Time in Hong Kong

I really like this hotel! It's far enough away from "tourist central" but still close enough to walk to everything for sightseeing! (About a 20-minute walk to the Star Ferry Terminals, a block from the Temple Street Night market, and Jade Market.) It has fairly nice rooms, very clean; you have to ask for the king sized bad even if you do book it. Add access to the E-club, it is well worth it. It includes breakfast every morning, snacks during the day, cocktails at night, wireless Internet, and computer access for those that didn't bring the laptop, and really good coffee! The only down side is that there is traffic noise during the day, but it quiets down at night. Very friendly staff, good food in the cafe, service is hit or miss though.
Overall, will be back again!

I found this little place wandering around by Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei. Filled with locals in business dress on lunch break. A very nicely dressed host invited me in. I was offered a "western food" menu, but why have that when you're in Honk Kong? The non-western menu consists of lots of curries, seafood, and local favorites. I went with the Malaysian curry with chicken, came with steamed rice or bread, and a jasmine tea. I asked for mild spice, and oh man, if this is mild I'd hate to see what hot would be. Mouth is on fire, but it tastes so good I don't care! It's a great place to just sit and have a nice meal and see how the locals have lunch. Staff were all very friendly. Total cost came to $78HK, about $10 US. I still have a few days left and will be going back for more I'm sure!

It was the first time I was here for lunch. I guess I got there early, because I was the only person in the place. (It filled up while I ate, which gave me a great chance to people watch.) I had a lunch special, or "set lunch": mutton massamun curry, came with rice, greens with fried garlic, drink and dessert, all for about $7! The curry was nice and spicy (I asked for mild, knowing better than to ask for medium like I would in the States!), the greens were great, hot tea is always good, and the dessert was interesting. (A corn and sweet rice petit four.)

Dinner a few nights later was also wonderful! I had a panang curry, Hubby had a stir fry, both with lime soda, and steamed jasmine rice. Still for under $40 US! The only "problem" had to be the service. I'm not sure if it was because we weren't locals, or if we did something wrong, but it was as if the wait staff found us to be a bother both times. Slow service, only bringing one drink when we'd ordered two, and basically ignoring us throughout the meal. (Understandable if it's busy, but when the staff members stand at the bar facing you, it feels like you're being ignored.) All in all though, if you've got time for a slow leisurely meal, the food really was great. It was pretty easy to find, inside a mall adjacent to Knutsford Steps, so you can walk off the meal shopping afterwards.

Can Teen is really easy to find, located inside the IFC mall off of the Central Ferry Terminal on HK Island. This reminded me of a "Morrison’s" or "Piccadilly" back home; it's cafeteria style. As it was lunch time, it was filled with mall workers and shoppers. As you walk in there's a digital board to tell you if there's something not quite ready yet and when it will be. (As in "BBQ pork - available. Roast Goose - 10 min.") It's nice to get an idea before you go in. The roasted goose, Peking style duck and BBQ chicken were all hanging up as you started in the line. Further down you could order soups, dim sum, and various other things.

I ordered BBQ pork and roast goose with steamed rice. I watched as the men behind the counter chopped up the meats and added them to a bowl of rice with some soy sauce. This was placed on a tray which I took down the line to get a drink, passing areas to order other yummy looking things and cold cases full of desserts and salads. Ordering a sweet iced tea, which was pretty good by Southern standards, I followed the counter to pay. Got octopus card? You can use it to pay here, saving me from having to dig through the back pack!

I found myself a nice quiet table in the back by a huge window, sat down, and enjoyed a meal with a view of the harbor and ferry terminals. The food was wonderful! It was the first time I’d had goose, but will not be the last! The pork and goose went really well together even though they’re both pretty rich. There was no way I could’ve finished it all, and for that much it was only about $35HK ($5US!) My husband goes to Hong Kong a few times a year for business, and I’ve told him he has to try this place for a quick, good, filling meal!

Looking to get out of the urban jungle that is Hong Kong, we decided to try going to one of the outlying islands. Going through the Hong Kong Tourism Boards "Hong Kong walks" brochure made Lamma seem like a nice choice for a day of hiking. (No cars, few people, and what looked like a well laid out trail from one village to the other kind of through the middle of the island.) Getting there is no problem at all; just go to the # 6 ferry terminal in Central, pay your fare, $14 or $16 HK depending on fast or regular ferry, and away you go. The ferry docked at Yung Shue Wan (Banyan Bay) pier. Following the directions in the brochure, walking through the village brought us to the beginning of the Lamma Family Trail, which is the way we wanted to go. The paved trail goes by some local houses and through some wonderfully lush landscape that eventually brings you to Hung Shing Ye beach.

