Arrived at HK airport around half past one and armed with my super detailed A11 bus guide and photo of bus stop to alight, Mom and me headed for the bus interchange at the airport, instead of the Airport Express, which saved us a fair amount of money. Arrived at Causeway Bay almost 3pm lugging our trolley bags in search of our hotel. After sorting out some accommodation glitches, we met ZY and WY at Parklane Hotel on Gloucester Road where we were staying.
We headed out almost immediately and stopped by a diner near our hotel for hk porridge and you tiao wrapped in chee cheong fun skin which was quite yummy. Decided to go up the Peak since it was still bright and we could hang out there to watch the sunset. So did everyone else i guess. We took the bus up to the Peak which i recommend cos the scenery along the journey up the Peak is pretty nice except that i was dozing most of the way since i slept only an hour or so the night before. I've been up here before when i last came to HK in 2002 and The Peak looks pretty much the same. But still nice though.
Dusk at the Peak was really beautiful... you have to be strategically positioned if you wanna cut out the crowd from your picture. unfortunately it also means you cut out most of the scenery too. its that crowded.
Zy & Wy in an almost Titanic moment... haha.
hmmm... i swear i had the exact same picture the last time i was here, except that was on film.
Ha! I'm not a fan of Madame Tussauds but squeezed with the kids and stole this picture with Pierce Brosnan, I mean, James Bond at the entrance to Madame Tussauds.
I just couldn't resist a picture at this really cozy little cafe at the Peak Gallery when no one was looking
Zy & Wy on the same green sofa
Tramride down the Peak. We had to queue for a while to get onto the tram and there was this ice-cream shop strategically located facing the queue. The ice cream was so tempting but i kinda didn't want to spoil dinner so resisted a cone.
3 blind mice looking for food, stopped by this pretty cool advert for a picture. After The Peak, we found ourselves at Central and checked out the area a bit before dinner.
Stopped by Lan Kwai Fong for drinks before dinner, haha not really. I remember being here on Christmas Eve in '02 and it was quite festive and people were partying.
I like the bends and slopy corners at Lan Kwai Fong and some of the pubs had interesting interiors. it feels like a nice place with just the right amount of energy to wind down with colleagues after work.
Dinner on our first night in HK was at Yong Kei for 'siu ngor' as recommended by Eric.
Advertorials for Yong Kei, they should pay me. Although I found the goose a bit on the tough side.
After dinner, we walked up the escalators at Midlevels, which was kinda my favourite place in Hong Kong really. I like the urbanscape and how the roads are sloping quite steeply and how the escalators take you up and up the urban terrain.
I like the narrow alley between the escalators and the buildings where quaint little bars and cafes spring up seemingly spontaneously. I also remember this place from my last trip.
Up escalator, cross street, up escalator, cross street... i love it!
midway up the Midlevels i believe
you can tell by the number of photos that i really like this place haha
Day 02 - 1 August 07 - Wednesday
No concrete plans for today. Went to Sha Tin for shopping with mom after dim sum brunch at Feng Cheng at Causeway Bay where i realised i couldn't read the dishes off the chinese menu. Thats when i realised its in fan ti zi. My recognition of chinese characters must be pretty bad cos i couldn't even locate the common dian xin like zhu chang fen or shao mai. Maybe they're called by a different term here. Lunch at Maxim's Palace at Sha Tin was the same except this time the waiter offered to get us a English menu haha. We went to Mong Kok from Sha Tin in the afternoon for a different kind of shopping. Sha Tin was like Singapore shopping, in cool air-con comforts and Mong Kok, shop in the sun and squeeze with 10000 other people on the streets. Ladies Market was as expected, touristy and pretty repetitive. Didn't enjoy it very much.
Found Shui Liu Shan, my favourite mango dessert outlet and treated myself to a mango pudding in mango juice and sago with extra mango cubes. super yummy! i had this like every other day i was in hk.
