Tall skyscrapers, multiple apartment buildings standing one behind the other soaring in the sky. We walk along the shopping centers to catch the Star Ferry over the bay. Walkways connect one building to another without having to come down to street level. Most shops are closed until 10 a.m., but people are already filling the streets. We notice there are mostly young women congregating around the shopping areas. They set up corrugated cardboard enclosures along the sidewalks, where they are sitting and eating together.; the weekend escape from their apartments to sit with their friends in a makeshift sidewalk cardboard cabana. Talking to a Toyota salesman (who lived in Regina for many years) we learn that the biggest customers for extremely high end shopping items are the Chinese from the mainland! They earn big money and never pay tax – so they purchase items as a way to hide their income. We finally sail away in the early afternoon, watching Hong Kong disappear in the mist. Incredibly built up, high density, and ultra modern city. Time to relax, read a book, learn about our next stop and explore the ship.
