Hong Kong Part 3

From Wan Chai, we took bus 6X (HKD 8.40) straight to Stanley. My mum used to bring our guests and relatives here for shopping. I didn't think it was much fun 18 years back. But things have changed. The whole area has changed tremendously. It is such a beautiful place. We didn't do anything much but just enjoyed the wonderful scenery and weather....and Akmar did some shopping too (Bought a jumpsuit for Alyssa at HKD10, an oil painting for HKD90). The trip on the bus was wonderful as well. Along the way are some high end apartments and condominiums. In less than 30 minutes I saw more than 10 luxury cars (4 Bentlys, 2 Aston Martins, countless Ferrarris and Porches). I wonder how rich these people are. A parking lot in Hong Kong can cost as much as HKD 4 million!

Stanley Bay

Nice weather, nice view

The high end apartments from the bus

From the southern side of Hong Kong, we head straight to the Mainland. We arrived just in time for the Symphony of Lights at The Avenue of Stars. (Bus no. 6 to Admiralty Station, then MTR to Tsim Tsa Tsui). The Symphony of Lights is certified by Guinness World Records as the world's largest permanent light and sound show in the world. It starts daily at 8pm and the best vantage point is from The Avenue of Stars. It IS the biggest but entertaining it is NOT. We can barely see where the lights are coming from and it wasn't synchronous with the soundtrack. Basically, its what we Malays say "Indah khabar dari rupa". But the view of the Hong Kong Skyline is not to be missed.

The beautiful skyline

Jackie Chan's star

A Bruce Lee wannabe

Next, we went to Mong Kok. THE place for shopping and bargaining, the Ladies' Market. This place is massive, filled to the brim with people. The rule of thumb here is DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE PRICE. A typical bargain will be like this:

Me:         How much is this?
Ah Moi:  This is HKD300. But I give you best price...HKD150
Me:         Cheaper can?
Ah Moi:  I give you best price already!
Me:         Ok, I go
Ah Moi:  Mister, mister. How much you want? (shows you a calculator)
Me:        (I write HKD 75)
Ah Moi:  Too much. Cannot sell
Me:        (I walk off)
Ah Moi:  Ok, ok mister. I give you HKD 80, I give you free key chain.

I bought the bloody thing for HKD 80. The next day we went to The Peak and saw the same thing for HKD 50, fixed price! The moral of the story is, these people are scumbags. If you enjoy bargaining and have skills, this is a place for you.

Despite my grudge against the sellers, we returned to our room with close to HKD 1000 of stuff. Tipping the scales of our luggage by 5kg (departed with 20kg luggage, returned home with 20kg).

Hong Kong Part 2

The exploration begins. It was raining on the first night we were there. Drizzling to be precise, and rather cold. Our exploration of Hong Kong began with a hop onto the tram. It is the oldest form of public transport and is the best and cheapest way tot explore Hong Kong. Just hop on it and enjoy the urban jungle, The best seats for a view is at the top. It cost just HKD 2.30. You can travel from one end of HK to other with just the single fare.

On the tram

Our first stop was Central, in front of the HSBC Bank building. It was raining, we didn't really get to enjoy the surrounding area. Things were not as I remembered. We walked in the rain towards the Star Ferry Pier. But the site were there was once sea is now land. The area has been reclaimed! Luckily we saw a pedestrian bridge heading to the pier.

The Star Ferry Company Limited is more than 100 years old, the ferry is abit more modern though. A trip to Hong Kong will not be complete without getting on one of these. The fare from Central to Tsim Tsa Tsui is HKD 2.50. If you want to feel some sea water splashing onto your face, you can go on the lower deck, but we just went up on the upper deck. We were already wet anyway.

On the ferry

View from the ferry

By the time we reached Tsim Tsa Tsui (TST), it was 1030 p.m. Most shops were closed but the city was still alive with activity. There were people everywhere. We kept our visit short on thee first night. By 1130 p.m. we were back at our hostel. We needed as much rest as possible.

DAY 2: Jalan jalan & Shopping

Breakfast was literally in bed...there wasn't much room to move in the room! (Gardenia bread cicah with Yeo's canned Chicken Masalla). The weather was just nice with a bit of a drizzle. The first thing on our list was to return to 'Wharfu Chongsam Pak Kok" (Wharf Road, North Point). My home for 3 1/2 years. The place haven't changed much. The playground where I used to play at still look the same. It feels wonderful to be back here, especially with my wife at my side. I'm able to share all my memories with her.

View from below

Block 12A

After a quick tour around the apartment block we walked all the way to Causeway Bay. The cool weather made the walk a breeze (I wouldn't really walk in Malaysia's heat). We spent some time enjoying the greenery of Victoria Park en route to Causeway Bay. The park is very well preserved, something Malaysians should take note. Hong Kong people appreciate this greenery while Malaysians tend to litter all over the place.

One of the pathways

The Park Lane Hotel at the back...can't believe  I stayed there once

Causeway Bay is a business shopping district. You can see tons of people shopping like mad here. It is mainly a shopping haven for people with big bucks looking for high end items. But if you know where to look  (and walk) there are plenty of bargains. Just remember to walk and bargain...which I am not good at. In the end Akmar walks home with a few new clothes and I walk home empty handed (mainly because of 'NO SIZE').

Lunch was at the Wan Chai Islamic Center Canteen. It is located at the top floor of the Wan Chai Mosque building. It serves all sort of Chinese food, and most importantly Halal food. The price is affordable too. A plate of fried rice is around HKD 30 and can serve up to 2 people (even for my appetite, I can't finish the whole plate). The dim sum and pau taste great. It might not be the best in town, but it is good enough.

Sedap

Two thumbs up, two PJK (perut jauh ke depan)

Perut kenyang......kita jalan lagi!!!