HKG: so much to see and do
the hong kong getaway with my sister was great. the weather, cool and comfortable, made the crowds much easier to bear and everyone less grumpy. i was also pleasantly surprised and impressed by the very good service we enjoyed, not just at the hotel (quite expected), shopping malls and restaurants, but even down to the street markets and dai pai dongs. the street market stall vendors have even mastered the art of bargaining politely and giving in graciously to our "final offers". singapore has nothing to crow about when it comes to customer service. the only gap i spotted was the empty candy trays at the HKIA immigration counters ... changi's candy bowls are always filled. ;)
was quite amused to see the HK-ers all decked out in boots and scarves when the weather was about 23-25 degrees celcius in the day. in california, we would have been out in flip flops in such weather! but i guess being a fashion capital, the people of HK will find any excuse to parade their winter wear. any colder and i would probably have seen long furry jackets being worn.
am particularly proud that we managed to get around the city without getting too lost and without sticking out of the crowd like map-wielding, camera-toting tourists. it must have been the mother hen instincts that kicked in the moment we landed in hong kong. ck looks out for me when i travel with him, but with my sister, i've to be the one making sure we don't leave our belongings behind, don't get our bags stolen, don't wander into some dark alley etc etc.
happily, we also managed to visit some new places this time round ... man mo temple with its huge incense coils (needless to say, we went camera crazy); and stanley, whose seaside, laid-back atmosphere and ang moh vibe reminded me of sausalito.
prayers for a better tomorrow
blake's pier at stanley
on board the star ferry on a hazy afternoon
and yes, shopping was quite fulfilling too, especially because the street market shoe stalls had sizes for big-feet me! :D my sister also bought enough zocks (30 pairs?!) to last her a lifetime.
then again, it's also nice to come back home to ck and an extended weekend. whee! :)
was quite amused to see the HK-ers all decked out in boots and scarves when the weather was about 23-25 degrees celcius in the day. in california, we would have been out in flip flops in such weather! but i guess being a fashion capital, the people of HK will find any excuse to parade their winter wear. any colder and i would probably have seen long furry jackets being worn.
am particularly proud that we managed to get around the city without getting too lost and without sticking out of the crowd like map-wielding, camera-toting tourists. it must have been the mother hen instincts that kicked in the moment we landed in hong kong. ck looks out for me when i travel with him, but with my sister, i've to be the one making sure we don't leave our belongings behind, don't get our bags stolen, don't wander into some dark alley etc etc.
happily, we also managed to visit some new places this time round ... man mo temple with its huge incense coils (needless to say, we went camera crazy); and stanley, whose seaside, laid-back atmosphere and ang moh vibe reminded me of sausalito.
prayers for a better tomorrow
blake's pier at stanley
on board the star ferry on a hazy afternoon
and yes, shopping was quite fulfilling too, especially because the street market shoe stalls had sizes for big-feet me! :D my sister also bought enough zocks (30 pairs?!) to last her a lifetime.
then again, it's also nice to come back home to ck and an extended weekend. whee! :)