The first leg of this whirlwind adventure was absolutely incredible. I could not even have dreamed of a better start.
Having never been to Asia, I was a bit apprehensive. I'm not quite sure what I expected but there was that feeling that it could all go terribly wrong and I would hate it and set the trip off on a bad note.
Luckily, I loved it. It has an amazing atmosphere and there is so much to see and do all the time!
We stayed at Langham Place (which now comes highly recommended by me). I felt that it was quite centrally located to the places we visited. The Metro system is incredibly easy to navigate and I discovered that nearly everything in HK is people-friendly. It seemed that everything ran very
efficiently and hygienically, thus placing me in the nearest thing to heaven I could imagine.
Our first night we dined at restaurant 369. It's nothing fancy but the food is amazing. Going to this restaurant is a tradition for Justin's family - whenever they go to HK, that's the first food stop. And rightly so. If you ever end up going, I highly recommend the steamed pork buns and spring rolls.
The following morning we had breakfast at Jasmine Garden (aptly named) and wandered through the flower markets, the bird market and an incredible fresh food market. Lunch was, of course, McDonalds (a tradition that must be maintained at all costs!) followed by a trip up the world's longest escalator (which we disembarked half way to have a beer at Cochrane's Pub) before heading back to the hotel for a late dinner and even later flight to Helsinki.
We arrived on the night of the 21st and left the night of the 22nd. So we had one night, one full day and half a night (as we boarded our flight late on the 22nd). HK was a blur of ferry trips, Metro rides, shopping and exploring. It was definitely the right place to start this trip and I absolutely cannot wait to go back and visit again.
working the chopsticks. this also just happens to be the most delicious thing ever: steamed egg custard bun.
the 'big and tasty' was true to its name.
... And I promise that Justin's Mum will feature in photos about Helsinki. She looked particularly cute in her snow coat; you'll see.
So fun! I'm going to live vicariously through your adventures :)
ReplyDeletei am new to your blog and loving it already as i love everything that has to do with travel! i can't imagine commuted in HK! i bet it would be exciting though.as i scrolled down your page i was reminded of riding the trains in prague..all i can remember was being very confused, and me and my other only-english-speaking friend spent a lot of time with our heads buried in maps! haha
ReplyDeletewell i can't wait to read about more of your travels.
happy new year!
Can I say jealous? Make the most of it lady!
ReplyDeleteI'm so far behind in reading your travels (darn work)! I have some major catching up to do - I'm also warning in advance if I start commenting on each post as I read, so sorry for the "spam".
ReplyDeleteEver since my family showed photos of their trip to Hong Kong a number of years ago, I've longed to go there! The food sounds delish and I bet the shopping is wonderful too.