Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

Hong Kong and Japan

Holiday Ideas & Foreign Travel
Steveam
Lemon Slice
Posts: 974
Joined: March 18th, 2017, 10:22 pm
Has thanked: 1745 times
Been thanked: 534 times

Re: Hong Kong and Japan

#178067

Postby Steveam » November 4th, 2018, 2:55 pm

Not much to add to the very knowledgeable posters above.

Japan: The people are so polite :-) Delightful. The place is clean, clean, clean - the absence of litter is wonderful. Food: it depends what you like. You can get event the bigger cities but best to eat local - there are various types of noodles and a steaming bowl costs peanuts (don’t forget to slurp - it’s polite!) I echo Lootman’s comment about the covered food market in Kyoto - the food is stunning and the surroundings, including the Art Deco glass, are amazing. There is now much more English spoken or understood than ten years ago (and increasing English signage in preparation for the Olympics.) It is shocking to see how many young people smoke ...

HK: Hustle, bustle and great fun but exhausting. Great food (especially the dumplings). It’s going through a difficult transition with older people remembering British rule and youngsters not. Lots of uncertainty about but you’ll only become aware of it if you have close HK friends - on the surface it’s business as usual. The metro is fast and efficient but do go on the old trams.

Enjoy the trip.

Steve

DiamondEcho
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3131
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:39 pm
Has thanked: 3060 times
Been thanked: 554 times

Re: Hong Kong and Japan

#178347

Postby DiamondEcho » November 5th, 2018, 11:10 pm

MaraMan wrote:(Addresses in Tokyo are anything but logical, for example no. 10 in a street may be some distance away from no.11 - perversely they were numbered in the order they were built). Also tipping is neither wanted or expected, so don't try, they will only be embarrassed. The tube system is pretty good and unlike my earlier visits, have instructions in English.


Couple of points:
Precise building numbers within 'a street-block' of (20-30-50?) buildings are assigned in chronological order of date of construction, and so are effectively random, especially as older buildings and plots get split or rebuilt. Before heading for an address you need not just the address, but it's physical position on that grid of streets! You will notice almost all hotels/restos/shops will give mini-stylised mini-maps of the position on a street*. Observe carefully before heading to a specific address. If you don't you can easily spend 1/2hr wondering around the immediate neighbourhood trying to find people who might be able to help you, ... then the place is perhaps 50M away. I always allowed extra time to get to a new place, I referred to it as 'Time for getting lost'. After I left I thought if I ever wrote about my time there, then that was what I might title such a story, as it really figures very large, weekly, and is really beguiling when newly there.

Do not tip. It's not expected, and in fact is genuinely directly demeaning. It is a reverse of Western tipping culture. I happily tip in the West, I'm not a tight-wad at all if I get decent service. It's very different in Japan. Wait-staff derive pride and dignity from providing good service, it's their honour. And so to tip them is to suggest you think they have effectively pawned themselves and their dignity for money. I appreciate that's odd to the Western view, particularly say the US automatic tipping-view and rules, but that is how it is. In short, tipping is thought to be either directly offensive +/or 'dumb tourist' [perhaps esp. in a cheaper place].

The subway now is much better for visitors than when I lived there in the 90s, in that there will in at least city centre stations be some signs up in English too. Also last time in Tokyo, we asked for help at a counter and a member of staff spoke to us who understood English - this would have been unimaginable 25 years ago.

*Scroll down through this for some various random examples http://anterras.net/candy/hitched/japan_trip/

TahiPanasDua
Lemon Slice
Posts: 322
Joined: June 4th, 2017, 6:51 pm
Has thanked: 399 times
Been thanked: 233 times

Re: Hong Kong and Japan

#179712

Postby TahiPanasDua » November 12th, 2018, 2:04 pm

Watis wrote:- things not to do!



TIA,

Watis

Sorry, my suggestion to go to Tung Chung and take the ferry to Tai O fishing village is now bad advice. The mega bridge linking Hong Kong and China opened just about a week ago and Tung Chung is now swamped with mainland visitors resulting in protest demonstrations by residents. Again, sorry!

TP2.

Dod101
The full Lemon
Posts: 16629
Joined: October 10th, 2017, 11:33 am
Has thanked: 4343 times
Been thanked: 7534 times

Re: Hong Kong and Japan

#179722

Postby Dod101 » November 12th, 2018, 2:21 pm

Sounds like the Law of Unintended Consequences. Still, the Bridge looks impressive. I do not remember how we got to Tai O in the old days. Could we have driven along the south shore of Lantau or was a ferry the only way to gain access? I know we used to drive to sleepy Tung Chung, long before the new Airport was even thought of, via Lantau Peak.

Dod

TahiPanasDua
Lemon Slice
Posts: 322
Joined: June 4th, 2017, 6:51 pm
Has thanked: 399 times
Been thanked: 233 times

Re: Hong Kong and Japan

#180410

Postby TahiPanasDua » November 15th, 2018, 3:11 am

Dod101 wrote:Sounds like the Law of Unintended Consequences. Still, the Bridge looks impressive. I do not remember how we got to Tai O in the old days. Could we have driven along the south shore of Lantau or was a ferry the only way to gain access? I know we used to drive to sleepy Tung Chung, long before the new Airport was even thought of, via Lantau Peak.

Dod


Sorry for the delay in replying. We have been so busy holidaymaking.

We never went to Tai O until the airport opened and Tung Chung suddenly became a place. After taking the ferry to Tai O we always came back to Tung Chung by bus as it eventually follows the coast passing through Pui O and the other villages. The road looks like it has been there for ever.

Dod101
The full Lemon
Posts: 16629
Joined: October 10th, 2017, 11:33 am
Has thanked: 4343 times
Been thanked: 7534 times

Re: Hong Kong and Japan

#180412

Postby Dod101 » November 15th, 2018, 3:45 am

Thanks. It must be well over 25 years since I have been to Tai O. We had a company bungalow on Lantau and a vehicle so at one time knew the Island vey well, but it is a long time ago. Enjoy!

Dod


Return to “Airport Lounge”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests