Earlier this month, Blake and I had a vacation. For five days we got to roam around Hong Kong. Since it was our second visit, we didn't feel any pressure to go sightseeing or visit special landmarks. Instead, we just relaxed, ate as much good food as we could, and enjoyed the sauna that is Hong Kong in the summertime.
Obviously we ate more crispy, Peking duck. I mean, you all know me.
The view from the south of Hong Kong island. It's much more low-key than the Hong Kong you always see in movies. It's beautifully green and cool, the ocean is beautiful. A great place to spend a day.
Also down there? Stanley Market.
This is my favorite market. It's full of the cheap, knock-off merchandise you have to see at some point when you visit, but unlike most of the markets, it's not over crowded and the stall vendors aren't aggressive. They'll definitely haggle, though, and if they see you make a move to leave, they drop their prices pretty fast. It's a good place for trinkets and souvenirs.
Here is the view of our cab ride back to the hotel. Hong Kong taxis may not be the very worst, but they've got to be on the shortlist. Seat belts are a must as it feels like they armor-all the seats and then take your through the streets like a Starfighter through the Death Star (it was the only example my brain could think of and if you don't get it, I don't think we can be friends).
As an aside, I flew into Hong Kong solo (okay, no more Star Wars references, I promise). I took the MTR (Hong Kong's subway system) from the airport to Hong Kong Station and then a taxi to the hotel. Can I give you some advice? Don't take a Hong Kong taxi alone because when you die in some taxi-race you didn't know you were a part of, careening through the streets, it's just going to be you and the guy who killed you.
Seriously though, for as fast as they go and as aggressively as they merge, it's amazing how good they are at their jobs. I've never seen a taxi fender-bender and in fact, I don't remember any bended fenders at all on the taxis we rode in.
Before someone who's been there hops all over me, yes, the MTR is a very cheap, easy way to get around the entire island as well as the Kowloon side. It doesn't just go to the airport and back. Last summer Blake and I used it to visit lots of things.
This time, however, we just cabbed it. Hong Kong is one of the rare places where the American dollar is worth more than a dollar. We lived it up.
Here's the view from a restaurant we ate at one night, Aqua. It's on the Kowloon side and is AMAZING. You can see the entire Hong Kong waterfront and the light show that the buildings put on every night. You're definitely paying for the view along with the food and drinks, but it's worth it.
The trip was less of a port call and more of a last hurrah. As some of you know, Blake is neck deep in the HAC process (helicopter aircraft commander). So, he doesn't get weekends. He doesn't get free time. He barely gets an hour for dinner.
Hong Kong was the perfect place for our quick vacation and recharge. August is our do-nothing month because of HAC and also because we're both gearing up to be back stateside soon!
