Of course, the first morning I arrived was kicked off with Hong Kong's cheapest Michelin star-rated restaurant which was Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum. Oddly their chashu bow (BBQ Pork Bun) is in this sweet pastry covered bun. While I've had steamed and baked chashu bow, I'd never had one in a pastry bun. I have to admit it conflicted the taste of the chashu.
Then I rode one of the world's top 10 ferry rides, the Star Ferry, across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. It was a very quick ride, very cheap and in Kowloon it was largely shopping malls.
After the ferry ride, I walked through the city (saw Hong Kong's version of Occupy Wall Street at my own HSBC Bank) and headed to the Victoria Peak Tram. I purchased the ticket to the top view deck, but with my track record with all the rain this year there was nothing to see. It was like Machu Picchu all over again.
By this time, it was nearly 5 p.m., so I decided to check out how people commuted on the world's longest system of carpet escalators in Hong Kong. There was only one set of escalators so it goes up at the end of the work day and down in the morning. If you were going the opposite direction, the stairs was the only option. It was quite crowded with most folks reading the paper, talking on their mobile or chatting with colleagues. Just like at the airport, you had to stay alert as the carpet escalator ended and you had to step to on the next one.
Then I checked out Queen Road (reminded me of 5th Avenue).
Dinner was in the Lan Kwai Fong District which is where all the ex-patriots hang out as it's packed with pubs and bars.
Lots of walkways allow Hong Kong pedestrians to stay above the pollution:
Like my Father, I took public transportation (bus) and checked out Stanley Markets. There I saw this helium shark balloon that you could attach a remote control to for my nephew Kai. My friend Miin was also looking for one for her son, so purchased it for her. Again, it was pouring rain, so most of the afternoon I enjoyed a leisurely lunch watching the Tai Tam Bay.
I returned back in time to check out the Symphony of Lights which is a light show combined with music that plays out on Hong Kong's skyscrapers across the city.
Miin took me to the Wong Tai Sin Temple, a Taoist Temple that's well known for its fortune telling. There were rows upon rows of fortune tellers outside the temple and with Miin's Cantonese translation, I had my fortune told by an authentic Chinese fortune teller.
Then we met up with Rebecca and Sarita who were also in Hong Kong. And we went up to Victoria Peak for drinks, dinner and a wonderful evening of catching up.
On a whim on my last day I decided to go to another country! It's only a 1-hour Turbo Jet Ferry Ride West from Hong Kong to got the second Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China - Macau (the other is Hong Kong). While Hong Kong was previously owned a UK colony, Macau was a former Portuguese colony.
It's most well known for being the "Las Vegas of the East" as there are tons and tons of casino's due to the new wealth of mainland Chinese who can't gamble at home so visit Macau to gamble.
The first sight of Macau was like a much tackier Las Vegas. I was looking to see past the casinos and something of what Macau was like as a Portuguese colony so the guide book said to check out the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral. What was surreal was to have these Catholic ruins completely surrounded by Chinese souvenir shops and the gaudiness of 1980s-style casinos.
Ana and Scott would be proud that I ventured off the beaten path to find a very authentic, local Macau restaurant for lunch.
Photo album of my trip to Hong Kong:
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