Here are some of my favourite things in and about Hong Kong.
Some if the local shops are so beautifully organized. Unfortunately I have no idea what's for sale so I only admire from the sidewalk.
Other shops are not as organized. I'm sure the owner can find everything but to me it's a complete jumble and I love it! It's like a treasure hunt! Plumbing equipment goes so well with wristwatches, don't you think?
Check out this display! Who can't want everything on here? It's all useful stuff. Imagine the possibilities!
This is one of my favourite shops, a stationers in Carnavon Road. They have everything; calendars, push pins, business card holders (oops, sorry NAME card holders), tape, lottery tickets, all imaginable filing equipment, scrapbooking stuff, chinese festival decorations. You name it and it's in this shop!
When I come here I usually stay in Tsim Sha Tsui, the southern point of mainland Hong Kong. There are many other great areas to explore though and the best way to do so is simply to catch one of the many, many red and white taxis. It's so incredibly cheap! You can go through the city for 3 (three!) US dollars. The taxi drivers often don't speak English so you circle on your map where you want to go and point. Put your seatbelt on though, they drive like mad men!
Like I said the taxis are great but my fave, fave means of transportation here is the Star Ferry. It's a ferry line which takes you from mainland Hong Kong to Hong Kong island and back. The fair I go is on the island so in the mornings I walk from my hotel to the Ferry pier and pay my 30 US cents fair (again, yes thirty cents!) and get on one of the 1950's ferries and enjoy the quick ride across the bay. Aren't the seats great? When you go in the other direction you flip the whole length of backrests in one fell swoop and always sit facing the direction your going in!
Oh, to be as lithe as this lady probably in her 80's! There she is in a corner doing her morning Tai Chi as we're all passing by from the ferry to the convention center.
Hong Kong is such a busy city. Everytime I come here something drastic has changed. A building is no longer there or a new huge one has been built. There are still some greener areas about, Kowloon park with all the birds is beautiful but check out this mini doggy toilet just behind my hotel next to a tiny green path just off Mody Road smack in the center of the city.
Ok, it's official. I don't want a job as a builder here in Hong Kong. Check out the scaffolding! And yes, this IS what they use when they build the scy scrapers too!
Yikes!
Tomorrow I'm off on the train into China and the city of Guangzhou (Canton to you and me). See you there!
