Wow, today was SO exciting! I started off my day sleeping in a little... until 6:30, I know it's not much, but I've been getting up at 4:45-5 every morning in the Philippines. I got ready for my day and asked Lilet, the Shulls' helper, where to go to catch the bus downtown. I packed up and headed off for my first adventure. I have to admit it was a little intimidating and I was nervous about catching the bus and finding my way downtown on Hong Kong Island. The Shulls had given me a list of popular things to do in Hong Kong, as well as an Octopus card. I had heard of these before, but had never heard of one being used or seen one. It's a little ATM-size card that you can use for any public transportation and merchandise at select stores: 7-Eleven, Starbucks, McDonald's, etc. I looked at the card and there wasn't a swipe bar or bar code, so I wasn't sure on how to use it. When I got on my first bus, just below the house, I verified that it was going to the place that I wanted. Then I sat down. The driver took off, but then I noticed the sign by the Octopus machine that said you need to pay when you get on. Oops! I waited until the next stop, watched how another man used his Octopus card (laying it on top of a sensor) and I did the same.
I arrived at the location that I wanted, anticipating seeing a bunch of signs for the trolley. I needed to go east into the Wan Chai district. I was currently downtown, Central, Hong Kong Island where there were A LOT of people weaving this way and that on the side walk. I backed myself up to a wall and brought out my map. I have a great sense of direction and am very successful with maps... but I had no idea where I was, I couldn't find street signs anywhere. I walked around the corner and saw some double decker trolleys, but the name on them didn't match the name I was told, nor the name on the map route. I looked around and saw two security guards for a bank watching me. I approached them and asked what to do. He pointed to a double decker trolley and told me to get on that one fast. I complied and off I went. Through the streets I was able to find some street signs and follow where I was going on the map, so I knew where to get off. When I got off the trolley, I walked the direction I needed to go in order to find the Chinese Embassy. One goal during my time here was to try to get into Guangzhou, China, where my family lived 20 years ago.
One thing about Hong Kong, is that often times they have built buildings side by side for blocks at a time or they have major roads, inaccessible to pedestrians. So if you want to get to the other side, you have to walk for blocks to get around it, or find a "footbridge". I found this out the hard way, as I'm standing on the street wanting to cross, but realizing I couldn't get further than that, because there are buildings there. I look up and see people walking on this "footbridge" and it goes for a while. I decide to try it. It was SO convenient! It went for 4 blocks, directly where I wanted to go, yet there was no traffic to stop for or roads to cross.
I found the Chinese Embassy, praying I could some how get an expedited visa to China for Monday... knowing it was Friday and the weekend was soon. I filled out the paperwork, got my picture taken and waited. The woman at the counter took my info and told me to pick up my visa Monday at 10. YIPEE I was going to China! So excited, I left to go to Kowloon to buy a camera, as my nice camera broke my first week in the Philippines. On my way back to the trolley, I saw a Chinese travel agency so I decided to stop in. I realized, now that I will have a visa to China, I have no idea how to get there. I asked a woman at the agency and she booked a round trip ticket on their "high-speed" train for noon on Monday. I also booked one night at the Garden Hotel, the same hotel that my family lived in for 2 years. I was SUPER excited at this point, it's working out!!!! With all this excitement, I realized I was starving. I walked by a Starbucks and popped my head in. They were serving mango chicken wraps that looked great. I also tried to order my usual coffee, white mocha americano, but I don't think Hong Kong uses white mocha. The HK airport three weeks ago didn't have it either. I sat down in the AC a while and texted my mom the exciting news. I had to tell someone!
