Good times!

My long weekend with Rick here in HK has now come and gone, but lots of fun times to remember. I’m sure he’s cursing my name as he’s on his second 23 hour flight in 5 days – however, I think it was worth it!

We had a jam packed itinerary for the past 3 days – but let’s see if I can capture a glimpse of what we got ourselves into for the rest of you.

Day 1 – Started out with some yummy dim sum at one of the most popular restaurants in the city. Carts of delicious dumplings and such rolling through the aisles, tempting us to try more. After stuffing our faces, we then headed over to Hollywood Road. This is an area lined with antique shops and curio emporiums. Perfect for picking up unique gifts for people at home and great window shopping! Once we got to the end of this area, we walked towards the star ferry pier, and boarded the boat for the other side of the harbor. We visited the InterContinental, went to a market, watched the light show, and ate a nice shanghainese dinner. And what did we stumble upon after leaving the restaurant - a spot for foot massages! We debated whether or not we had time because we needed to be able to catch the train back, but - of course we did! A perfect way to end the night.

Day 2 – It was up to Victoria Peak today – and the best way to get there? The Peak Tram! Cool ride along a rail tram up the mountain to get to the highest peak in Hong Kong. Probably not the best thing to do on a Sunday with the crowds, but spectacular views of the city from up there. We then caught a double decker bus to Repulse Bay to check out the more relaxing part of the island and to see a temple with cool statues of gods and deities (same, same – but different!) Enjoy the quick clip from our bus ride. We wound out the night with a pekinese dinner at Spring Deer. And a pekinese style meal wouldn’t be any count without trying the peking duck! Not our favorite, but it’s nice to say that we’ve had peking duck in Hong Kong :)



Day 3 – Off to the Big Buddha! We took the Ngong Ping cable car for a slightly scary ride up the mountain to get to the big buddha and monastery. But once we came around a corner and could finally see the enormous statue in the distance – it was worth it! The pictures probably don’t do it justice, but it was awesome. Some 200 odd steps to get up to the top, but at least we then got a free ice cream :)



Back down the cable car we went to head back to the city. We made a quick trip to the 4 Seasons to visit one of Rick’s former colleagues, Monica, and experienced some breathtaking views of the harbor from their club lounge. One more reason for me to question how I got stuck in my hotel, but let me not digress. Tonight’s dinner selection was sichuan cuisine at Red Pepper. Not as spicy as we had both hoped, but still a nice meal. And – a trip to HK wouldn’t be completed without a stop at the Night Market. After collecting some good bargains – it was back to our side of town again to prepare for his very early morning flight.

I’m sure I’ve left out a couple of things, but all in all ---- great sights, lots of walking, yummy food, great company, and good times!

Thanks for coming to see me, Rick. I couldn’t head back to Atlanta with you today, but I’ll be back home in less than 3 weeks!