Victoria Harbour comes alive at night. As offices & shops close down & the locals rush for trams & buses & taxis, the neon comes alive, gradually at first. Then suddenly you look up and the place is ablaze on both sides of the water. Floor after floor of offices & apartments in the highrisers are lit up staring out over the water hiding all sorts of treasures behind their night lights. For a clear view I take the Star Ferry across to Kowloon. Lit up like a spotlight on a stage set we sit exposed to the world by the orange glow of naked lights on board & watch the land leave & go as the ferry crosses through the darkness. Other boats match our path & guard our sides as we plod on to safety.

Once there a short walk up to the terrace, a glass of Shiraz and an opportunity to gaze over the lights of Hong Kong.

Impressed? Up close you can see Christmas themes on some of the buildings – dancing Santa’s, neon snowflakes landing on Christmas trees, pink presents, everything is pink or neon gold, pink presents, the ubiquitous panda highlighted in glorious red & regal purple. The vessels, lit up with their own lights scurry between the shores. Can you see the dowh, its sails lit up in red?

After all it is Christmas and celebrated in every country on the planet, it seems. Here piles of enormous red baubles compete with huge teddies   towering amongst giant presents in lobbies & entrances to malls, hotels & offices. Tinny musical box renditions of carols & Christmas favourites tinkle in the background everywhere. All workers in fast foodplaces have the must fashion accessory – a red Santa hat. Occasionally the real thing can be found.

I finish the evening off with a Korean bar-b-q.