Off I went with Starbucks in hand, to the MTR (subway) station nearby. My next destination was across the harbor in the Mon Tok district to buy a camera and go to the "Ladies Market." I found my way in the subway station, used my Octopus card to get through and I was good to go. By this time, I was feeling a lot more confident about traveling around... I had already used 3 different forms of transportation that day. I walked down the street where they have good buys on electronic equipment. I wanted to buy a Canon, so I looked for a Canon store, yet I was unsuccessful. I came to the end of the street where there was an air-conditioned mall. I stepped inside and used my phone to google "Cannon stores in Mon Tok". I wasn't confident that I would find anything, but there was a site in which someone else had asked that same question on "Yahoo Answers" or something, and someone else had responded. I then had a list of places to try out. You've gotta love internet on your phone! I walked back down the street, looking for these places. A few of them were pretty small and only had a few cameras. I went to Broadway, an electronic department store, and ended up buying a camera there. Success!
With new camera in hand, I went a street over to walk the "Ladies Market" which sold everything fake you could possibly want. It had all the regular trinkets, "copy watches," "copy handbags," t-shirts, Chinese souvenirs, and just a lot of junk. People inside their areas would come out when I passed by and said, "Copy watches, copy handbags, many colors, many sizes." I would just smile. I don't wear a watch and didn't want the purses they were selling. They were 
the very expensive brands like, Coach.... and others that I don't know. I walked once down the market and thought, "I have to buy something here!" I made my way back down the market, since I had to go that way anyway and found a very nice leather bound journal for $10. One market owner saw me looking at some handbags, as one had caught my eye, and said that she had many more in a showroom "1-minute away." Many people had said this, but I decided, against my better judgement to follow her. We went behind the market and took a right into a dirty, dark stairwell leading up to the 2nd floor. I kept thinking about episodes of Alias, where Sydney (the main character) is walking up a similar stairwell and is jumped by a bunch of Chinese and held hostage. I PRAYED! We arrived in the showroom, saw that they didn't have what I wanted and I left. I think I was out of that building before the woman had locked up the door. I just wanted out of there. Dad, I will not do that again!
the very expensive brands like, Coach.... and others that I don't know. I walked once down the market and thought, "I have to buy something here!" I made my way back down the market, since I had to go that way anyway and found a very nice leather bound journal for $10. One market owner saw me looking at some handbags, as one had caught my eye, and said that she had many more in a showroom "1-minute away." Many people had said this, but I decided, against my better judgement to follow her. We went behind the market and took a right into a dirty, dark stairwell leading up to the 2nd floor. I kept thinking about episodes of Alias, where Sydney (the main character) is walking up a similar stairwell and is jumped by a bunch of Chinese and held hostage. I PRAYED! We arrived in the showroom, saw that they didn't have what I wanted and I left. I think I was out of that building before the woman had locked up the door. I just wanted out of there. Dad, I will not do that again!Upon leaving the "Ladies Market" I was parched. I stopped at the nearest 7-Eleven (they are everywhere) and bought a water (I had already drank one Nalgene and not needed to go to the bathroom) and my favorite Chinese drink - Lychee juice!!! I was so excited, it was one that I had never tried. It was a lychee pop... or so I thought. I cracked it open and took a long drink. I love 
lychee! It was sweet, but the after taste was weird. I instantly burped and thought it tasted like a beer burp.... what?! I looked at the can, nothing on it insinuated it was a beer. I looked at the ingredients and in the middle it said, 'barley hops' and who manufactures it? A Guangzhou brewery! It was a lychee beer!!!! And I was drinking it on the sidewalk like it was pop. I instantly threw it in the garbage. 1 - I don't like beer. 2 - Last thing I need is to get a buzz from "lychee juice" and become more dehydrated. 3 - Isn't that illegal to drink on the street? Anyways, I stopped at the next 7-Eleven and bought a REAL lychee juice. This one was a boxed drink for kids, so I knew it was safe.
