As some of you may know, I just returned from a short trip to Hong Kong. I've been wanting to visit my friend Natsuko there and meet her husband, Roy, while experiencing my first trip within Asia outside Japan. For those that aren't familiar with Hong Kong, its a small group of islands off the coast of China, once belonged to England and recently returned to China. Having been an English colony, English is more commonly spoken there than in Japan. It was a neat time to visit since the Chinese New Year was approaching. Also my friend Kayo got me great deal on the plane ticket (thanks Kayo!) so that helped a lot. I had only 2 full days for sightseeing so with Natsuko's help and planning, we managed to do and see a whole lot in just a few days!
One thing that is a must-do when visiting Hong Kong is going for Dim Sum. , which I was fortunate enough to do both mornings of my trip. Basically, its like a big brunch where you just sit for a few hours, reading the paper or talking, while picking off tasty bits from the many food carts that are revolving around the restaurant. Dim sum is not unique to Hong Kong, of course, and you can find Dim Sum in most Chinatowns around the world, but the closer you are to China, the more authentic it becomes, perhaps. Probably the most popular selection (and delicious for me) are the varieties of shumai (steamed dumplings), but there are so many other things to try such as congee (rice porridge), steamed buns with beef-filling, and for the more adventurous - chicken feet and the like. Not so brave here. My 'favorite of favorites' is third from the left above, the heavenly shrimp and fish egg dumplings. I could eat those all day I think...
After Dim Sum, we visited was Wong Tai Sin Temple which is a very popular buddhist temple. It was very lively since the Chinese New Year was fast approaching (beginning of February) and so lots and lots of people were there lighting incense, making food offerings, and wishing for good fortune for the new year. It reminded me of how Japanese visit shrines in masses for good luck in the New Year, but this had a more devotional, religious feel to it. The amount of incense that was burning sure did bring a tear to the eye and some people were wearing masks to deal with the amount of smoke! It was a very unique experience, indeed.
Although still full from Dim Sum but determined to try as many unique foods as possible, we went to Mong Kok on little tabearuki as they say in Japan, which is just walking and sampling food from place to place. Roy, being a Hong Kong native, knew just where to go to get the good stuff and so I followed his lead and advice as best I could. We enjoyed some grilled squid, a Chinese medicine health drink, some sweet buns, and ended with some saute greens and noodle soup with fishcake at nearby restaurant. A word about restaurants - although the cleanliness is much better than what I have heard it is in China, you still have to be careful if going to a local/casual place and washing utensils is common practice. As far as eating, I think by this point even if you had put another shrimp shumai in front of me, I would have had to pass. Yep, I was THAT full! hah...
Another stop on our list was Stanley Market. This place had a real beach-y, seashore feel to it and must be really nice in the warmer weather months. There are lots of shops and outdoor bars and restaurants to enjoy and interesting little shops for souvenirs. Fun to come back when its sunny and warm and enjoy a cold beer outside!
We also visited the Ten-Thousand Buddhas Monastery, or Sha Tin Temple. It was in a very wooded and hilly spot and i have to say, although I didn't count, it sure seemed there were like at least 10,000 buddhas there. Each face and pose was unique (see 2 pics on left) and some of them were actually pretty amusing! At the top was the main hall with very large and colorful statues. As you can see, in contrast to Japanese temples which are more subdued in color, Chinese temples are quite colorful. Very interesting things to be seen there...
Lastly, Natsuko took me to probably my favorite spot of the trip, the Nan Lian Garden. I know its very recently built and there is a story behind that I am forgetting, but none the less. Very, very nicely detailed and well-laid out garden. In many ways it reminded me of the many Japanese gardens I have seen, so perhaps that's why its my favorite? I am sure a lot of the garden design themes in Japan originated in China, so that stands to reason. I was really impressed with the cleanliness and spot-on maintence of the plants and premises in general.
One of the cooler attractions here is a vegetarian restaurant where even the monks/nuns that live in the monastery eat. As you can see in the center photo, its kind of hidden under a waterfall and there is a great view of it from the inside (far right). I had a really nice 4-course vegetarian platter that was really delicious. Nice to relax after all the walking and the sounds and sights of the waterfall really added to that. Later that day, we checked out the Peak and then the light show in Victoria Harbor (picture at top of this post) and that was really fun too.
I'd really like to thank Roy and Natsuko for taking time from their busy schedules to show me their city and share some great food and talks with me. You guys were great hosts and Natsuko, you should start a tour business or something! Thanks again!!!
