This weekend I headed to Hong Kong for a whirlwind trip. I was in HK for less than 48 hours and am amazed with all I experienced and saw. During my weekend I think I used every available means of transportation HK has to offer. I spent time on/in planes, trains (subway), trams, cable cars, minibuses and taxis. I’ll share a few of the highlights with you…..
1. Meeting My Siblings Co-Workers: Kris and Tim do a pretty good job at watching out for me; even when I am on the other side of the world. Upon hearing of my trip to HK both put me in touch with some of their coworkers. Shortly after checking into my hotel I met up with Irfan who works at Target. We headed out for coffee (and for me lunch). Irfan is also an Expat, he is on assignment in HK for approximately 18 months. It was nice comparing stories with him.
2. Thai for Dinner – Later that same day I meet up with Bonny, who works with my brother Tim. We headed out to dinner to a Thai restaurant just a few blocks from my hotel. Her brother and some friends also joined us. The food was great. I especially liked the Satays. At the end of the meal I was impressed with how much meat I had in one sitting. I’ve really been struggling to get enough protein in my meals. This meal was the exception to the norm.
3. Star Ferry – Hong Kong is interesting in that it is made up of a bunch of islands and a peninsula that connects to mainland China. The main island is referred to as Hong Kong. Across a harbor from it is the Peninsula. Throughout the day and night there are ferries going back and forth across the harbor. After dinner some of us hopped a ferry to the peninsula. It was great seeing the HK skyline at night.
4. Lai Kwon Fae – After our ferry ride we went out for a drink at a popular neighborhood in HK that is basically a pedestrian street filled with bar after bar with a few eateries mixed in. I’ve since learned that my brother Tim really had a good time here when he was last in HKJ. I limited myself to two hard ciders. They tasted great and I could have easily had more but I wanted to be clear headed for the adventures I had in mind for Sunday.
5. Victoria Peak (a.k.a. The Peak) – On Sunday morning I woke up early and headed out for a few adventures on my own. I headed first to a Starbucks to get some much needed caffeine. I soon realized that the streets were empty and stores, including Starbucks, were closed. Evidently HK gets started a bit later then places in the US. So at 7:20am I quickly changed plans and headed to the subway. I took this over to the base of Victoria Peak. To get to the top of the peak you ride a tram up the hill. At one point on the ride it feels as if you are lying down due to the steep grade. The views afforded of Hong Kong from the top of the peak are simply amazing.
6. The Big Buddha – After the peak I headed back to the subway in order to go see the Big Buddha. It is a large statue located on the top of a mountain on Lantau Island. To get to the statue you can either take a bus or a cable car. I opted for doing a round trip on the Cable Car. This ride is known as the 360; aptly named as it also allows for great views.
7. Pizza and the Stanley Market – I hightailed it from the Buddha back to Central HK to meet back up with Bonny and Lena (another person who works with Tim). We headed out for some shopping and lunch/coffee. We actually wound up at the California Pizza Kitchen. Aside from Starbucks it is the first time I have eaten at an American Restaurant since coming to Asia. It was comforting in its familiarity. After lunch Lena escorted me to Stanley Market. It’s basically a big market catering to tourists. However, it is on the southern part of the island and the drive to it offered me a chance to see the differences from the more populated central HK to the Oceanside communities. We rode a double-decker back to the city center. I was impressed with my ride back to the hotel due to the crazy twists and turns the driver was able to handle all while driving on the left side of the road.
8. Traditional HK Meal – After this adventure I threw my packages in my room and headed right back out. My next outing was with my manager Eric. He had planned to take me out to dinner. Eric actually had a list of options to choose from and although the thought of a good steak was appealing I opted to go for a local meal. During our meal I tried; HK Chicken, Fatty Pork Belly, Winter Melon Soup, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Fried Bean Curd. I won’t be asking for seconds of the HK Chicken and Winter Melon Soup, the rest of the items were very good.
9. Shopping – HK is known for shopping. As they are land locked they malls typically occupy the lower levels of high rise buildings. My hotel was next to a mall that took up the first 11 floors of a building. CRAZY. I put a fair amount of money into the HK economy as I stocked up on workout clothes, summer capris/shorts, light weight dress clothes and books in English. In addition I started buying gifts for family and friends back home. Ok, in truth I have only bought things for myself and for Cori and Cooper. I can’t help spoiling them – it’s my duty as an Aunt.
I flew back to Shanghai just this morning. I am exhausted! I realized that yesterday I was on the go from 7am – 11pm and if you don’t believe me I can show you the blisters to prove it!
p.s. I will try to post some pictures in a future message - I am having issues getting them to load right now.
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