So we arrived late Friday night after saying a very heartfelt goodbye to Phuket and the first thing we noticed was how different both our destinations were from each other. It was like going from the sublime to the absolutely-barking-mad-ridiculous. We stayed on Wellington Street which couldn't have been a more ideal location as it was right in the hub of it all with grimy looking street markets every other turn and overflowing eateries. Marvellous. After grabbing a bite to eat and getting the low-down on all things Hong Kong in a tiny restaurant in Soho, we dragged ourselves back to our hotel and fell asleep with anticipation of what the next day would have in store for us.
As forecasted it rained. Hong Kong style rain is rather more dramatic than typical English rain however; the sky was black, we had perspiration seeping through our clothes form the humidity and what's more it didn't seem to stop all day. Despite the inclement conditions we powered on with IS's trusty Nike watch keeping track of our mileage.
To sum up our first day, we headed by tram to one side of the city (west or east, it's by the by) and came across a whole street lined with sea-urchin-deep-sea-cretinous-looking-medicinal-purpose things (?) I'm talking, dried octopus, shrivelled up shrimp and preserved starfish, all for sale, whole-sale for that matter! Despite the smell being appalling it was still a sight to see. Next we headed over to Kowloon on the Star Ferry. IS was keen for us to walk down Nathan Road but the girls (myself included) had other priorities concerning shopping. The Ladies Market is Hong Kong's biggest outdoor shopping experience and it was incredible. There was a plethora of goods for sale and all prices were negotiable. After spending a good couple of hours gawking and haggling we headed to the Jade Market. Sadly I got quite overwhelmed, there was just too much good looking jewellery and I just would've loved everything, this aside we did buy matching Jade bracelets as a memento from our trip. We also took in Bird Street (famous for it's live bird market), a gold fish market and a typical Hong Kong fish market. Much later we headed back to our street and being the inexperienced oriental diners that we are joined the back of a queue for a popular looking Vietnamese restaurant which turned out to be well worth our dollar.
Day two, and we were definitely more aware of what we were up against in HK. We spent most of the morning in Stanley where there were more market type stalls but a calmer atmosphere compared to the Ladies Market. Coming back from Stanley we took a jolly little 'junk' trip around Aberdeen harbour and ended up in another fish market. What can I say, we just couldn't get enough of those fish in tanks. In the afternoon we visited the peak which looks out across Hong Kong and was great for getting our bearings of the city. In the evening we headed back over to Kowloon and feasted on yet another meal of noodles, springs rolls, stir fried veg and Chinese tea.
Our final day was spent on Lama Island where we enjoyed a delicious lunch at another popular joint called the Rainbow restaurant and included in the dining experience is your ferry ticket back to mainland Hong Kong which we all thought was pretty savvy. After more walking, a hint of shopping and a much needed tea break we were heading back to the MTR which would take us to the airport. I was blown away by Hong Kong and there aren't enough words to describe the complete cocktail of smells, sights and lights so here are a mixture of snap-shots from our time in Hong Kong. I've done plenty of talking so I'll let the pictures do the talking.
Day two, and we were definitely more aware of what we were up against in HK. We spent most of the morning in Stanley where there were more market type stalls but a calmer atmosphere compared to the Ladies Market. Coming back from Stanley we took a jolly little 'junk' trip around Aberdeen harbour and ended up in another fish market. What can I say, we just couldn't get enough of those fish in tanks. In the afternoon we visited the peak which looks out across Hong Kong and was great for getting our bearings of the city. In the evening we headed back over to Kowloon and feasted on yet another meal of noodles, springs rolls, stir fried veg and Chinese tea.
Our final day was spent on Lama Island where we enjoyed a delicious lunch at another popular joint called the Rainbow restaurant and included in the dining experience is your ferry ticket back to mainland Hong Kong which we all thought was pretty savvy. After more walking, a hint of shopping and a much needed tea break we were heading back to the MTR which would take us to the airport. I was blown away by Hong Kong and there aren't enough words to describe the complete cocktail of smells, sights and lights so here are a mixture of snap-shots from our time in Hong Kong. I've done plenty of talking so I'll let the pictures do the talking.
MS being artsy with her camera angles.
In and amongst the beads at the Jade Market.
TOO MANY BRACELETS.
Horoscope necklaces.
Totems and buddhas.
Vital pitstop at an almighty pick and mix.
Too good.
My favourite out of these chaps has to be in the fourth row third from the right.
Now, In the photo above, I'd like to draw your attention to something. Just in the upper right-hand section you will come across what looks like a bag of live frogs. I must inform you that what you see is in fact an actual bag of live frogs. The little creatures were piled on top of one another whilst making froggy noises, blissfully unaware that they would soon become someone's dinner. This has to be a sight like no other.
RS not looking one bit impressed with the smell of the fish market.
Wonton soup.
Shredded chicken salad with lime and chilli.
The 'junk' tour round Aberdeen Harbour.
The view from the peak.
MS soaking up the peak.
What a sight.
Hong Kong all seemed rather alien initially but after spending an action crammed three days in the city, I felt HK and I had become better acquainted.
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