First blog from China!
We had a wonderful going away party – thanks to all of you who attended. I’m including a link to some of the photos! http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=hggnkpd.3n1gbgb9&Uy=-8edjzt&Ux=0
Marija was awesome hosting us and our 7 suitcases and assorted items. David seemed especially proud that the taxi driver said he had never taken a heavier load to the airport! After a very long flight we flew into Hong Kong about 6pm on Wednesday August 30.
An Intel representative picked us up and lugged us back to the hotel – beautiful Marriott right next to the Intel offices in Central. I was surprised to see how many high rises there are everywhere. My second realization is that it is really hot and humid here! Thursday and Friday were full of apartment hunting, getting bank accounts, cell phones, learning public transport, grocery shopping – in otherwords, a crash course on living in Hong Kong. The highlight was a lunch at Victoria Peak which overlooks the Island – some pictures in the attached link! We found a place in the midlevels (just below Victoria Peak) that we get to move into September 16. Yeah! Three bedrooms, so don’t hesitate to come visit.
Friday night we ventured out to the Temple Street night market in Kowloon. We took the MTR (subway). What an assault to the senses: it was hot and humid, cars and people humming, bright lights everywhere, smells hanging in the air from the various restaurants. We got some sun glasses and DVD for about $2.50 a pop. Then to what we considered an authentic Chinese meal – I can guarantee you would not find this restaurant in a tour guide!
After attempting to jog Saturday morning we cooled off by the pool before heading off to explore. First stop was the Man Mo Temple which is the oldest temple built in the 1840s and named after its two principal deities: Man, the god of literature, and Mo, the god of war. I had a field day taking pictures of the giant incense coils hanging from the ceiling, imparting a fragrant, smoky haze. People buy these for good health or a successful business deal, and they can burn as long as 3 weeks. We waited about a half an hour to get our fortune told but then decided to come back another day. Our fortune has been rather good lately!
We then walked down Hollywood Road full of antique stores. We’ve been told to look around but go to Macau to actually buy at 1/3 the cost! Then we explored the escalators which were opened in 1994 as the world's longest covered escalator. It stretches 2,600 ft. from Central to the Mid-Levels on Victoria Peak. Contrary to its name, however, it is not one long continuous escalator but rather a series of escalators and moving sidewalks, with 29 entrances and exits. The area is hip and trendy and aptly nicknamed Soho. Lots of restaurants and ex pats. We searched out an Australian restaurant we had been told about that served Morteon Bay Bugs (something like lobsters). Unfortunately they were too small to serve so we had huge Australian Prawns. Very good! http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=hggnkpd.5ybicf4l&Uy=-dyy9g9&Ux=0
Sunday we ventured further to Lantau Island, the island adjacent to and actually two times larger than Hong Kong. We took the ferry (though you can also take the subway) and got an awesome of the harbor. We first headed by taxi to the Po Lin monastery to see the Giant Tian Tan Buddha. It was incredible. For a mere $3 we got to hike up to and explore the Buddha with the six Devas bearing gifts surrounding it. We noticed what looked like a Nazi swastika on the Buddha’s chest. In Buddhism it means "all", and "eternality" and represents Dharma, universal harmony, and the balance of opposites.
Included in the entrance fee was a “snack” at the monastery that included a mound of vegetarian noodles, two cakes and a drink. Tasty lunch. The monastery grounds are spectacular set in the hills and overflowing with gold statues, incense and flowers! Hopefully the pictures will convey some of what we saw! http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=hggnkpd.bnmvdo0l&Uy=-lohuwm&Ux=0
Then we headed to hike “Sunset Peak” which the concierge told us was the easier hike on the island. I’m glad we didn’t try the “harder” one. As we were slowly trudging up what seemed like endless steps we concluded that it got it’s name because no one ever reached the top before sunset!! It was hot and hard but amazingly beautiful and reminiscent of the hike we had taken the week before in Marin. We even had the pleasure of having a thunderstorm blow in when we were near the top so we scrambled back down. That night after a long hot shower we had Peking Duck! YUM! Now off to work and living details this week! http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=hggnkpd.ap7u0779&Uy=-c5lk7v&Ux=0
Marija was awesome hosting us and our 7 suitcases and assorted items. David seemed especially proud that the taxi driver said he had never taken a heavier load to the airport! After a very long flight we flew into Hong Kong about 6pm on Wednesday August 30.