lychee! It was sweet, but the after taste was weird. I instantly burped and thought it tasted like a beer burp.... what?! I looked at the can, nothing on it insinuated it was a beer. I looked at the ingredients and in the middle it said, 'barley hops' and who manufactures it? A Guangzhou brewery! It was a lychee beer!!!! And I was drinking it on the sidewalk like it was pop. I instantly threw it in the garbage. 1 - I don't like beer. 2 - Last thing I need is to get a buzz from "lychee juice" and become more dehydrated. 3 - Isn't that illegal to drink on the street? Anyways, I stopped at the next 7-Eleven and bought a REAL lychee juice. This one was a boxed drink for kids, so I knew it was safe. I headed a few blocks south to the Jade market. You could find anything Jade that you wanted. I 
laughed a few times as the women would block my path in order to force me to look at their merchandise. They did have some great, cheap things there.
laughed a few times as the women would block my path in order to force me to look at their merchandise. They did have some great, cheap things there.Still moving south, I found a local market selling meat, vegetables and fruit. This market was more typical Chinese as I found pig head, pig feet, pig heart, cow brain, and fish head. Dinner was not appetizing, through this market.
The main street running North and South in Kowloon is Nathan Road. It has a lot of shopping, people and traffic, perfect for Hong Kong. I was getting hungry so I tried to find a typical Chinese restaurant, yet one that was safe to eat. I found a Shanghai restaurant that was a story below the street. It was actually pretty nice. I ordered pork 
dumplings (dim sum) and a Chinese noodle soup with chicken. I was most thankful to be sitting for an extended period of time in the air-conditioned room... I didn't realize how tired my body felt until I sat down.... or stood back up.
dumplings (dim sum) and a Chinese noodle soup with chicken. I was most thankful to be sitting for an extended period of time in the air-conditioned room... I didn't realize how tired my body felt until I sat down.... or stood back up. Still going south on Nathan Road, I knew the YMCA was getting close. This was actually only a hotel that my family stayed in, when we lived in China and made our frequent trips to Hong Kong to buy supplies such as groceries and get our McDonald's fix. Now, 19 years later, it looked 
different, more modern. The Starbucks directly kiddy-corner helped out a lot. I stopped in as I felt I was dragging and tried their Mocha Jelly Frappuccino. This is a typical Frappuccino but has coffee flavored tapioca jellies on the bottom. I ordered it just to try it, and it was actually pretty good! Heading over to the YMCA, the back entrance looked very familiar. I entered the lobby and found that it is still mostly a hotel but also has a workout center similar to our American Ys.
different, more modern. The Starbucks directly kiddy-corner helped out a lot. I stopped in as I felt I was dragging and tried their Mocha Jelly Frappuccino. This is a typical Frappuccino but has coffee flavored tapioca jellies on the bottom. I ordered it just to try it, and it was actually pretty good! Heading over to the YMCA, the back entrance looked very familiar. I entered the lobby and found that it is still mostly a hotel but also has a workout center similar to our American Ys. I headed across the street, via the underground subway walkway, over to the Avenue of the Stars. This is right on the waterfront where they have a promenade and stars (like our Hollywood) from famous Asians. I saw Jackie Chan's and Bruce Lee's. I then took my spot along the promenade to watch the light show at 8pm. Every night they have a light show in which Hong Kong Island sky scrapers light up, either the physical building or lasers on top, in sync to music. The same man that choreographed the 2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremonies, choreographed this, so my expectations were a little high - remembering how over the top it was. It was neat that the buildings lit up in sync with music, and I'd see it again, but it wasn't anything to "wow" over. The music was funny, and it had the typical Chinese gaudiness to it.. Walking to the Star Ferry (the famous, and old ferry system) I had a better view of the skate board museum. It's not actually a skate board museum, but the building looks like a good, huge skate board ramp. So 21 years ago, when we arrived in Hong Kong for the first time, that's what it was named by us Aune teenagers. I think it's actually a space museum. Prior to boarding the The Starr Ferry I saw a sign for a typhoon warning. It was level one, but I didn't know what it meant. At 8:45pm it was still hot and muggy for all I was concerned. The ferry was fun, more empty than I remember, but mostly filled with foreigners.
What a fun, and FULL day! I felt like I saw a lot, it was very exciting!!!
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