Again I am sorry this post is being written so late. This past weekend (Thursday evening to Sunday evening) we spent in Hong Kong. We arrived in Mong Kok district late on Thursday evening and got acquainted with our hotel, Langham Place. The hotel was beautiful and came with a beautiful view of Hong Kong.
Let me just start by saying I have never seen so many people in one place in my life. Out first day in Hong Kong was spent taking a tour with a tour guide provided by the hotel that went from Mong Kok to Yau Tsim Mong, anther district maybe a little less than a mile walk. I learned so much about the Chinese culture from our guide. As she guided us down the street, we stopped in many same stores where she pointed out things such as different foods the Chinese eat, gods they believe in and the traditions they follow, the herbal teas many Chinese drink faithfully to cure health ailments, and wedding traditions. We learned that the Chinese dry a lot fish including their fins. I think the food I found the most interesting was the bird's nest. I remembered hearing that the very high classed and rich people eat things such as bird's nest soup on special occasions, but I did not realize it was still an ongoing tradition for the Chinese. Along our walk we enjoyed a couple open air vendors who were selling different fruits and vegetables. Also, it wasn't unusual to see a few elderly men play a game of mahjongg. It was quite an experience and I enjoyed seeing and learning so much about the traditional Chinese culture. That afternoon we cooled down in the club loung where they served some delicious appetizers and snacks. After resting for a short period of time, we traveled by MRT and a bus up to the highest point in Hong Kong called the Peek. Of course we made many "friends" on the MRT and the bus, but once we arrived at the top of the Peek we were blessed with a panoramic view over all of Hong Kong from a shopping center. It was crazy because one side of the mountain looked like a jungle and was still covered with trees and bushes, but the other side of the mountain was covered with skyscrapers. We enjoyed some time up there and then explored the shopping center for a place to sit down and have something to eat. Once we had found some food and regained some energy, we made our way back to the hotel. After walking around all day Urs and Rachel decided to look for a place to receive a foot message, but I decided to head back to the hotel. I don't know there was just something about having someone else touch my feet that made it not so appealing to me. I guess I just find feet disgusting, but I enjoyed some down time. When Urs and Rachel came back we decided to grab a quick bite to eat and then hit a famous night/weekend market called Ladies' Market. There were so many store stalls here and again millions and millions of people. I couldn't believe it. There was everything from clothes and handbags to jewelry and little souvenirs. It was interesting to see more of a local shopping spot for the people of Hong Kong. There were local artists singing and performing different skits. It was hard to believe that all of this shops and people seemed to come alive at 10:00 at night. What a day and we enjoyed so much on our first day in Hong Kong.
One the second day in Hong Kong (Saturday), we decided to hit another outdoor shopping market. I'm starting to think Asia is known for all of its shops and markets. This market was called Stanley's Market. Now this is where more of the westerners shop for their souvenirs. After being at Ladies' Market, I expected a lot of bargaining, but as Rachel and Urs said, "The Westerners seem to have destroyed the bargaining of Stanley's Market because they think it is rude and just don't know how to bargain." For me I think this very true. I have no idea how to bargain or what an appropriate price would be to pay for certain items. I enjoyed seeing Urs and Rachel bargain, but I always felt so uncomfortable doing it myself. We spent a lot of time wondering around the market and I even found a few things that I wanted. After spending numerous hours at the market, we had to hurry back to the hotel to prepare for a night out on the town with two of Urs and Rachel's friends who now live in Hong Kong. We ate at a very fancy restaurant. It was nice to get dressed up and see the upper class side of Hong Kong. The food was delicious and we enjoyed some of the music from the night life of Hong Kong after supper. It was another busy day I must say.
On Sunday, Rachel wanted to do some shoe shopping, so Urs and I enjoyed a boat ride around a part of Hong Kong. It was beautiful weather for this and a nice, relaxing way to see some more of Hong Kong's skyscrapers. There are a few buildings with interesting architecture. After this, we met up with Rachel at mall close by and found our way back to the hotel. We enjoyed some afternoon orderves provided by the hotel. It had been a great long weekend in Hong Kong, but it was time to head back to Singapore.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: I have tried many different ways to add pictures to my blog, but it just doesn't seem to work from my iPad. I have added a few pictures from Switzerland to my facebook page and hope to have more up soon. As for adding pictures to my blog, it might just have to wait until I get back home. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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