After walking up and down Tung Choi Street, Sai Yeung Choi Street and Fa Yuen Street at Mong Kok with not much to reap, we arranged to meet up with Zy for dinner at Tsim Sha Tsui where he was with some friends. Ended up having simple noodle soup dinner along Granville Road with Mom cos Zy decided to have dinner with his friends. Didn't do any shopping at Granville which my friends raved about before i came... maybe cos my feet were hurting from all that walking earlier in the day. Took the MTR back with Zy.
Back to Causeway Bay to our hotel where mom decided to stay in since it was 10pm, while i headed out to the streets for some late night shopping with Zy. I like the energy at Causeway Bay where we stayed.
I made my brother pose for pictures at the yellow striped traffic crossing and later at a whitewashed timber panelling wall.
Day 03 - 2 August 07 - Thursday
Breakfast at the porridge place Wy took us on our first day Day Trip to ShenZhen. We took the MTR and transferred to the KCR line towards Lo Wu, the border checkpoint between shenzhen & hongkong.
One hour foot massage at S$5 each for mom, zy & myself. Was so tempted to get eyelash extensions for S$30 since i always complain about my super short and nonexistent eyelashes. Watched in envy as these 2 ladies got theirs done.
Xiao Fei Yang steamboat for a late lunch. You won't believe the amount of whole garlic we fished out of the soup when it got too difficult to scoop out the vermicelli without the herbs and spices getting in the way. i spent most of the time picking out the garlic rather than eating my food. Its another of my anal traits/habits to like picking things out of food.
At Dong Men or East Gate for cheap buys, not that i bought anything here though.
Back to Hong Kong rather late at night and headed to Temple Street for claypot and oyster omelette dinner at 11pm
Then we roamed the night bazaars at Temple Street at midnight which was quite nice cos it wasn't too crowded.
It was a bit like Singapore's chinatown, where the goods get pretty repetitive after a while
Couldn't resist this GQ shot of my brother who stayed over at the hotel cos he was too lazy to head back.
And this 'pai kia' shot of him the next morning.
Day 04 - 3 August 07 - Friday
Did the touristy thing and headed to Aberdeen Jumbo floating restaurant for dim sum, complete with a ferry boat ride out to the floating restaurant!
Zy with his new S$6 shenzhen shades
confirmed touristy.
this modern looking marina was juxtaposed right next to the oriental looking Jumbo floating restaurant, very Hong Kong indeed.
Took a random bus and ended up in Mong Kok via Hung Hom for more random street shopping, cafe-sitting and a relatively yummy dinner with Zy and Wy. Bought S$10 black patent shoes and a brown bag for S$20 at Argyle Centre which was somewhat like Far East Plaza.
Bakery making 'wife' biscuits
Stoppped for coffee at a cha chan teng in Mong Kok
Dinner with Wy & Zy at Mong Kok, somewhere.
I like the energy of these 2 photos taken in Mong Kok while my brother was on the phone with Dad.
all smiles despite having to navigate the crowd
Day 05 - 4 August 07 - Saturday
Did some catching up with Anng & Rayvees at Central for dim sum brunch. Thanks for lunch guys!
Took a long bus ride from Central headed to Stanley Market, only because the guide books say its a must. If you ask me, don't bother, really. Although the views out to Repulse Bay were nice, not breathtaking, just nice.
Stanley Market, i think you can give it a miss
Hong Kong Jockey Club, view out from bus windows
Overhead footbridge at Central
Ha, mom outside Louis Vuitton & Georgio Armani. Thank God we're both not into labels.
Off to take the Star Ferry from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui just to do what every HK tourist does.
My excited Mummy on board the Star Ferry
Outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre at Tsim Sha Tsui at night, at the viewing point for the nightly Symphony of Lights display by the Hong Kong skyline.
Skyline before the start of the Symphony of Lights Display
Skyline during the Symphony of Lights display. My brother was right, it sure looked more spectacular in the tourist brochures.
there's just something about the black mosaic and white chinese characters above the white english fontDay 06 - 5 Aug 07 - Sunday
Causeway Bay just got a little more crowded on Sunday, especially when you're headed for the airport lugging your trolley bags which have doubled in weight from all the shopping and numerous boxes of wife biscuits for family and friends.
Featuring Travel Buddy: Mum. With special appearance by Zhenyuan & Waiyu
