Wingssail Home Wingssail Images LogBookPages Map of our travels Index Email Fred & Judy

Monday, May 31, 2010

May 31, Hong Kong


The impression of Hong Kong is almost overwhelming.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Hong Kong waterfront

We’d forgotten how awesome it is and how much we loved it until we returned.

Coming into Victoria Harbor on the fast ferry from Discovery Bay last week gave us that same feeling of excitement we had the first day we saw it sailing WINGS into Victoria Harbor with Carol Pearl on board in 2004. The towering skyscrapers, misty peaks, the busy harbor, the jumble of signs and shops, the bustling crowds, and even the smells; there is nothing like it and it excites us still.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Exotic Hong Kong

In the airport there is a sign: “Hong Kong: Asia’s Exotic World City”. It’s true. It is a world city and the most exotic place I’ve even been. I loved going into the city every day when I worked there and just being on the streets of Central or Wan Chai or Kowloon never failed to re-energize me.

Again I walk on the crowded street below colorful overhead neon signs which cross completely to the other side of the street advertising gold shops or sea food restaurants, ducking through people of many ethnic groups, mostly Chinese of course, all seeming to be in a hurry, past hawkers and open front shops with music blaring, past fish markets with tanks of live fish, some of which splash water on my feet if I walk too close.

I know there is an IT Mall somewhere here on Lockhart Street and suddenly it is there on my right, a small opening in a building with steps leading up to an escalator; No. 298. I go in and enter a warren of shops selling all manner of computer goods. It is so crowded you can hardly squeeze through the aisles. There are five floors but I find what I need on the first floor. In Hong Kong you can get anything if you know where to go.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club moorings at Middle Island

We also have many good friends in Hong Kong, mostly expats from the UK, Africa, down-under, everywhere, and most of them are sailors. Sailing is big among the expats of Hong Kong and life is good for an expat sailor here: there are plenty of places to sail, good winds, and races every week. Avoiding the ships hurtling down the Lamma Channel or out of Guangzhou just provides another tactical opportunity. At the finishing line there will be a good anchorage, several fine restaurants, and plenty of free flowing wine. The people here live hard and enjoy life and, frankly, it is a life of both work and privilege.

Hong Kong is all about money; making it and spending it. There is money to be made in Hong Kong, and when you’re making it, no end of fun ways to spend it.

And so we enjoyed our visit, just as we enjoyed living here a few years back, but as much as we like it Hong Kong is not a place to retire on a low income. We’ll have to go elsewhere for that.

Fortunately there is a whole world of new places out there still waiting for us to find the right one.

Click here for more Hong Kong photos

Click here for photos from the race/cruise we did with Winters on Soko

Click here for a look at the amazing livaboard "junks" at Discovery Bay in Hong Kong


Click Here for all the Hong Kong photos

Fred & Judy, Hong Kong

Labels: ,

Sunday, May 30, 2010

May 30, 2010-Rewind to Hong Kong


wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Beijing Airport


We rewound our trip to the USA by going back to Hong Kong

  • Seattle to LAX: (flying time) 2:40
  • Holding time at LAX
    (spent working on computer by the window): 11:00
  • LAX to Beijing: (flying time) 12:30
  • Holding time at Beijing:
    (checked into airport hotel and took shower) 3:00
  • Beijing to Hong Kong: (flying time) 3:35
  • Total: 32:00 Hours


Once on the ground in Hong Kong, though, we wasted no time getting onto the water; we stayed with Andy and Nita on their boat and on the weekend we all raced to Stanley with Richard and Isabele on their boat Soko, and won!


wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Sailing In Hong Kong


Click here for the photos from sailing in Hong Kong.


Click Here for all the Hong Kong photos

Fred & Judy, Hong Kong

Labels: ,

Thursday, May 27, 2010

May 25, 2010-Family Photos(& Friends)

Every sailor's life includes long absences from family and friends and a trip home is a chance to reconnect with loved ones.

We spent two months in the USA and saw almost all of our family members and many friends.

Here are some photo links (some photos did not turn out, sorry to those missed.):

Judy's Family
Houston Visit
Fred's family gathering at Tom & Kim's
Fred's Kids & Grandkids
Sister jan & Howard
Jan's Kids & Grandkids
Friends

We don't know how long we will be away or until the next visit home, but no matter how long, these people will be in our hearts.

Fred & Judy, Washington

Labels: , ,

Sunday, May 23, 2010

May 23, 2010-Washington State

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Mount Rainier

We've just spent a wonderful couple of weeks in Washington State bonding with family and reconnecting with friends.

Boy it's nice to be back home and our state is as gorgeous as ever.

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Seattle Waterfront

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Ferry Boat

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
La Conner

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Cottage Lake Gardens

My brother Tom and his wife Kim put on a great party at their house in North Bend and pretty much the whole family came. If you click the photo below you can see what fun we were having.
wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Tom & Kim

wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Tom & Kim's house in North Bend

We have a lot more photos of family and friends to share and those photos will be coming soon. Meanwhile you can go to wingssail images to see what we have so far.

We are in LA now and tomorrow we depart for Beijing on the way to Hong Kong and finally back to the boat in Phuket Thailand early in June.

We'll keep you updated.

Fred & Judy, Los Angeles, Ca.

Labels: , ,

NEXT Page (More) , or... GO BACK to Previous Page
#