Up at Stanla Market

Well you come to the other side of the world and arrive at home. Who’d have thought that first of all they would call a spot in Hong Kong after the well-known base of the Carney clan in NW Durham? They’ve even started a market to celebrate the wonderful Stanley songwriter, Tommy Armstrong.

A different day. The chief receptionist in our hotel is an interesting French woman, from Brittany, who has worked in London, Paris as well as Hong Kong. She came to chat over breakfast this morning. After enquiring about our experiences in HK she suggested that there was another side to the island, quite literally. She said head for Stanley where there are beaches and the world-renowned tribute to a North Eastern folksinger, Stanley Market.

Sheila can't believe we're home already

We took the bus, have I mentioned what a tremendous, efficient and dirt-cheap public transport system there is in HK. The ride over to Stanley is steep and picturesque, but in a different way to the high rise built up North side of the island. Woods, cliffs, ravines and some very expensive real estate are the features over here. At the bottom are the beaches of Repulse Bay and Stanley, with good sand and interesting rocky outcrops as well as a few rocky islets. Much more my type of territory.

Little cove behind Stanley Market

Tin Mau temple

Entrance to market

Crowded Beaches

Great day for sport

So we spent the day looking around our home away from home. The pictures give a little of the flavour of the place. On the one hand cramped market stalls dealing largely in items that you don’t want to buy to serene little temples and deserted beaches. I was moved to reflect with Sheila that had there been a day in Sunderland where the temperatures were as they are here, you wouldn’t be able to move on the Roker promenade. Sorry for that last remark to all you freezing snow/ ice / slush victims.

To end the day Sheila wanted to investigate the Western Markets back in town, a slight diversion before setting off for the airport for a flight to Perth. Back in a day or two.