Hong Kong Day 2 and 3

Day two can be summed up in two words, eat and shop!

It is the main reason you go to Hong Kong anyway, the food is excellent and there are shops galore from really high end brand names to knock offs of Prada for $5.

I started day 2 by going for a bit of a walk at the wet market. This is always a good barometer of the culture and the food of the people of a country, it tells us where all that excellent food comes from. It was an eye opener, with fresh fish still swimming in their containers and a great selection of fruits and vegetables. I had to get some dried scallops and oysters to bring back home, these little widgets of dried seafood will add a profound flavor to soups and stews.

The highlight of day two was the birthday of my mom in law. We reserved dinner at the Japanese restaurant of the Hongkong Shangrila hotel, called Nadaman. We had really fresh sushi, the likes I haven't had before, Nobu was close, but this was more classic. I had eaten in a hotel in Japan once before and this was better. I ordred the Uni (sea urchin) sashimi to start and miso glazed black cod for my entree. The table ordered some more sashimi to share. My wife and mom ordered the Lobster and Scallop Teppanyaki. It was amazing, the lobster meat was so fresh a bit chewy and very flavorful. The nighttime view of the harbour was great as well. We ended the meal with a berry and pistachio cake for desert with a wee li'l candle for our mom to blow.

After the very sumptuous dinner, we had to walk it off. Off we go to Mongkok, shopping bargain central and brand knockoff haven. I wasn't a big fan of it, but it is part of the allure of Hong Kong and it is definitely worth the visit not just for the bargains but for a bit of the culture of the city itself.

Day 3


We started day three by riding the tram all the way to the top of the "peak", for the best views of the city's skyline and harbour. The tram takes you to an incline so steep going up, it felt a bit weird to see the world at an angle. There are shops and restaurants up top as well and lot of nice nooks to enjoy the views or to just walk along the path with covered with trees.

After having coffee at the peak we headed out to Kowloon Island via ferry for lunch. We had dimsum this time, fresh steaming little dumplings where Hong Kong and Cantonese cuisine really shine. This is definitely a must for anyone visiting the city.

After lunch we headed out ot Lantau Island to see the Giant Buddha. It is about a half hour drive to the island from Kowloon and we took the cable cars up the mountain, the ride itself is 25 minutes and the views are spectacular, with the mountains and the sea surrounding you. You could also take the bus to go up top, but this is the way to go.





At first I thought this was more of a pilgrimage site and a place for meditation, but no, not with the Chinese entrepreneurial spirit. The place was packed with shops and restaurant designed as little pagodas to blend with the scenery. More of a theme park than a serene setting, but I had to admit I like how they did it though. I mean how long can you really stare at a giant Buddha. It's nice to have a place to sit and have coffee or get souvenirs hehe. It is tastefully done though, no street hawkers of sorts, just a nice place to spend the day. There are also trails to the nearby mountains with incriptions of the Heart Sutra along the way, if you need to clear your mind and relax. We headed back around 6:00 pm just perfect for the sunset to light our path going down the mountain.