After I left work on Friday, I came home and packed just a backpack of clothes and other stuff I would need and hopped on the train. It was a fairly decent jaunt on the train, and then I had to get on a double decker bus. I was told my a coworker to sit up top on the bus as it would give you great views. He failed to mention that it wouldn't give you much leg room.
Stanley is a little town on the Island which is right next to the ocean. There are many other expats who live in this area and while I was on the bus I met a French woman. She told me she taught French in some of the schools and also did some other work. She was going to Stanley as well and helped ensure that I found the right bus stop to get off at. While on the ride, one of her kids called and they spoke in French to each other and it was very weird hearing such a foreign language being spoke here.
We got to Stanely as the sun was beginning to hide away beneath the horizon for the night, but I was able to take this picture of the sunset over the South China Sea.
I had never been inside of my friends place before and had only seen the outside of it, but as soon as I walked through the door I could see the place really reflected his personality. My friend is from New Zealand and is salesmen in south east Asia. He is very laid back, down to earth, good humored, loves to paddle, and is very adventurous. On his walls hung pictures of him out surfing, there were cricket bats leaning against the wall in a corner, books ranging in all topics, magazines mainly dealing with water sports, a seemingly broken TV, and minimal cooking utensils. The house was small, but very comfortable. His bedroom was in a loft area above the main living room. Here is a picture standing at the doorway looking in:
For supper I went to one of the most famous pubs in Stanley called "Smugglers." It really reminded me of a small town bar back in the States. There was country music playing on the radio, a rugby match on the TV and dollar bills from all over the world plastered to the walls and ceiling. It was a nice, comfortable area with good food and a great atmosphere. Since this was a vacation for me, I decided to have a beer off the import list and bought a Coors lite. Maybe it has been so long since I had one, or the fact that it was transported over seas warm, stored hot, then served cold, but it definitely didn't taste much like I remembered.
The bar keep was a very friendly and talkative Philipino woman who was full of laughter and jokes. She introduced me to a few regulars who I really enjoyed talking with. One was an American who was the VP of a professional bike parts company. It was very interesting talking to him about his job when all of the sudden he pointed to the bike race that had come on TV and said, "Those are our shifters, look that bike has breaks we make." I also met a young American couple who had only been here for a little over half a year. We talked about differences we found between the States and Hong Kong and reminisced about things we missed from the US. We both agreed we miss our personal space in stores and on public transportation.
As I walked home after supper, I realized how quiet it was. I couldn't hear traffic and only the soft murmmer of people back at the bars and the sound of the ocean lapping the beaches. It was really, truely peaceful. I woke up the next morning to the sound of birds chirping and the waves hitting the banks again. I opened my door and this was the view:
Not too bad of a view. Not too bad at all.
Including Lake Michigan, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the Gulf of Mexico; the South China Sea is the 5th major body of water I have been in. I only stuck my feet in the water at this beach as it wasn't the cleanest, but here is a picture of me on the beach, just outside the door.
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to go on this short, one night vacation, and it was sure relaxing and great to talk with Americans again in a social, relaxed setting. I hope I can get to go down and visit one more time before I leave.
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