Hong Kong

Beautiful skyline from Victoria Peak
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After our fourth and final overnight train, we arrived in Hong Kong. This was our final night with the group and our final dinner to say goodbye. We ended up at a Mexican spot named Coyote (pretty good actually), but all of us were slapped pretty quickly with the realization that meals no longer cost $4-5 each anymore – welcome to Hong Kong. The prices are actually comparable to western prices, but when you get used to everything being soooo cheap, it is a shocker at first.

Our few days in Hong Kong were meant to be relaxing downtime before we started our next tour in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, so we moved to a little more posh hotel for some good R&R. During our few days here we checked out a view of the city from Victoria Peak – a must do. The city has more high rises than any other city in the world and it’s absulutely beautiful at dusk. The remainder of our stay included walks through various neighborhoods and markets like Soho (the hip, trendy shops and restaurants), Hollywood Road (antiques), Temple Street (night market), Ladies market (for just about anything), Aquarum market (it’s all about fish and other goodies for aquariums!), the pier for the city of lights show where a number of tall office buildings sponsor a coordinated light and laser show across the harbor.

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We really liked Hong Kong ( and not just because we got a break in cuisine with mexican and italian), but as big as it is, it doesn’t seem as crowded as other big cities. I’m not sure why, but another reason is that there are plenty of green spaces and nature reserves to offset the density of the city. Next time we come for a visit, we will plan to do some hiking as well.

Off now to Bangkok for our next tour leg.

Funny tidbit of the day: High rises (and skyscrapers even) are built in China and in Hong Kong using bamboo scaffolding rather than steel. It’s lighter than steel, faster to put up and break down, and can withstand very strong winds. It’s odd in such a modern city to see this bamboo being used on buildings being built that are 60 stories high.

Like San Fran except with outdoor escalators!
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Overall, we really enjoyed China and thought we’d summarize some observations on China:

· squat toilets take some getting used to; not the cleanest restrooms in the rural parts of the country or on the trains; communal in some places with open stalls

· carry toilet paper everywhere you go as it’s rarely provided outside your hotels

· the chinese do not queue up when waiting in line for tickets or something, but simply push their way to the front – seems very rude to us, but normal for them

The market in Soho
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· as a general observation – it’s sad to see children with no siblings, however, the children are the cutest anywhere and are always dressed in the cutest of clothes

· People are very friendly and curious about westerners – like pictures taken with you

· Beautiful country with mountains and green spaces

· Everything is done on a grand scale whether it be the Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square, the Summer Palace, Terracotta Army, Buddhas

Light show every night on the harbor
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· Everything is cheap – beer, food, massages (one hour massages for less than $10)

· People enjoy each others company whether it be through cards, Mahjong, Thai Chi or other physical activities held in the public parks early every morning in virtually every city

· Streets and storefronts are always very clean and neat – always being swept; but ironically, people litter all of the time (the downside)

Food/Drink:

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· Favorites: fried egg noodles, sezchuan pork, the farmers lunch (beef with vegetables, chicken with vegetables), dumplings, pancakes with egg, pancakes with fruit and chocolate

· Most everything fried up in a wok - using peanut oil, garlic and oyster/fish sauce

· Good vegetables – celery, eggplant, greens, grean beens, pea pods, tofu

· Good fruit – lots of oranges! Tried dragon fruit for first time

Our last group dinner - so sad!
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· Beers are cheap (TsingTao is most expensive) although not much variety as all are lagers. Not much difference in flavors of different beers and most come in a large bottle (mostly always warm)

· Sichuan spice in that province is far spicier than at home (seeds are deadly)

· Kung Pao is not as spicy as at home, but still quite yummy

· Bijou is the Chinese rice wine – kind of a mix between vodka and tequila (ughhhh!) – 100 proof

Tons of goldfish at the Acquarium market
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· Tea is everywhere and everyone carries their tea bottle just as we carry our water bottles around

· Saw plenty of very neat gardens – oranges, chilis, green tea plants, herbs, soybeans, rice paddies (they look like a piece of beautiful mosaic art work)