Hangin' in HK

We sure have been busy as the school year begins to wind down.  Only three weeks left until summer vacation.  To reward ourselves for working so hard we made a weekend getaway trip to Hong Kong.  It really was the Grants' idea.  They will be leaving us after this school year and wanted one last Hong Kong excursion.

Friday Hustle
The trip began Friday night.  We got off work and took a taxi directly to the train station.  From Dongguan, we traveled a quick thirty minute ride to Shenzhen.  As we made our way to the border crossing, it became apparent that we were not the only ones with the idea to travel to Hong Kong.  After completing all of the formalities, we hopped on the MTR subway and headed south for Hong Kong Island.  The New Territories of Hong Kong cover a decent area and thus our initial subway ride was thirty minutes.  After transferring lines a couple of times, we finally made it to Causeway Bay and our lodging--Empire Hotel at around 9:00pm.  We happened to stay at another location of the Empire Hotel in the Wan Chai area of Hong Kong and enjoyed it.  We hoped that this location would be just as nice.  It turned out that it is not, but the rooms were adequate.

Since no of us had eaten since lunch, we were starving.  Much to our liking, we located an Indian restaurant right down the road from our hotel.  It was a very small joint, but it had a full house so we knew that the food must have been good.  It did not disappoint.  We ordered great dishes of chick peas, curries, vindaloo, and tandoori.  It was an excellent meal, a bit pricey, but that is how things go in Hong Kong.  They say you pay more for quality on the island.

After dinner we walked around the neighborhood for a few minutes to let our food go down and made our way back to the hotel for bed.  The Grants needed to send a package from the Hong Kong postal service so they had to get up early the next day.  We would lounge for a bit and then meet them for a quick breakfast and then off to hike.

Hiking in HK
This was our second time hiking in Hong Kong.  We made a trip here in November to hike with the Grants as well, however Terese became ill and could not go with us.  She vowed to make up the date and this was our time to do it. 

The location of our hike was the MacLehose Trail at the Saikung National Park.  It is peaceful areas with beautiful scenery--lush mountains, chirping birds, and beaches for walking.  The only problem with this destination is it is a bit of work to reach.  We had to hop back on the subway and transfer a couple of times before taking both a large bus and minibus to the park.  In total it was about an hour's worth of time.  However, after seeing the location it was worth the effort.

The weather called for occasional showers for this Saturday morning/afternoon.  We spent a little over two hours making our way through the main trail.  Two times it began to rain hard and both times we reached shelter as the rain began to fall.  The first time we passed a small village snack shop.  For ten minutes it poured cats and dogs, but we did not have a drop touch us under the awnings of the shop.  We ate an interesting tofu dessert snack while we watched other hikers run to seek shelter with us. Unfortunately, they were not so lucky and were drenched from head to toe.  The other time it began to rain hard just as we finished the descent back to the bus for returning to the main island.

After our hike, we made our way back to Saikung town.  We decided to head down to Nathan Road, one of the busiest areas in Hong Kong, to eat and shop.  When we arrived after taking the subway, it was an intense experience.  It was five o'clock in the afternoon and literally thousands upon thousands of people crammed the area known as the Ladies' Market.  We didn't particularly like this area, but could see how tourists would love the opportunity to buy fake products at discounted prices.  Since we live in China, the markets of Hong Kong do not compare and appealed little to us.  However, we browsed for an hour or so before we grew tired and hungry.

The ladies wanted pizzas, but after looking and coming up empty, we decided to look for another option.  The search lasted a long time and finally we decided on a Pakistani restaurant.  The menu was simple and consisted of nothing but curries.  Pazi ordered a vegetable curry, Terese had a chicken curry, Warren a beef curry, and Adan chowed on a ox tail curry.  The food ended up being so-so, however the ambiance was pretty neat.  Sitting jam packed in a restaurant that should seat twenty five when there are forty is something else.

Shopping and Shangri-La
The next morning we checked out of the hotel and made our way back to the border.  We had two objectives in mind:  shop at Luo Hu Market and eat at the Shangri-La Hotel buffet.

We shopped for a few hours purchasing gifts and essential items to take home this summer.  Then we headed over to the famous Shangri-La Hotel.  Our friends the Porters, who taught with us last year, had recommended for months that we try the brunch buffet here.   We always found an excuse not to go and pushed back a visit to the restaurant for some reason or another.  Well, this weekend the Grants said we needed to do it. 

For two hours we feasted on some of the best quality dishes we have ever had.  The buffet consisted of four main areas: Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, and Western.  Additionally they had two dessert stations and any kind of drink you could imagine.  Check out the pictures of Pazi getting Jasmine Flower Tea served to her by a skilled waiter at our table.  Talk about service! 

The salmon and tuna at the sushi bar was great.  The grilled beef and eggplant had a flavor that was truly amazing.  The poached eggs and ham was delicious, as was the baked sea bass.  The desserts included cheesecake, creme brulee, chocolate mousse, and much more.  The meal was a bit pricey at 200RMB (just under $30), but it was worth it in the end. 

Wow, looking back it sure was a memorable weekend we shared with good friends.