Before we left on the trip, the ladies came to my house for dinner to discuss the trip. We thought we would have plenty of time before the trip to squeeze a dinner in, and when it came down to it, it was a last minute stretch to even get the 4 of us together for a few hours. That is the pace we were all running at before we left.
Thank goodness we did squeeze the dinner in though, as Amy T had thoughtfully prepared 4 different day itineraries for us to consider while we were in Hong Kong. She organized it by areas of town to make it the most efficient use of our time. We reviewed these over dinner and all agreed they looked like great suggestions.
So on this day we would be following the activities she had suggested in the ‘Central Hong Kong’ and ‘Kowloon’ itineraries. Central is probably the most urban, hip and trendy part of town on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon is on the mainland. We started the morning with a taxi ride over to meet Shelly and Amy T at Hopewell Center, which is the same area where we had the foot massages the night before. Below is a quick video I took on the ride over. This was very typical of all of my taxi rides in Hong Kong. The driver would usually have a news channel playing. Also, note the driver side in Hong Kong is on the right side of the car.
We agreed to meet at a Starbucks which also had a raw juice place close by for healthy shots to get our day started. Amy B and I got there first and it was actually a Starbucks reserve so I ordered a macchiato while Amy B went to find the raw juice bar (of course), ha, ha. She came back with a raw juice, chia pudding breakfast and some granola peanut butter breakfast balls. I had a few of the breakfast balls, they were so good and tasted like cookies. I was thinking as I was eating them, ‘wow, can this really be healthy?’
Shelly and Amy T show up and they say they had already experienced a full day before they even got to us. Neither of them slept well because Shelly picked up something on the way over with all of the coughers on the plane and little sleep. She now was in the early stages of a cold and cough and it was tough for her to sleep the night before as it was for Amy T. They also were getting adjusted to the new time zone, so they were up very early.
As they said, they had a whole day they had lived before they met us at 10:30am. Shelly also relayed a story about a LARGE water bottle she accidentally launched down a long MTR escalator this morning to the HORROR of all of the commuters on the escalator with her. She said it just kept tumbling like a slinky down the escalator to the shock and awe of everyone else. We were all laughing about it then, but in the moment, Shelly assured us, none of the commuters thought this was funny. Amy T also had a water spill on her white pants (thank goodness it was only water), but was now walking around with somewhat wet clothes. They were both in good moods though and positive that the rest of this day would be much better!
After we all finished with coffees and chia and health shots, we headed off to Wan Chai for a walk through the Wet Market. ‘Wet Market’ in Hong Kong refers to markets which sell just about everything – old school style. You can get everything from fruit and vegetables to meat, to live fish, to flowers. And when I say meat, I mean meat – all parts of meat including the stomach, head, organs, etc. and they are all on display. Also, there are many different types of animals such as chickens, snake, and pork. The fish selection is also extensive including live fish and crabs in tanks with barely enough water to cover them. We even saw a few flop out and the person standing by would kick it aside casually while they helped the current customer and then flop it back in after the customer left.
This was a great place to take photos. It first hit me now, the irony. Usually the cliche is visiting Asians in the US with cameras taking photos of everything. And now here the tables were turned, and it was me a Caucasian in Asia with a big Canon strapped around my neck. Amy T also enjoys photography and has a big camera. So we made quite a pair, looking like journalists combing the streets with our big DSLR cameras. I really appreciated that she was into photography also because she continually weaved in ‘this is a great place for photos’ into our daily adventures
Then you had Shelly and Amy B just using their iPhones, and wouldn’t you know, many times at the end of the day when we were all reviewing photos, I would think ‘Wow, they got the best pics!’ Go figure.
We then rode a double decker trolly car up to the Central area and walked around a bit looking up and down the different streets before we decided we were all a little hot and hungry for lunch. Amy T’s husband had recommended a Brazilian BBQ place that wasn’t too far so we walked there. Walking around using Google Maps is a bit of a challenge here as Google Maps doesn’t do a great job of orienting you or following your location. It can make finding places a little tough.
Finally we found the Brazilian BBQ place and were THRILLED that it was cooler inside, but probably still not cool enough for Amy T and Shelly who were hot and also now fighting the fatigue of jet lag as they had been up so early. I talked to them about how a Brazilian BBQ place works with meat that keeps coming until you say you are done. We also all ordered Caipirinhas – a Brazilian drink made of Cacacha (a alcohol distilled from sugar cane, like rum). What I LOVED about these is that they came with real sugar canes in them. I didn’t realize what it was sticking out of my drink until I tasted it and then I thought ‘Oh fresh sugar cane, where have you been? I have missed you!’ I don’t think I’ve had sugar cane since I was in elementary school. Where do you even buy sugar cane at home. Feeling like I need to now add it to my weekly grocery list.
