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Discovering more in Hong Kong, drama in Hong Kong!

 
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jbalonso777
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Joined: 05 Jul 2012
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Location: Never, never land

PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 9:20 pm    Post subject: Discovering more in Hong Kong, drama in Hong Kong! Reply with quote

So, I had just landed in Hong Kong and arrived at the hotel.....

HONG KONG: THE FIRST AND SECOND DAY
Continuing where I left off. It was pouring horrendously after we arrived at the hotel. My plan was to finish off Victoria Peak, but this storm was not assumed. I was following the Hong Kong observatory website closely, the first day did not look promising. And this storm just made it worse. Fingers crossed, I hoped the weather for the next few days would be favorable. According to the HKO, this was on the positive side.
Check in was of pretty decent speed...the downside was that despite arriving 3 hours after check in time, our room would still take another hour to get ready for our arrival. We were given vouchers for the Lobby Lounge in the hotel, Mum went for coffee, Dad for tea and hot chocolate for me. Bang on time, at 1700 hours, our room was ready. Room 802 was for us. The room was really very small! 3 beds just about fit in! The couch which was placed...was actually redundant because the third bed had taken over so much of the space. Eaten up. The bathroom though, was massive in comparison. A large circular bathtub was in there. As my parents went for their showers one at a time, I fell asleep for a bit. Half an hour felt like overnight. And the rain just kept increasing. Peak was officially a no no for the day.
Woke up, took a shower in the jet shower, oh the hot water there was relaxing after such a long day! We decided to have dinner in the hotel, since the rain prevented us from going...anywhere.
We had dinner at the Kwan Cheuk Heen restaurant, an efficient restaurant in the hotel itself. Very good food, attentive waiters, and quick cooking of food!
Before the picture of food, here is some SQ stuff Razz:





Boarding pass(es)


Dinner was quite light: mum and dad went for some seafood soup. The main course included a vegetable friend rice, a prawn preparation (wasn't sweet and sour), and pork belly/duck barbecue. Very nice dinner Smile

Fell asleep that night. Wearing the outdoor shorts, that's how tired I was Sad

THE NEXT DAY
Woke up to the best weather ever: bright sunshine! Very Happy HKO stated that it would rain in some areas only in the morning, and once that is done, sun sun SUN! Very Happy
Our first thing on the list was: visit the TECOS office to get the visas. Located in Lippo Center, very close to Admiralty MTR station, this office was brightly lit with various brochures and information leaflets, all relating to the Republic of China, Taiwan. The process: took about 7 or 8 minutes for Dad, 4-5 minutes for me, and barely 3 minutes for mum. We asked to expedite the process so that we could get the passport soon. Eventually, this we thought was a bad call. Read on....
They were showing something on the TV...it was girl doing a dance. I'm not sure..was she possessed? Or was it just the dance like that? This included an uncanny strip tease, while she also stepped on a guy's face lying on the floor.

Did I forget...breakfast? Smile

View from the room in the morning: hello sunshine! Very Happy


Had breakfast close to the hotel: Hong Kong milk tea!


Instant noodle soup with ham, bread as extra.

And now, a few from Lippo Center:


Reflection is Lippo Center Smile


Bus to Ocean Park

VICTORIA PEAK
Now with the money taken and applications approved, it was just a matter of time before we'd get our visas. Our options were open. Since we missed out on the Victoria Peak in the last trip AND last evening, it was a no-brainer as to where we'd head next. Took the MTR to Central, and walked quite a bit to get to the Peak Tram terminus. Crowds were quite big, despite this being a Thursday!

BOC Tower on the left


An uphill walk..


St. Jonh's Cathedral, Hong Kong

The tram terminus was really very crowded. But then, it doesn't matter how long the lines are...just about 10 minutes in the line and then we had our tickets in our hand. But then, waiting for the tram took..easily half an hour. People are divided into 3 groups...the next to board the tram, then the next after the next, then the next after the next next. Yeah, mayhem.
But then the tram eventually arrived for us...


The ride was...interesting. Obviously, it is a funicular, so that was fun. But then one could actually feel the 45 odd degrees inclination! Obviously, more than an aircraft taking off Razz But we were all pushed backwards. The scenes were nice, of the Hong Kong city. But my pictures through the glass weren't too good so...I won't be posting them here.

At the Peak Terminus. Will be back, soon!


Madame Tussauds - Bruce Lee!

Walking up to the terrace included going through many escalators! But eventually, we got their, picked up the Android powered audio guide. And admired the spectacular view of Hong Kong city....


Selfies reaching a new level...



Clouds played a terrible mind game, but eventually, the sun was out Very Happy

Had lunch in a popular Chinese restaurant there..

