02 December 2012

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!!!




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

nostalgia betul north point! lagi2 for you guys :) - klong

MO Frust said...

sampai2 je terus nak tuju North Point. Pak J je tak jumpe