We all enjoyed this lunch thoroughly and probably overate. Shelly and I were talking several hours later, still not hungry, that we missed the feeling of being hungry and wondered if it would ever return. Still, we didn’t mind that we kept saying yes, to more delicious meet and Brazilian Cheese bread, as it was all so delicious and our server was a Brazilian and fun to talk to as we asked him questions about how he ended up in Hong Kong from Brazil.
After lunch we toured around Central and SoHo (name is dirived from its location south of Hollywood Road) district. Amy T showed us all of the ‘hot spots’ and took us on the mid-level escalators which are the longest covered escalators in the world. The now vibrant character of SoHo is attributed to the creation of this escalator system in 1993. This part of town seemed very fun and trendy with cool shops, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, art galleries, and antique stores all around you.
This is the hot spot at night because of the restaurant scene. It is an intoxicating mix of old buildings, colors, little ally ways, and bustling City. Also the sidewalks here are so very uneven. I kept telling myself, I am constantly one step away from another doozy of an ankle sprain – be careful. A few times I would trip and Amy B would look at me with big eyes as if to say, ‘oh gosh, be careful.’
There was an Anthony Bourdin travel special on Hong Kong that we all watched before we left and he spent a lot of time in this part of town highlighting the unique areas of this part of town. I feel like Amy T did a really good job to make sure we saw them all, including a visit to a street with the famous street food stalls that also provides little makeshift tables where you can eat. The kitchen set-ups were very old school and hodge podgy, but it seemed to be hopping with lots of business. The sizzling dishes, the clatter, the aromas, the crowds, are apparently all part of one of the best food experiences you can have in Hong Kong. Too bad we were all too full from Brazilian BBQ to try one of these food stalls. But really, it was okay with me. I’m always leary to try anything from any food stall in any foreign country. Probably 95% of the time, you’d be okay. But oh that 5% when it hits you and you go down with violent food sickness, not something I’m willing to risk on vacation. It happened to me ONCE in 1991 and let’s just say, I will never forget!
When then walked towards the ferry building so that we could take a ferry across the Harbour to view the Hong Kong Island skyline. Before we hit the ferry building, there was a really neat little courtyard for people watching and resting. So we spent about 20-30 minutes there just enjoying the scene and watching the locals.
We then walked towards the ferry building and my eyes soaked in the sights along the way. A very cool Apple Store on an overpass, what looked like a food festival under tents (think Taste of Newport), a big Ferris wheel, and my favorite, a little Hong Kong man street musician belting out ‘It never rains in California.’ It’s amazing that as far away from home as we were, Amy B and I felt like it never felt too different too us. It all felt oddly familiar. I think it is a combination of it being very modern here in many ways, being exposed to a lot of Asian culture in California throughout our lives, having visited other big Cities, and experiences like this where a street musician is actually singing a song about where I’m from – Southern California.
It was a quick 15 min Ferry Ride over to what they call the Kowloon side of Hong Kong which is on the mainland and also is the body of land that connects to China. From this side of Hong Kong, you can look back at the Hong Kong Island skyline and it absolutely blows you away with the immensity of it. It feels like you are looking at a skyline that is 5x the size of the New York skyline. Many of these buildings feel bigger than anything I’ve ever seen. We got there at about dusk so it was nice to see the buildings light up. They are also super creative in how they light up buildings, I saw all sorts of things – everything from what looks like text messages scrolling up these 120 level buildings, to the time of day displayed, to moving images of Pandas. It feels like there is always something to look at on the buildings.
Amy T had told me to bring my tripod so that I could practice getting some nice evening shots of the skyline using a shutter exposure. I took several, it is so hard to get everything just right. My favorite were pictures I took were of the ‘Junk Boats’ with the red sails moving past us. They seem like such a contrast out of a different era, against the outrageously modern skyline. ‘Junk Boats’ are traditional Chinese fishing vessels which have been around since the 2nd Century A.D. Their red sails made a beautiful reflection on the water. It was so peaceful to watch them float past us. The weather here has also been really wonderful and not too hot, but made for nice balmy evenings, no jackets required and no rain.
We decided then to head over to the Ritz Carlton ‘Ozone’ bar in this part of town. It boasts the highest views of the Hong Kong and is supposedly the Highest Bar in the World. On our way to grab a cab, there was this little ice cream truck where this little old man was serving soft serve ice cream cones. I thought that was awesome and he had a very hot business going with a long line going. I have never seen a little Ice Cream car that actually serves soft serve vanilla cones. Another line I noticed was for a bus. It is amazing that they all lined up single file to wait for the bus and know to board in order. It’s like an extended Southwest boarding line, only no one gave out any numbers, they just follow their arrival order.
