Hong Kong

Randy's last week is a blur. We visited Hong Kong for four days and Hanoi for three. School wrapped up with graduation on Thursday and Kim and I committed to work the recruiting fair on Saturday. We had booked flights and hotels in both Hong Kong and Hanoi. On Saturday morning we heard that the Hong Kong hotel had notified us that a room was no longer available (a better offer, I guess). We immediately began a search online and talked to colleagues. Our director, Frank, recommended the Stanford in Mong Kok (in the Kowloon section of HK). A phone call confirmed a reservation and we crossed our fingers.
Hong Kong

On Sunday we flew into Macao and ferried over to Kowloon, Hong Kong. We taxied into an apparently older part of town. Our trepidation was relieved when we got to a small but modern hotel just blocks from the Market ( Ladies Market, electronic market, Jade market, Temple market, fish market, flower market, bird market, sports market - truly amazing). The activity in the area is energizing. People are everywhere from early morning until late evening (midnight). The market itself opens at noon and closes at midnight. Each evening it is torn down and cleared away to allow for cleaning and local deliveries. Each day it is set up and the surrounding streets are blocked off to create a pedestrian mall. The market then becomes shoulder to shoulder browsers and bargainers. We took great advantage of the opportunities to get some Christmas shopping done.

On Monday we found a tour company and booked two tours. The first was a half day tour of Hong Kong island on Monday afternoon. We were picked up at a local hotel at 1:30 and toured until after 7:00 that night. It included the shopping district from British colonial times (Hollywood Avenue) the temples and Stanley market. The tour gave us a wonderful overview and we determined that we would return on Tuesday to further explore the Hollywood Avenue(shopping) and Soho (eating and partying) areas. One of the experiences was a ride on the inclined railway to the top of Victoria peak. This is the highest point in Hong Kong and provides quite a view of the harbour. The railway is serviced by a pair of old style tram cars and is said to be the steepest in Asia. We moved on to Aberdeen typhoon shelter. A safe harbour that houses the fishermen. We took a ride on a sampan with a crust old woman with a very direct approach to everything. At the end of the tour she said "55 dollars each person - you pay now!" This part of the tour showed us around the floating village that houses the fisherman's families. We drove through the outer areas of the island past Repulse Bay and on to Stanley market. Having spent time in the Ladies market we found Stanley market a little tame.

On Tuesday we went back the HK island and walked around the areas mentioned. On Hollywood we met Ken and Susan, a young couple from the college ... among 7 million people. We arranged a lunch for Wednesday. We also visited Soho for a delightful lunch at a little bistro. We returned to the hotel and prepared for the second tour...a Christmas holiday lights tour of Hong Kong and Kowloon areas. The first stop was on the Kowloon side of the harbour where watched a sound and light show put on by the major buildings and businesses on both sides of the harbour. Back on the bus we drove around for an hour on the top of an open top double Decker bus and marvelled at the neon and Christmas lights. They really get into Christmas here but we hear that the BIG celebration is Chinese New Year in February. We finished up with a visit to Temple market. Is is much like Ladies market - you can buy just about anything and most are "GENUINE COPIES". They really said that!

Wednesday was a hectic day. We went to the Jade market but didn't buy because Kim (the negotiator) didn't get the prices she wanted. Then we met Ken and Susan for a dim sum lunch. The restaurant was recommended by Ken's uncle who lives in Hong Kong. It was great to have Ken along as he grew up in HK and speaks the language. He also knows dim sum and what to order. We had a wonderful time sharing food and experiences.

We absolutely loved Hong Kong. It is the most vibrant, crowded, interesting city with fabulous sights, areas, and people.

Back at our hotel we picked up the luggage and caught a cab to the ferry terminal. The trip to Macao and the airport went well and we were in plenty of time for our 7:50 flight. Unfortunately, the plane did not arrive and we were delayed for 3 hours until 10:50. We arrived back in KL at 3:00 AM and waited in the airport until 5:30 to check in for a 6:30 flight to Hanoi.