25th May 2010
We woke to a blue sky day today, so decided to return to the Zoological and Botanical Gardens that we had passed through the other day. On the way we walked past one of the ferry terminals on Hong Kong Island, offering a great view across to Kowloon.
Arriving at the Zoological and Botanical Gardens we started again in the primates sections which we had passed through quickly before. It really is quite sad seeing these animals in such small cages, especially compared to Singapore Zoo. The chimpanzees in particular just don’t seem to have much space, and there is no natural greenery of any sort in their cage, just some metal framework for them to cling to. We passed by some other smaller primates - again these had no planting of any sort in their cage, and not a great deal of space. The animals just all look so sad.
Next stop was the aviaries. This was a complete contrast to the primates section. The aviaries were well planted with natural vegetation and the enclosures were big giving the birds plenty of space. The flamingos were a lovely pink colour and nesting, so they are obviously happy enough to breed.
Leaving the zoo section we made our way into the orchid greenhouse. There were some nice examples in here, giving Claire a good opportunity to try out the new camera.
Overall the Zoological and Botanical Gardens is in quite a small site - but then space is at a bit of a premium on Hong Kong Island so I can understand that. However the Botanical Gardens side is a bit lacking from what we could see - not a lot there apart from the orchids. A bit disappointing overall.
Our next stop was the Bank of China Tower. This is one of Hong Kong’s tallest and most striking sky-scrapers with over 70 floors and its angular design. As a visitor, you are able to show your passport and get a visitor pass allowing you access to the 43rd floor to admire the views.
This evening we crossed to Kowloon to watch the ‘Symphony of Light’ show back on Hong Kong Island. This starts at 8pm and lasts for about ten minutes. The stars of the show are the skyscrapers that have lights choreographed to music along with lazers on the tops of the buildings. It is quite impressive due to the scale of the display, and how well co-ordinated it is. However its not something we feel the need to go back and watch again - unlike the fountains at the Bellagio in Vegas!
After the show had finished we went to Mong Kok to the Temple Street night market and Ladies Street market, which were both heaving with people anxious to get a bargin on the copy merchandise available.