We took the cab over to the Ozone Bar and I want to say we pressed something outrageous like the 118th floor to get to the top. Your ears definitely popped on the ride up. It was a little bit of a hazy night from up there so it was hard to see much in detail. Also, there was no place to sit with a view. The decor also seemed kind of Vegas, in that it was extremely ornate and glitzy. It was fun to come up and see the view from here, but really about now all we were thinking about was just getting foot massages again to end the night verses trying to find a table in the crowded bar and having a drink up here.
We hopped right on the Metro adjacent to the Ritz, which also goes underwater, so we were able to easily and quickly get back to Hong Kong Island near our hotels and the foot massage place. Amy B was a little hungry as it was now 8:30pm. The rest of us had consumed tons of meat at the Brazilian restaurant and were still digesting. We decided I would go with Amy B while she grabbed a quick bite and Amy T and Shelly would get going ahead of us to the foot massage place. They were looking to have 75 minute foot massages tonight and Amy and I were good with 50 minutes. That gave Amy B and me a 25 minute cushion ahead to meet up with them again. Also, Shelly had been a trooper all day and stayed energetic and present in all that we were doing, but her cough sounded like it was getting much worse, so probably best for her to get her foot massage and get to bed as soon as possible.
When we arrived at the foot massage place, Amy T and Shelly were already in the same chairs and in the same room we were in the night before. Shelly literally looked conked out sleeping, and Amy T was raising her eyebrows at me motioning for me to check my phone that she was texting me. Her text read ‘My lady keeps falling asleep. Not sure what to do?’ I looked over and it did look like her lady was dozing. Then we both started giggling at absurdity of it.
I looked down at my massage lady that had just arrived and she put a finger condom on her pointer finger. Hmm, not sure why that might be necessary? Then Amy B’s massage lady arrived next to mine. And from the MOMENT she arrived, mine would NOT stop talking to the other massage lady. It sounded like angry talk, as if they were on a break and complaining about their bosses in the break room. And the look on my lady’s face was that of one who is all depressed. It was like watching a Hong Kong soap opera. At one point Amy T texted me jokingly, ‘Get your woman under control.’ As she was disrupting the quiet bliss of the dark room we had experienced the night before. I started laughing at the absurdity of all of it imagining just how was I going to do that?
My lady was real angry and seemed to be taking it out on my massage, but she wasn’t hurting me. She was just more very distracted and didn’t seem to have a plan with the foot and calf massage like the massage person the night before. In fact all of the massage ladies tonight seemed not on top of their game. Amy T and I continued to text and laugh, Shelly was knocked out, and Amy B was resting in her seat next to me with her eyes closed. It had been a very full day, so even not the best massage ladies served a good purpose to help all of us relax, if only mine wasn’t talking in an angry voice for all of the 50 minutes. Amy T’s continued to keep falling asleep, making bodily sounds, and kneading her calf in the oddest way. I got the giggles at the absurdity of the whole scene tonight and at one point couldn’t stop laughing. It was the ONE time my massage lady stopped talking to look at me to make sure I was okay. I think she thought I was crying.
Well, when all was said and done, we each paid for our massage and tipped our ladies modest amounts. Each one stands by the door waiting for a tip after you pay for your massage. It is a humble posture and you feel bad for complaining about any of it. After all, who would want this job to rub people’s feet all day long and then to have to wait around for your tip. I had so much compassion for all of them in that moment. It actually made me want to tip so much more, but I now knew the difference between a good experience here and one that was mediocre and left the tip as-is as I didn’t want to reinforce a mediocre job with a good tip.
The four of us said our goodbyes after that, they went to their hotel and we went to ours. When Amy B and I got back to the room 10:30pm we were thinking this had been a long day and we wanted to sleep in a little tomorrow and got to the Hong Kong History Museum, to make a bit more of a mellow day. I also was hoping to watch a bit of the World Series game that would be on in the morning and try to get caught up with a little more blogging. Amy T and Shelly were good with that, and rest for Shelly and a good nights sleep would be important for her and for all us.
I appreciate that Amy T and Shelly were super accommodating the whole trip to our schedule and whatever we wanted to do at whatever time. It was really nice to feel we could see a lot and to also be able to rest when needed. I couldn’t afford to come home sick or tired as I would need to hit it hard at work as soon as I got home.