befriend them as sugar daddies for a while. There are also some bars in Wanchai that get pretty closer to the edge; where the transactions become a little more concrete… I have to write about sex in southeast Asia at length—I don’t have the time right now, but I tell you—it took me a while to figure it all out.

Collin isn’t a night person and neither Mark or I had much energy, so I had a few beers and watched the mating dances before heading back to my, hopefully, bug-free room.

Partying in Hong Kong May 22-23, 1998

Mingling with the Movie Stars May 20, 1998

Travelog.net Goes to the Movies May 18, 1998

Musings on Hong Kong from Victoria Park May 17, 1998

Cheung Chau Island and Weird Dharma at the Temple May 8, 1998

Relaxing in South Hong Kong Island May 7, 1998

Victoria Peak, Night Market and Talking All Night May 6, 1998

Smoke, Panic and Fire in the Middle of the Night May 5, 1998

Arriving in Hong Kong April 26th, 1998