Delightful Adventures of the Orient

Just got back from Hong Kong a couple of hours ago. And...it...was...AWESOME!



Hong Kong is an amazing blend of western and eastern cultural elements due to the fact that up until 1975, it was a British colony (even though its attached to mainland China). Its got all the flavor of Asia coupled with the efficiency and cleanliness of Europe. I was in heaven.



Hong Kong has the longest skyline of any city on the planet - it was truly beautiful to look at! We stayed with our friend Candice who we met when she was working in Seoul last year. She provided a nice place to stay and lots of advice on what to do with our time in HK. So here's a brief (haha) synopsis of what we did for 5 days!

-Lantau Island (Wednesday)-


Lantau Island is located in the westernmost part of HK. We rode the Ngong Ping 360 cable cars up to the Ngong Ping Village at the top of the mountain. Its an incredible ascent (and descent on the way back down) that takes about 30 minutes, giving you spectacular views of Lantau Island and the South China Sea.

-Mong Kok Ladies Market (Wednesday)-



The Ladies Market is the shopping mecca of HK. Everything is CHEAP! I bought so much I could barely fit all of it in my backpack coming home.

-TST, HK skyline lights show (Wednesday)-


TST (Tsim Sha Tsui) is located just across Victoria Harbour from the HK skyline and most nights they do a coordinated light show highlighting the skyscrapers with lasers and neon lights.

-HK Disneyland (Thursday)-



The happiest place in Asia! Hil and I couldn't pass up the chance to go to Disney on our vacation, could we? We spent the afternoon acting like the kids we are and ran around riding rides, meeting characters and trying to get a tan (it was 75-80 in the sun...perrrfect).

-Causeway Bay (Friday)-

I was on my own on Friday, so I decided to pamper myself in HK's "beauty" district of Causeway Bay. First I got a manicure in a really shady salon on the third floor of some abandoned-looking warehouse (just call me "Captain Street-Smart"). It was actually really cheap and my nails still look nice 2 days later, so we'll put that in the win column.

Second, I was walking along the street looking at an advertisement when an old lady comes up to me and shoves a paper in my face telling me about a salon where I can get the works, and I think I said "okay" and the next thing I know, she's got me by the arm and is dragging me into the building and into the elevator, and then she drops me off at some random office where people in white coats are busy looking very official. I end up getting my eyebrows done (again for very little money) and it turned out well. Shady experience number 2, also a win.

So I'm feeling pretty good about things by the time I pop out of the salon, and I decide to find a place that offers trigger point massage or reflexology (which I had seen signs for). Now this is a major commitment of at least $150HK...actually that's only about $20 US, so I blinked twice before deciding that I needed to get a massage.

I find myself another establishment (this one looking slightly more legit than the last two) and wander up. I decide on the acupressure massage (70 minutes) and expect to spend that time being fully and utterly relaxed.

To more accurately describe the experience, let me share with you an applicable quote from the award-winning sitcom, The Office:

Michael Scott: "The Japanese have this thing called shiatsu massage, where they dig into your body, very hard. And it is very painful. And apparently, some people throw up. But the next day they feel great. I’ve never had one. They sound awful."

I think I may have accidentally ordered that massage. Its been two days, and I feel like someone ran me over with a Pepsi truck. She beat the crap out of me. I think she must have been Bruce Lee's daughter or something. I am bruised. Bruised. Ow.

So apparently the massage was a little too legit for my liking. Should've picked somewhere more sketchy. I live and I learn.

So that's our vacation in a nutshell, save for two days of traveling and side activities. It was nice to breathe clean air for a few days and enjoy warmer temperatures. I will miss the trams, the sea air, the trash-free streets, the correct English grammar/spelling, the general atmosphere of efficiency, and certainly our lovely hostesses, Candice and Angie.

I have to go put a heat pack on my back now.