Happy New Year from Hong Kong!

We arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday and took the airport express into Central (on Hong Kong Island). The MRT here is so simple & easy to read with all sorts of exit info and lots of maps and signage which makes it really easy to read. After getting somewhat settled we made our way down to Victoria Harbor, a 15- 20 minute walk downhill to grab a bite to eat and take a look at the waterfront. The views at night were just beautiful. Day 1: We took our first day in Hong Kong to catch up on emails, laundry, sleep & getting settled. Day 2: Today was our first "Cultural Kaleidoscope" class put on by the Hong Kong tourism board; jewellery appreciation. Now, obviously I appreciate jewellery as much as the next girl, but in all honesty this class was so helpful focusing on pearls, diamonds, and jade. It’s so great to learn how to know what to look for when purchasing… to make sure it's real or a just to know what you are getting. The class was in Kowloon just off of Nathan Road, where there are a ton of jewellery stores so after our class we took our time exploring the many shops! We also visited the Harbor City Mall, with over 700 hundred stores it is the largest mall here in Hong Kong. It had such a great feel - it was so chic and had everything from Levi's & Gap to Chanel & Dior! Overall - a lot different than your standard American mall. Day 3: Happy New Year's Eve! We took a day trip to Stanley and Repulse Bay… about 20 min bus ride from Central station. These two towns on the opposite side of Hong Kong Island are known for the Stanley Market ( your basic Chinese Market- tons of trinkets, teapots, and cloths) beaches & waterfront, and it is a common place for many e xpats to live. It was so interesting to see the lifestyle and is a bit more laid back than the hustle and bustle of Central & Kowloon. We went out for New Years Eve in Lan Kwai Fong- an area that is very popular in Central for nightlife. We had such a great time going from bar to bar- dancing and counting down to the New Year. Day 4: New Years Day was all about eating in, relaxing & recouping from last night. In the evening we went out in Causeway Bay to catch some local food. We got adventurous trying some new things… and experienced the back alley dining for the first time here in Hong Kong. The food was delicious though- Steve new just the place to take us to! Day 5: Today was "Big Buda day" out on Lantau Island. We took the MRT out to Lantau island… and then boarded a cable car to go see the big budda at the Po Lin Monastery. This was a personal favorite of mine, the budda was so incredible to see and the cable car ride had amazing views of the islands, airport (built in 1998 world's largest civil engineering project) and the budda as we arrived there. In the late afternoon we came back to Hong Kong Island for our tea appreciation class; it was a nice class & we learned more about the history of tea in China and how it compares to other counties whom also have a rich tradition in tea. In the evening we went to see the "light show" - where all of the buildings are set to music, and then headed to the Intercontinental Hotel for drinks. We had such a great time there- amazing views of the harbor… and really tasty cocktails! This was our favorite day of our whole time here in Hong Kong! Day 6: Taking the 12:00 ferry to the Cotati Strip in Macau we did a little bit of everything. Macau is becoming the Vegas of Asia; except for the gambling is taken much more seriously here. We visited ruins of San Paulo, the main market and ate the local Macanese food. Macau was once a Portuguese settlement; so the influence here is really interesting. Day 7: Dim Sum! Today we went to a great little place for dim sum- it was so great! Day 8: We started the day by going to the Jade Market in Kowloon- with tons of merchandise we found just what we were looking for; putting our new knowledge to the test. In the afternoon we took the star ferry back to Central; which has been running since 1898. The quick ride across Victoria Harbor was quite fun; and was only twenty- eight cents (USD)!! Day 9: The Peak! Saving the best for last we took the peak tram (open since 1880’s) to the very top of Victoria Peak. Looking out all around were the amazing views of the harbor and Hong Kong Island. We then took the 2 hour hike to the village of Aberdeen were we enjoyed the harbor and dim sum at the Jumbo floating restaurant. Day 10: Our last day we spent going to the Hong Kong Museum of Art & the Hong Kong Space Museum. Both were free on Wednesday's so we made the most of it. The art museum had some amazing calligraphy scrolls and asian pottery. Overall, Hong Kong was such an amazing time- we just enough time to see everything and not feel so rushed. Next stop Australia!!!

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