Greetings from Hong Kong!
It is currently 4:20a. I awoke at 3:45a and was quite happy I made it that late. . .
Yesterday was a very fun day. We landed from our very good Cathay Pacific flight at HK around 7:30a. Took the train and walked to our hotel and made it there by 9:30a. We couldn't check in until 11a, so we just walked around. Saw some interesting sites including:
- Loads of 7-11 stores. Pretty much have everything we have at home plus cool Chinese 'stuff'. Travel Boy got a Gatorade and Lays chips!
- For scaffolding around buildings here, they use bamboo. They tie it together. Looks cool and is supposed to be strong as iron.
- Food vendors were out early. Hate to admit it but I don't recognize nearly all of it. Only a few familiar things, including cooked (and raw) chicken and duck hanging from hooks out in the open.
- Travel Gal & Travel Boy wouldn't walk through the open-air meat markets as he was pretty grossed out (although he was interested by all the live fish and shellfish that were swimming in little styrofoam boxes filled with water).
-Fresh fruit and veggie sellers were set up before 10a and we still saw them at 8:00p last night. Amazing variety of fresh produce with some things I could not identify. We bought some lychees- delicious!
- Spice shops were selling some weird stuff. Lots of dried fish products that had a rather unfortunate smell.
- Travel Gal had a mixed iced tea drink that came with tapioca pearls. It came with a very thick straw so you could suck up the tapioca pearls. Very interesting flavour- good!
- We are staying at the West Hotel in Kowloon. A bit of a grittier area than others, but we really like it. Not flash and more of a neighborhood.
- Took the very famous Star Ferry across the harbour to Hong Kong Island (cost about 80 cents for all 3 of us). I had mentioned that it did not seem that there were too many people on the streets in Kowloon. That's because they were all at HK Island. TONS of people, mostly business professionals all dressed up.
- Had lunch at a tiny little shop with probably 8 tables. We shared a tiny table with 2 others (no such thing as getting your 'own' table). GREAT noodle soup dish with dumplings and beef. 2 noodle bowls and a soda for under $5.
- HK Island has a series of outdoor escalators and moving walkways that is the largest in the world. It took us by a very trendy area with lots of shops, cafes, international restaurants, etc. We had some amazing ice cream! We are VERY glad that we are not staying in busy HK island, and we much prefer our 'grittier' neighborhood than the trendy spots.
- It is hot. And humid. Really.
- Stores and hotels are air-conditioned to almost bone-chilling temperatures. If we don't get sick it will be a miracle. I almost prefer the heat and humidity to the cold air-conditioning. Almost.
- Last night, we walked through a nearby night market selling everything from knock-off watches and purses,to clothes, toys, electronics, and more. Travel Boy bought 8 little plastic toys in the shape of the Angry Birds (an iPhone app game that he loves).
- Poor Travel Boy was so exhausted last night he could barely walk. He and Travel Gal took a nap between 4p-6p and he struggled. But, he was a trooper and pushed through. He was asleep when his head hit the pillow at 8p.
- For dinner, we ate at a street vendor, with tables set up on the street. Noodles dishes for Travel Gal and I (and 2 of the largest beers ever) and chicken fried rice for Travel Boy. Lots of activity around us while we were eating. I loved it. What a great setting to experience dinner.
- Our hotel room is small, but for Hong Kong it is probably considered normal. A queen bed and a single bed that are hard as boards. We think they are just box springs, not an actual mattress. Oh, my back!! There is a nice LCD TV but only local Chinese stations.
-Today we are off to walk some more. Maybe back to HK Island to take a tram to the top of a nearby 'mountain' to see the view. Would like to try some weird food.