Hong Kong - Dim Sum & Gray Skies

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Hong Kong

The first thing we did when we arrived in Hong Kong was find the closest Dim Sum restaurant. After a delicious meal, we took the subway to Hong Kong Island and walked around there. Ian was looking for a new camera, so we stopped into several shops on our way to a well known street market where we saw some of the biggest cucumbers ever. They had to be 2 1/2 feet long, and bigger than a hand across. They also had all sorts of fresh fish, meats, shell fish, and other vegetables. One of the interesting things that Hong Kong has is an elevated walkway that incorporates escalators and goes up the incline of the city from the harbor towards Victoria Peak. The walkway is over a mile long and climbs several hundred feet in elevation. During our ride, we found a New York deli where we enjoyed some Carnegie style sandwiches.

Everyday in Hong Kong started with a Dim Sum meal. The second day, Ian found what he considers the best piece of Dim Sum he has ever eaten at the London Restaurant in Mong Kok. It was a sui mai (pork and shrimp dumpling) inside a char su bao wrapper (fluffy steamed dough) and then pan fried after it was steamed. Ian finally found his camera in the same area of Kowloon and we walked around that section of town which had a large street market.

The next day we went to the Stanley Market and beach which was about a 30 minute bus ride from central Hong Kong. The market is the most famous touristy market in Hong Kong and was a bit of a spectacle. After browsing the market, we walked over to the beach and enjoyed the only partly sunny day of our visit while watching some of the dragon boats and wind surfers.

We had Dim Sum at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen which is famous as the first and largest restaurant which floats in the harbor. We then walked around downtown for a little bit, but as most things were closed because it was Sunday, we walked to the Star Ferry to cross over the harbor to Kowloon. On the way to the ferry we saw an interesting site. All along the walkways and subways under the roads were groups of Filipino women. Apparently they gather in that area every Sunday which is their day off from working. It was quite astounding to see thousands of people sitting on the sidewalks and in any place they could find, doing everything from picnicking to ballroom dancing. We took the Star Ferry across the harbor and later that night we came back and watched the sound and light show which takes place every night along the Hong Kong harbor.

The following day we went to the botanical and zoological gardens where we saw many animals and a variety of beautiful orchids. Unfortunately the best animal pictures aren't great because they are all behind cages. After the gardens, we went up into two buildings to take the elevator up to the viewing decks. The first one was the Bank of China building and the other one was the International Finance Center. They had great views of the city but it was still gray and overcast.

The entire time we were there, we waited for a clear day to take the tram up to the top of Victoria Peak. Unfortunately, that clear day never came. So, on our last day we took the tram up to the top of the peak anyway. The ride was extremely steep and several times our car stopped and restarted with a jolt. As expected, the views from the top were less than stellar due to the cloudy skies.

Overall, Hong Kong was one of the most enjoyable big cities we have visited. The food and international culture of the city give it a great charisma.

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Photos

Street Market
That's one big cucumber