Sleep all...sleep all day!!!

April 26, Wednesday.
Oi accompanied us to Hong Kong for some dining, haggling, and even more sightseeing. The weather was fine so it was perfect timing to see places that gave Hong Kong the merit of being Asia’s shopping Mecca.

We boarded the turbo jet around 11.15 in the morning, and it only took us about 45 minutes to reach the Hong Kong ferry terminal.

Immigration was hassle-free because there weren’t a lot of tourists lining up. However, as I was on my way out to the arrival lounge, surprisingly, a Hong Kong Customs officer led me into his office. Questioning was very informal, and I’d like to assume that they did it indiscriminately. They checked my bag and found nothing else but my travel documents. After inspection, they just led me to the arrival lounge and where I met my Angel and Oi. Told them HK Customs thought I was a smuggler. Hehehe!

We started our tour few minutes past lunchtime. We took the subway train going to Causeway Bay. All the places we went to were so packed with people and I guess I’m no longer used to this city life for having worked in the suburbs of QC for nearly 9 months now, and I somehow felt so “promdi.” Hehehe!

First stop was for my sister to buy herself a wristwatch, but it ended up with Oi’s buying her one as a gift. Lucky girl. =)

We also stopped by Hong Kong’s Times Square to have late lunch at Simply Thai. It’s a nice restaurant with skillfully designed interiors located at the Food Forum on the mall’s 11th floor. Things to rave about the restaurant would have to be: 1) a wide selection of mouth-watering Thai deli, 2) cozy ambiance, and 3) great customer service. It's a bit more pricey compared to other local restaurants, though, but you'll surely get your every penny's worth.

I checked out several local brands, similar to our F&H or Bench, but I felt the price tags were “overly promising” when I could get the same designs for less if I bought them back here in the Philippines. After half-an hour of window-shopping, I asked Oi to bring us to Mong Kok. =)

When we arrived in Mong Kok, there were bargains galore! ‘Nuf said.

It was a shopping marathon for the three of us. But I gave up when I realized it was already 7pm. As we walked past the crowded alleys, Oi asked me to try the stinky tofu, which happens to be one of the popular street foods in Hong Kong. Man, it really was stinky!!! Sample this...



Few minutes past 7, we met our brother at the Kowloon subway station so we could have dinner by then. While looking for a place, he showed us around familiar districts and shared stories like how it was during the SARS scare when he worked at this part of Asia 3 years ago.

After passing by several establishments, we settled for Hong Kong Sheraton’s Someplace Else. The restaurant is packed with a number of expats, and sensing the crowd, I’d compare it to Fridays or National Sports Grill. Major leagues are shown on large screens and video walls, which seem perfect for sports fanatics. Food was great, but since I ate a lot in between haggling along the alleys of Mong Kok, I ate just a little. We stayed for about a couple more hours, after then, we went out for a walk.

It was a quarter after 10, so we didn’t have a lot of time to see more places and store of gucci bags. We took few shots of ourselves with the Kowloon and Hong Kong cityscape on the backdrop. When we started to feel tired after this half-day marathon, we boarded a ferry on our way back to the Hong Kong Island. Boarding a ferry is very cheap, but I got the impression that fewer locals prefer it because the bus, tram, and railway systems are obviously faster and more efficient. Tourists like us, however, still find it charming to take the cruise. =)


It started to rain as we disembarked so right away, we hailed a cab on our way back to the Hong Kong Ferry Terminal.

We boarded the turbo jet few minutes before midnight, which I guess that capped our trip. Though I was a bit lonely because that was our last night, I felt much fulfilled for having a great vacation. Hehe!

So there, I really had a blast! I enjoyed it to the max and I thank Kuya and Oi for being the greatest hosts. I fell in love with Macau the most. It’s developed and laid back at the same time, which makes the city very ideal for me. Seriously, I couldn’t get enough of it, and I secretly wished our vacation would have lasted for a month. Hehehe! Pero okay na rin, I know they had spent a lot over this short duration. Kakahiya na if we stayed longer. =) Hay, can’t wait for the next visit. =)

***
Nga pala, I still owe my friends photos from the trip. I really wanted to upload it, but too much work in the office has taken much of my time. As a matter of fact, I’m just taking a breather this time, and by 8pm I’ll be participating in a 2-hour global telecon for a new project. The team has been gritty about this new endeavor over the past few days, and sad to think that I only have a week to complete it. Our GPO’s scheduled Manila visit next week just added pressure to the work we’ve been aiming to complete. Hay, sana matapos na talaga!

Next time guys!!!