Slept pretty well last night in 2 parts, first from about 22.30 to 01.00 and then from 02.00 to 09.00, we are 8 hours ahead of UK time here. Probably a good thing that our half day tour for today was cancelled as I think we would have struggled to get out for 08.15 which is when we are being picked up tomorrow for the full day tour of Lantau. By the time we were organised enough to go out it was10.30. We walked down to the Star Ferry terminal and bought 2 tickets for the Big Bus hop on/hop off tour, it runs 3 routes, one in Kowloon and 2 on HK island. We had already decided to start on HK island so we caught the ferry over, we had decided to start with the trip to Aberdeen but that bus had a huge queue so we got on the other bus which left immediately. We basically re-visited much of what we had seen on our tram ride the previous day but this time sitting down and with a commentary. We got off at the Peak tram terminus, a journey to the top on the funicular was included in our ticket, it seemed unfeasibly steep to be honest but I guess thats what funicular systems were designed for. The journey was about 8 minutes or so. At the top after exiting through the inevitable gift shop we made our way up to the top via a series of escalators. The open air roof affords a 360 view over to Kowloon plus north HK and south towards Stanley and Aberdeen. After the reverse journey at the bottom we hooked up with the other route as this stop was a crossover point. We journeyed down to the coast to Repulse Bay and Stanley and then onto Aberdeen. We got off there and took a sampan ride through the harbour which has a huge floating restaurant for which you have to use one of their dedicated ferry boats to reach. There are still people living on boats although the government has been "encouraging" them to move ashore. It was then back on the bus to the ferry terminal and the ferry back to Kowloon, another quick trip to Starbucks to refuel and then we walked to the back of the Peninsula Hotel to pick up the bus for the Kowloon route. We simply stayed on this until we got back to the stop by our hotel which took about 40 minutes. On the way we passed some more gigantic infrastructure works and what was the world's 4th tallest building when it was finished in 2010 although its now 9th, the 108 storey International Commerce Centre. Kowloon is the world's most densely populated area and I think we met most of them today. What struck me on the building works is the use of bamboo scaffolding and not just at the lower levels but right up to 50 or so floors high, these seemed to be simply lashed together with thick twine or plastic strips.

Fiona didn't want to negotiate through any picture menus or walk over sticky floors so we walked past Gordon Ramsey's new restaurant and went to an Outback, burgers and beer.

Having failed to reach the apparently obligatory 10,000 steps today we then had to go put for a walk.

Weather wise it has been dry but for HK cold at about 17c, the locals are all wrapped up in coats, I have been fine in just a shirt, Fiona was cold on the bus even wearing her fleece and mine. I think the jet lag has affected her a bit. 

We have an early start tomorrow as we are being collected at 8.15 for our trip to Lantau Island.