A Food Delicacy

These giant clams, known as geoducks, are a delicacy in both Japan and, obviously, Hong Kong. Preparing them for eating sounds a bit like being hung, drawn and quartered, as the clam is supposed to be alive (barely) when you eat it. This is a good article on how they are prepared in restaurants.

We saw these on display in water tanks lining the seafront at Sai Kung. The restaurants are a magnet for those who like their seafood. All the fish heading for the kitchens are swimming about in the tanks beforehand. You choose your fish which is netted out of the tank and sent to the kitchen for despatch. Nobody tried the geoduck in our party, and I had to stick to prawns with garlic, boiled rice and braised pak choi again.

Sai Kung is a seaside 'resort' about 45 minutes bus ride away northwest of Kowloon. It's attracting families who have more available funds to pay for the rising cost of real estate. 

It's also home to the information centre for the Hong Kong Geopark, a Unesco World Heritage site. Hong Kong is said to have been the site of a super volcano active from mid-Jurassic to late Cretaceous times, realised only fully in the last few years. The geology comprises a whole igneous suite from basalt through andesites to granite. Half day trips will take you to see the marvellous hexagonal columns, a sight to rival the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.

In the meantime, there's a harbour to look at with innumerable fishing boats of all sizes. Two piers enable tourist boats to berth.

We wandered around the streets backing on to the waterfront before returning for lunch, agreeing to meet at the main pier at 4 pm.

I thought I'd try a bit of long exposure photography from the end of the pier even though rain was threatening. Still not getting to grips with the 3 Legged Thing Tripod. The leg locks don't stay locked. It got darker and darker. I moved to the other side of the pier where the others were trying to capture lightning. If it's not one thing, it's the other. My cable release wouldn't go beyond 1.3 seconds which later entailed my resetting all settings to default on the camera.

All this takes time, of which we didn't really have any before the rain and wind drove in sideways, drenching us before we could get our rain coats on. We huddled with strangers around a column in the pier to resist being blown off.

All good fun. Good thing it wasn't cold. The wet clothes were bundled in a laundry bag as soon as I got back to the hotel. Then Julie and I went for Happy Hour and relaxed. We later took the lift to the swimming pool to investigate the opportunity for night photography from the roof.

Extra shows the illuminated restaurants at Sai Kung just as the storm was breaking. See my album of Sai Kung photos on Flickr.