Aside from the power plant that you can’t help but see, it’s really beautiful! The water was wonderfully warm to dip the toes in. (Mental note: remember to pack a swimsuit next time…) There was a lifeguard stand, a few restaurants (both not staffed at the time, but it was a week day), facilities with both showers and restrooms. (Asian style toilets only.) After a short while relaxing to the sound of the waves, we resumed our walk, and the terrain became different. The islands that make up Hong Kong are very rugged, and Lamma is no exception. One of my guide books described this part of the trail as a "rollercoaster ride" and they weren’t kidding. Being a flatlander, I’m not sure if I was ready for this and had to rest a few times along the way. Fortunately at the midway point, there’s a "rest pavilion" that offers some much needed shade and benches, along with a great place to take pictures.

Going from the lushness of the lower part of the island to the barrenness of the upper part was a bit of a shock. (Sunscreen is a must, but the breezes kept us nice a cool!) All I can say about the views of the South China Sea is that they are breathtaking! Leaving the Pavilion begins the mostly downhill part of the hike, taking you to Sok Kwu Wan, or Picnic Bay. As you come down from the trail, it follows the edge of the bay, and you see the "kamikaze grottoes" that were reported to have been dug back by the Japanese during WWII to launch surprise attacks on Allied ships. All of the small caves have small signs politely asking that they not be entered. The first part of town that you come to is the Tin Hau temple, an active Taoist temple honoring the goddess of the sea and fisherman. Sok Kwu Wan is a fishing village and the bay is full of platforms for farming the sea. As expected, when you get into the village, there are a number of seafood restaurants to sample, with all manner of aquatic life swimming in tanks for you to choose from. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to eat and still be able to catch the next ferry, but it all looked great! (Some of the biggest shrimp and spiny lobster I’ve ever seen!) I will be sure to try it on the next trip over!

Overall, Lamma is a great way to spend a day away from the hustle a noise of Hong Kong. It has the reputation of a hippie hangout, and I can see that, but mostly I think it has the appeal of not being over crowded, not having a Starbucks, and not having the noise of traffic. I can’t wait to go back again!

#1 A good map- Although Hong Kong is really easy to get around and very walking friendly, a map will help. Hong Kong tourism board has a few that you can pick up either at one of their offices, in the arrivals terminal at the airport, or online at their website.

#2 Octopus card- If you’re planning on taking any form of public transportation, then this is another great little thing to have. It’s basically like a debit card, you put money onto it, and use it like cash for most all modes of public transportation. You can also use it in a lot of convenience stores, snack stores, and even at Watson’s (local drug store). These can be picked up at the airport or at the subway terminals, and any unused money as well as the original deposit, can be refunded before you leave.

#3 Good shoes- As stated earlier, Hong Kong is great for walking, and walk you will! Kowloon is fairly flat, but wandering around on Hong Kong Island can present you with some good climbs. Your feet will thank you for taking care of them.

#4 Some basic medicines from home- Unfortunately sometimes you can get a bad meal, or allergies will act up at the wrong time. Although Watson’s has most everything you would need, when you’re not feeling well, you want the convenience of grabbing a well known medication instead of trying to figure out what is "Sudafed" or "Pepto" in Chinese. (I really can’t say enough about how friendly the pharmacist at Watson’s was when I came in with a horrible sinus headache from allergies. OTC wasn’t working so he was able to recommend something that worked. And I was able to use my Octopus card!)

#5 A couple of words in the local language- Just being able to say "Thank you" or even "Hello" will go a long way. It’s only polite after all, and if nothing else, I found Hong Kongers to be very polite. (OK, maybe not so much when they’re behind the wheel of a taxi…)

Since I’d not wandered around Hong Kong Island on my own yet, I figured a good way to get my bearings would be to take a tour. The Hong Kong Tourism Board’s website had quite a few to choose from, and I decided to take the ‘Hong Kong Deluxe tour’, operated by Grey Line Tours. Booking the tour was relatively easy, I could’ve done it from my Hotel’s concierge desk, but since I was near their Kowloon side office, I decided to book it there. Next morning at 8am, I was picked up from my hotel’s lobby and away we went! As I was the first to be picked up, I got a nice tour of the Kowloon hotels as we went around picking up other passengers. It amazes me how the bus driver (Who we were introduced to as "his name is Money") was able to navigate around the tight corners and miss all curbs and pedestrians! Once we were all assembled, our tour guide, Andy, gave us a quick summary of the tour; Man Mo Temple, Victoria Peak, Aberdeen fishing village, a jewelry factory, Stanley Market, then back to our hotels.

