Sun, 4/29.  Self-directed day.  Took ferry to Kowloon, toured the Hong Kong History Museum.  A little too much pre-humanity history for my tastes, but the rest was very good.  Exhaustive.  Had lunch at Japanese restaurant.  Tendon and katsudon combined.  Yum.  Hot, hot day.  Rather than visit the Space Museum, I headed back to the hotel.  Passed by a free concert by the Hong Kong Musician’s Society.  Also passed thousands of young women who are imported (?) from Indonesia to act as nannies.  The weekends are their days off and they gather in parks and pedestrian walkways to eat and talk.  It’s quite a sight.

A guest speaker (22 year-old student) talked about democracy in Hong Kong and the young people’s protest against what they see as China messing with the agreement to keep it a democracy.  Seemed a little too excited about protesting against police (how to evade tear gas).  But overall it was an interesting talk.  Considers those calling for outright independence as fringe members of the protest.  Doesn’t like “the Chinese tourists” because they seem uninterested in freedom.

Farewell dinner.  Wine was good for the only time on the trip.  My impression of Hong Kong remains unchanged.  A city of eternal activity, with flashy new buildings.  I fear for it’s future.  Our guide suggests that despite fears, “China isn’t changing Hong Kong, but rather Hong Kong is changing China”.  I don’t argue with the concept, but it needs two additional words: “for now”.

Tomorrow I fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia for four nights of a post-extension tour.  I am the only one going, so it’ll just be me and the “team leader”.  There will indeed be an “I” in “team”.  Fully 50% of the city’s economy is tourist based.  The hotel is supposed to be nice, with a pool.  Temps in the low 90s.