The Dangers of Excess Alcohol in Hong Kong!

Hong Kong was a British Crown Colony from 1842 - 1997. I always thought it was an island, but it is actually a peninsula of mainland China and some 260 small islands. It has a land area of 440 square miles and a population in excess of 7,000,000 people. That is why river transport is so common and prolific. Hong Kong harbour is one of the busiest in the world and is navigated by hundreds of ships each day. This short geography lesson helps to mitigate the following events...though admittedly, the fact that I was completely pissed at the time was the biggest factor!

The day began well. I got up early and set off on an adventurous journey by subway to Lantau Island. The weather promised to remain dry and I wanted to make the most of a full day travelling to see the Big Buddha and more. Upon arrival, I booked myself on to a spectacular cable car which would take me over 5 kilometres to the Po Lin Monastery. I was able to see the new airport and was grateful that the planes no longer had to squeeze between the skyscrapers to land and take off here.

   

Big Buddha is big and I enjoyed the full tour, going into his belly to see the most holy of artwork, writings and statues, before going into the monastery where I was served tea and cake. After I'd seen enough, I caught a local bus for the short journey to Tai' O fishing village, where I wandered streets and canals fascinated by the homes on stilts and took a boat trip out into the South China Sea to look for pink dolphins (didn't see any!) and ate some local (and very spicy) food. 

   

I then found another local bus to take me to the main pier so I could travel back to central Hong Kong by boat. The journey was spectacular, especially as the sun began to set behind the islands.

   

Reaching Hong Kong Island I choose not to take the ferry back to the Kowloon mainland straightaway, but instead I went for a wander up and down the streets, checking out the shops and markets, restaurants and pubs.

Eventually I arrived at a pub called the Cutty Sark which sold Magners cider for 68HKD a pint. I negotiated a price of 60HKD (£5.00) and had my first pint.

      

               

     Other ciders are available, but you can't beat Magners          Tony from Middlesborough

There were many ex-pats in the pub and I soon ended up chatting to a guy from Middlesborough and we talked about life, the universe and everything. I had 2 pints of cider and started to bid farewell, but he insisted on buying me a third. I naturally reciprocated and bought a drink for him (and a fourth for me.) Then one of Tony's friends arrived and insisted on buying us both drinks, even though he didn't join us. I am afraid that I got rather intoxicated and definitely bought a sixth and perhaps a seventh. I then insisted I leave to catch the ferry back across the harbour to Kowloon and they said "don't run down the hill." I walked (in a remarkably straight line) thinking "the ferry goes at 11.30, don't run."

I arrived, and in my blurred state saw a big sign saying FERRY and a neon digital clock saying DEPARTURE 11.30. At this point I'd been walking behind a group of people for a little while and I had convinced myself that they were going to the same place I was. When they walked straight on to the ferry, I paid and followed them onboard. 

Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember thinking "that was expensive!" (I paid 17.5HKD rather than 2.5HKD) but I put it down to being late on a Friday night and this being the last ferry over to the mainland.

    

                                        The day and night contrast at the ferry terminal

I dozed as we set off and thought that the five minute journey seemed to be taking longer than I remembered, but it was night and I shrugged some more, reassured by the presence of dozens of fellow passengers. I also noticed that we seemed to be going faster than I recalled, with a definite presence of more substantial engines, but I decided not to worry. Besides I couldn't think too hard - or the boat started to spin a little as well as buffet and bounce in the waves.

Suffice it to say that 40 minutes later my boat docked. I was not at the Star Ferry Terminal in Kowloon. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas any more," was the thought that humorously went through my mind as I stifled a drunken giggle.

I tried to re-board my ferry to go back, but was chaperoned back down the gangway. I tried to explain that I had accidentally taken the wrong ferry and needed to go to Kowloon, but staff walked me to the gates and then they locked them with me stood forlornly outside on the pier. To emphasise the point - they then turned the lights off!

Still rather inebriated, I decided to look for a taxi or failing that a hotel. I found neither.

What I did find, was that I was on a sparsely populated island called Lamma. I ended up spending the night sat dozing on a deck chair, looking at the stars and listening to the surf. I put on my cap and raincoat, plugged in my iPod and was thankful the night was mild.

At 6.20am I returned to the ferry terminal and boarded the first sailing of the day. It took me back to Hong Kong island where I transferred to the Star Ferry - the boat I should have caught in the first place. When I reached my room I went straight to bed.

What a night.

    

                                      WARNING - Copious cider and ferries don't mix!