First stop- Man Mo Temple. Over 100 years old, this very active Taoist temple is located on Hollywood Road. Andy gave us a quick explanation of the differences between Buddhism and Taoism, cautioned us to take no pictures of the locals coming in to pray, and led us inside. The entire place is bathed in a haze of incense smoke from the hundreds of smoldering coils hanging from every possible place! They’re burned as offering to the Gods for good wishes, health, prosperity, etc. (Similar to lighting a candle for something or someone in a Christian church) This Temple is dedicated to the Taoist Gods of Literature and War, but there are a multitude of other deities represented that can be worshipped as well. Outside, we saw the large brazier that is used to burn ‘hell’ or ‘joss" money. You purchase fake paper money, then burn it in this oven so your ancestors can have it in the Otherworld. After a quick stop into the temple gift shop, it was back on the bus for the next stop.

Peak Tram/ Victoria Peak- Now I have ridden the tram up to the peak before, and if there’s anything I say is a must-do while in Hong Kong, it’s this! The rickety tram ride is amazingly steep!  Personally, I think the best seats are the ones in the back going up, or front going down, so you can see just how steep it is. When you get to the top, you can actually see the cable that hauls the trams, and it seems kind of small, but it’s been doing just the same since the 1800s. Once at the top, you can either get inundated with tourist trap stuff in the Peak mall, or go outside for some air and views, we chose the latter. The views from Victoria Peak, on a clear day are simply amazing. You’re looking down on Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbor, and Kowloon. There are a couple of trails you can take for a nice walk around the Peak as well and, on weekends, these are very popular! Even on a misty morning, I still recommend a trip up to the Peak. Watching the fog come off the mountain is really neat and makes from some great photos! After about 45 minutes or so, our bus picked us up and it was down to Aberdeen fishing village.

Aberdeen- This was very interesting in a sad kind of way. Aberdeen fishing village is what tourists think of when they think of junks and traditional boat life in the Orient and it is a fishing village, there are plenty of commercial fishing boats in the harbor. Unfortunately, it is also the site of the famous/infamous "Jumbo floating restaurant", which had been moved to China for some refurbishment. As our bus was pulling up, Andy let us know that the "optional sampan ride" really wasn’t optional. I guess I could’ve not gone, but why? The ride lasted about 20 minutes, going through and around the anchored boats. About half of the boats floating in the harbor were obviously homes, in various stages of care. I wondered how some of then stayed afloat! Our boat pilot pointed out various sights, such as fresh-caught fish and freshly plucked chickens hanging for dinner, dragon boats, house boats etc., before returning us to the docks to re-board the bus. The expected donation for the trip was $10HK; most tourists left more, as I did. Once back on the bus, Andy explained to us that Aberdeen Fishing Village is in danger from development. A local theme park is trying to take over the harbor to expand to compete with Hong Kong Disney. The fishermen must take out tourists to make ends meet to support themselves, something that is seen as disgraceful. Andy explained that Aberdeen fishing village is expected to be no more within a few years; a Hong Kong tradition and way of life will be gone. Seeing as how we were told this after the ride, rather than before, I’m glad I donated more than the expected. Next stop was the only one that I wasn’t happy with, but it seems to be commonplace on tours in China; the jewelry factory stop. Money parked the bus outside of the loading dock and we were led in the back way; not very promising. Once inside, we were ushered into a small conference room and given a short presentation on how jewelry is made before being escorted into the showroom to shop. There were refreshments and restrooms, and lots of pretty but overpriced (in my opinion) jewelry. We were there for about 45 minutes, then back on the bus for Stanley. Stanley Market was worth the trip over, if just for the scenery along the way. (Repulse Bay is breathtaking!) It’s got as much stuff as Temple Street or Ladies Street markets, but it seems a bit more laid back, and I found the prices to be a bit better. Clothing, souvenirs, all the basic things that you would want to find in a market, and I thought that there was a nicer selection of everything, particularly linens. There are also a couple of museums and a temple dedicated to Tin Hau, Taoist Goddess of the Sea and protector of fishermen, but there wasn’t really enough time to check these out. I came back a few days later on my own, the #6 bus from Central takes about 30 min. After Stanley, it was back on the bus again for the return trip to my hotel. Overall, I’m not a huge fan of the "guided bus tour", preferring to grab a guidebook and map and go on my own. After this trip, that’s just what I did, but the tour was a nice overview and gave me an idea of some places that I wanted to check out on my own later. Andy, our tour guide was very informative and entertaining, and I’m still amazed that our driver, Money, was able to maneuver that bus the way he did! I definitely recommend this tour if you only have a short time, or if you want to get an overview to base your own adventures on.