Sai Kung - This too is HK

Gloria says she had an image in her head of what HK looked like, but now she's here she finds it difficult to believe just how different from each other different parts of HK actually are; that there are such a wide range of HKs within this City SAR!

Well, here's a part of HK this blog hasn't shown you before: Sai Kung.

Sai Kung.
Doesn't this look Mediterranean?

Sai Kung is an old Tanka fishing village that we foreign-devil-types have moved into in numbers. It's pollution-free, kinda, and wayyy off the beaten track, with beaches and cheap boat mooring/anchorage, but still within an hour's drive of the city. Anyway, here are some photos so you get the picture:

Sai Kung.

OK, this is a joke!
That is actually NZ

This is Sai Kung

Keith points out his
dream block of land!

For reasons this blog is well aware - as in my post "Made in Indonesia" - I find the Tanka people fascinating. (Actually, I may download a stack of photos I took of Tanka faces so you can see for yourself!) They live on sanpans in various calm bays around the Pearl River delta ...

Tanka sanpan

... and everyday they go out fishing and, around sunset, they come into ports like Sai Kung and auction off their catch to the various seafood restaurants along the esplanade ...

The catch lies in water,
still alive,
in the bottom of these boats
"This is the one you want?"

And after the auction,
the nice relaxing cuppa tea!

These seafood restaurants are fabulous, just like all the seafood restaurants in all the Tanka fishing villages in the region! (You should try the ones in Po Tai! Mmm mmmh!)

Although there are seafood restaurants all along the esplanade and up and down the nearby streets, my favourite set are The Keys (Cheung Key, Leung Key, Chung Key etc) all together at the end, past the dolphins, right on the sea.

Past the dolphins
to the seafood restaurants

And here's how the restaurants keep the catch fresh ...

You point out what you want
and waiters get it out for you,
take it to the chef, and, within
minutes, it's on your table ...
maybe steamed in lemon grass.
Mmm mmmh!

So, there you go. If you, like Gloria, think HK is all high rise and traffic congestion, hope this has expanded your vision a bit!