It is not because I am becoming a lazy writer, nor is it due to my lack of interest or enthusiasm that this post will be more or less in bullet point form. It is purely out of my desire to get this blog post done, and for you to read it, before we both age 10 years. I guess what I’m trying to say is that Hong Kong has been a blast and we have done so much that there is simply too much to cover before you will invariably say…”Kate stop blabbing on…and yeah yeah we get it..Hong Kong is great…blah blah blah”. So, without further adieu..I present you with Kate’s Top Ten (mmmm…maybe 15) Hong Kong bits:
1. THE FOOD. Yes, I know caps implies I am yelling – and I am. The sheer variety of food is awesome here. My tip is to find a dim sum place (Kowloon has been the bet so far) that is packed with locals and has no English on the main menu. We ended up with duck feet, braised pork spare ribs, sticky rice with “assorted meats” wrapped in banana leaf, Chinese pork and shrimp wontons,,,and much, much more. Mmmmmm….making myself hungry here. Oh…and dumplings…eat them…lots of them…they are so, so good.2. Get lost! Get on a bus, then get off the bus and start walking. Kowloon in particular is just incredible to walk around, Bright Neon lights, interesting window shops with all manner of cooked animals hanging in the window…so, so interesting.
3. Catch a Ferry. Hong Kong is great for getting on a boat and 20 minutes later feeling like you are in a new world. The harbour is gorgeous by day or night! If you manage to be on the harbor at 8pm you can catch the lightshow that happens each night called the “Symphony of Lights”. It involves co-ordinated lasers and neon lights projected onto and from various buildings on the Hong Kong shorefront and synchronized with classical music that is broadcast along sections of the Kowloon harbour. Touristy…yes….slightly lame…yes…but worth the 2 Hong Kong bucks (28 cents AUD) to cross the harbor to see.
4. The Peak. Some of you may know of my extreme fear of heights – I am talking of sweat inducing, chest thumping, heart attack inducing fear. Yet, I stand by the fact that going up to Victoria Peak was worth it! In less than an hour we walked up to Victoria Peak where you are above the sky scrapers with an incredible view out across the limits of Hong Kong. What’s more, we found a supermarket where we grabbed a couple of bottles of Paulaner and a bottle of Australian Sparkling to sip on as the sun set over the ocean. Incredible…now get me back to sea level please.5. The Markets. You turn left or right and best bet is that you will bump into some semblance of a market, whether it be fresh produce, prepared food or touristy bits and pieces. Haggle hard people!
6. Lamma Island. Population 5000 with no cars and so quiet that you can hear the birds chirping in the morning. Total juxtaposition to Hong Kong central, yet you are only a 20 minute boat trip away. We were lucky enough to stay here for most of our time and it is gorgeous. There is a great walk across the island that only takes an hour or so.7. Temples. South East Asia can leave you templed out, but there are a few here which are worth exploring. Check out Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin and Chi Lin Nunnery.
8. The Races. Gambling is big over here and the only form of legal gambling in Hong Kong other than the lotto is horse racing. This means come race day, everyone seems to be walking around with a race guide in their pocket and everyone has plans on winning big. Make sure you get to the Happy Valley races – it’s a race course set amongst sky scrapers with an incredible atmosphere. We started the night strongly by picking the winner and then progressively swindled away our winnings backing losers throughout the rest of the night…oh Bondi Lad…we were sure you were going to bring us a big win but it wasn’t to be.9. Octopus Card. What an incredible system. With the one card which you can top up anywhere, you can pay for the train, the bus, the ferry, the tram, your beer from 7 eleven, your dinner at some restaurants...just swipe away and no need to carry around cash.
OK….I know that is only 9 but I think that is enough for today. Brendan and I are heading to Macau for a couple of days and then returning to Hong Kong before flying to South Korea. Will continue my list of favourite Hong Kong things soon. Take it easy
//Kate
No comments:
Post a Comment