An Intel representative picked us up and lugged us back to the hotel – beautiful Marriott right next to the Intel offices in Central. I was surprised to see how many high rises there are everywhere. My second realization is that it is really hot and humid here! Thursday and Friday were full of apartment hunting, getting bank accounts, cell phones, learning public transport, grocery shopping – in otherwords, a crash course on living in Hong Kong. The highlight was a lunch at Victoria Peak which overlooks the Island – some pictures in the attached link! We found a place in the midlevels (just below Victoria Peak) that we get to move into September 16. Yeah! Three bedrooms, so don’t hesitate to come visit.
Friday night we ventured out to the Temple Street night market in Kowloon. We took the MTR (subway). What an assault to the senses: it was hot and humid, cars and people humming, bright lights everywhere, smells hanging in the air from the various restaurants. We got some sun glasses and DVD for about $2.50 a pop. Then to what we considered an authentic Chinese meal – I can guarantee you would not find this restaurant in a tour guide!
After attempting to jog Saturday morning we cooled off by the pool before heading off to explore. First stop was the Man Mo Temple which is the oldest temple built in the 1840s and named after its two principal deities: Man, the god of literature, and Mo, the god of war. I had a field day taking pictures of the giant incense coils hanging from the ceiling, imparting a fragrant, smoky haze. People buy these for good health or a successful business deal, and they can burn as long as 3 weeks. We waited about a half an hour to get our fortune told but then decided to come back another day. Our fortune has been rather good lately!
We then walked down Hollywood Road full of antique stores. We’ve been told to look around but go to Macau to actually buy at 1/3 the cost! Then we explored the escalators which were opened in 1994 as the world's longest covered escalator. It stretches 2,600 ft. from Central to the Mid-Levels on Victoria Peak. Contrary to its name, however, it is not one long continuous escalator but rather a series of escalators and moving sidewalks, with 29 entrances and exits. The area is hip and trendy and aptly nicknamed Soho. Lots of restaurants and ex pats. We searched out an Australian restaurant we had been told about that served Morteon Bay Bugs (something like lobsters). Unfortunately they were too small to serve so we had huge Australian Prawns. Very good! http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=hggnkpd.5ybicf4l&Uy=-dyy9g9&Ux=0
Sunday we ventured further to Lantau Island, the island adjacent to and actually two times larger than Hong Kong. We took the ferry (though you can also take the subway) and got an awesome of the harbor. We first headed by taxi to the Po Lin monastery to see the Giant Tian Tan Buddha. It was incredible. For a mere $3 we got to hike up to and explore the Buddha with the six Devas bearing gifts surrounding it. We noticed what looked like a Nazi swastika on the Buddha’s chest. In Buddhism it means "all", and "eternality" and represents Dharma, universal harmony, and the balance of opposites.
Included in the entrance fee was a “snack” at the monastery that included a mound of vegetarian noodles, two cakes and a drink. Tasty lunch. The monastery grounds are spectacular set in the hills and overflowing with gold statues, incense and flowers! Hopefully the pictures will convey some of what we saw! http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=hggnkpd.bnmvdo0l&Uy=-lohuwm&Ux=0
Then we headed to hike “Sunset Peak” which the concierge told us was the easier hike on the island. I’m glad we didn’t try the “harder” one. As we were slowly trudging up what seemed like endless steps we concluded that it got it’s name because no one ever reached the top before sunset!! It was hot and hard but amazingly beautiful and reminiscent of the hike we had taken the week before in Marin. We even had the pleasure of having a thunderstorm blow in when we were near the top so we scrambled back down. That night after a long hot shower we had Peking Duck! YUM! Now off to work and living details this week! http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=hggnkpd.ap7u0779&Uy=-c5lk7v&Ux=0
posted by AllisonUpdate @ 12:31 AM
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