Crowne Plaza Hotel, 24th Floor, Hong Kong--FIRE!!!

We had a vague idea how to get from the airport to the hotel.  We figured we would hail a cab and it would drive us.  Ha-even better.  We asked a tourist board official at a desk in the arrivals hall and were directed to a transportation desk where we found a hotel shuttle.  We hopped on and in less than 2 hours (holy cow there was traffic!) we covered the 40 km to the hotel. If we had been in a cab we would have thought the cabbie was ripping us off.  It seemed like we went all over the place to run up the meter.

Our hotel is the one in the middle, with what looks like a balcony
near the top.

Our first impression of this hotel was jaw-dropping amazement-so lavish.  At check in we upgraded to include breakfast, high tea and happy hour.  We have taken total advantage of all of those amenities.  The breakfast buffet is huge, serving western and eastern foods.  Yum.  High tea includes tiny sandwiches and cakes and cookies and happy hour has a full bar and hot food.  

28th floor pool with a clear wall overlooking the city.

That's the shower.  We found out after we used it that there
was a sliding door for privacy.

Our room is elegant, and the view is great.  However, when the fire alarm went off just past midnight, right after we fell asleep, that 24th floor isn't so spectacular.  We jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes, grabbed the essentials (passport, money, kindle) and quickly walked down 24 floors.  Yup, got to the bottom.  Saw the fire department.  A hotel staff member told us it was a false alarm.  Very unsettling.  

Today is May 5th and it is really the only full day we have to enjoy the city.  We took a Gray Line tour this morning.  It took us to a temple (kind of like all the tours in European cities go to cathedrals).  There was a choking cloud of incense inside.  Here, worshippers light incense, not candles. 

Incense cones hanging from the ceiling.

Inside the temple.

Next, we took a boat ride in a sampan in Hong Kong harbour.  Also know as Victoria harbour, it is one of the largest port cities in the world.

Then we rode a cog railcar up to the highest peak. Hong Kong is very mountainous.

Unusual architecture.

Lastly, we visited Stanley Market-lots of small stalls and interesting goods for sale.
Back at the hotel we enjoyed high tea, followed by happy hour.  Fortified again we headed out to Times Square, a big shopping mall close to our hotel.  There were 9 floors of shops.  Here, all buildings are narrow, but high.  Land is at a premium so they use up airspace.
Interesting tidbits of information we picked up:
-Only 4 % of Hong Kongers (that's what you call them) own a car
-Hong Kong has torrential rainfall where they can get 12 inches of rain in one hour
-In order to bind feet, the toes were broken and bent backwards (eeuw)
-Always talk to the hotel concierge because they have great tips for tourists
We fly to Bangkok May 6th.