Tuesday 6 November – Another very hot and sunny day and very clear so we took a taxi to the top of Victoria Peak to look at the amazing views of Hong Kong – see below.

It is very rarely clear weather in Hong Kong so we could not have picked a better day to see the amazing views. We travelled back down on the Peak Tram, a funicular railway – a railway which uses a cable traction to go up and down very steep inclined slopes.

New Territories – We then travelled by bus to the New Territories. The New Territories is a region of wetlands, parks and mountains in Hong Kong, north of Kowloon up to the border with China. The new territories also encompasses over 200 outlying islands.

We visited our Tour Guides apartment in Tai Po. She lives with her parents and her younger sister in a 450 square foot apartment.  This is the average size of family apartments in Hong Kong.  When her older sister lived with them, they had 5 people living there. It was minute, if there had been one or two people living there you would have said it was very small but for a family of 4 it makes you wonder how they manage.

We had lunch at the Royal China Aqua Garden Restaurant in Tai Po. We over ordered but the food was delicious.

Floating Fish Farm – After lunch we were picked up in an old wooden boat by Mrs Ng and went out to visit her floating fish farm where she lives with her husband. The ‘ house’ is in the middle of an inlet that leads out to the sea.  There was a group of these ‘houses’ which have electricity and water, provided through under water pipes.  The people who live in these ‘water homes’ used to be fisherman providing fish to local markets but they can no longer compete with the the big trawlers, so now they catch fish for their own use.

The floating houses are basic but they have kitchen, fridge, toilet and small shower, living area with TV and a small bedroom. Unfortunately the community is getting smaller as there is no longer any money to be made and children go off to the city to make money in more traditional jobs.