Honey lemon drink


Soup with prawn wontons and e-fu noodles.


Kimi Raikkonen Oakley's. The price...made me laugh Rolling Eyes


Brilliant structure!


Hello again, tram Smile

STAR FERRY TO TSIM SHA TSUI
Took the tram back down to the Central Terminus, I saw that a certain bus 15C does a 'milk run': Central Ferry Pier-Central MTR Station-Peak Tram Terminus and return.
Double decker bus, with an open upper deck, we went and sat on the top, obviously Razz

This really made us experience Hong Kong - stuck in traffic, through the Sky Scraper Maze, loud horns, but no sense of dirty air through pollution.



We arrived at the Central Ferry Pier, Pier No. 7 for Star Ferry. Used the Octopus card for the upper deck..



Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center



This......building. Dad and I decided to call it the 'tool' building. Its an innuendo, that's all I will say..... Rolling Eyes


Star Cruises 'MS Star Pisces'

Back in the day, it was a big dilemma for people to get from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon Island. The ferry was the solution. And today, the ferry is barely used...since the MTR and traffic can go underwater, easily. Those are quicker and efficient, while the ferry is just a tourist attraction, and is slowly disappearing.

If you're wondering what we were doing at Tsim Sha Tsui - we went there to make bookings for the Lei Yue Mun seafood village tour organized by Watertours, Hong Kong. That night's boat would be the Wing On Travel. At HK$510, this included a night cruise, dinner and tour of the seafood village. This was done soon at their office in Star House, we went down to McDonalds for some tea, coffee and muffins. I had a green tea milk shake:

Went back to TECOS to pick up the passports, which didn't take too long. Plenty of Indians there! The creepy dance was happening again Rolling Eyes

Headed back to the hotel for a brief half an hour rest. 'Be there by 1755, we leave at 1800, if you're late, you miss it. See you then!' was what they told us. Asked for a cabbie by the hotel, who got one to us very soon. The Toyota Crown cars are surely getting old, but getting upgraded to make them last another few years. Comfortable and nicely cooled, these cabs can last a while before they are converted into cans.
This cab had an auto door, which was strange for a car this old. Also, there were no less than 3 smart phones and 2 tablets around the drivers’ dashboard! All showing maps and info of sorts, no mischief. And radio controlled, there was someone speaking all the time.
The driver though...well, he was a bit on the rude and pissed off side. Didn't bother answering a question Dad asked, and even if he did it was a rude-ish smirk. Then when we said to him 'Thank you' at the end of his service, he said nothing, just put his glasses on. And when we got to the pier, he opened the doors automatically, giving us the obvious 'GET OUT' sign. Okay man. Rolling Eyes

LEI YUE MUN DINNER CRUISE
1757 it was, very close to departure time. They called us frantically as we just about made it onto the junk. We were given snack refreshment vouchers, while all the drinks were free. Just as we settled down on the upper deck, a few seconds before 1800, the junk moved backwards, and we were away for the cruise.

Boarding the junk..

Our first stop was the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry pier, where the scheduled departure was 1815. On the way....I was hoping the we'd reach our destination Lei Yue Mun fishing village soon because...a) the clouds looked angry from the Lantau side, the rain was coming in fast, and b) the indecent co-passengers.
All of them, we overheard, were people of the U.S. Marine Corps. While there was one very interesting story about how one of them prepares weapons on the ships, they really were under the influence of heavy alcohol. Probably 1 of the 5 words of their sentences would be the f-word, or the s-word, or the b-word or s**, everything. I couldn't stand seeing Mum making those faces, but at the same damn time, one of the girls (the one wearing the I <3 NY shirt) started smoking, and everyone gathered around her, to smoke. Close to Mum. I sat there instead. I was beginning to regret what a mistake I had made when I decided to come on this cruise. Then one guy commented loudly 'This beer is S**T!' And then he talked about a one-night stand and all. Okay, enough of this, our guy called 'Jackie' came and introduced himself to us, saying that there are 5 people on the dinner, the 3 of us and another couple...Oh yay, no indecent people on the dinner?! BRILLIANT! Very Happy Very Happy
It was a good 45 minutes cruise to the village, as I took the air (some of it filled with cigarette and alcohol..) and TRIED to enjoy the cruise. Took some pictures...


Tsim Sha Tsui clock tower


Oh buoy!


The building with the mirror-ish glass? That's our hotel! Very Happy


Fast forward a few decades ago, you'd probably see a plane there; yes people, that is where the Kai Tak Airport used to be! Crying or Very sad

Docked at the pier, quite slippery there, the sun was disappearing rapidly. We met the couple who would be with us for the dinner. Walked to the fishing village, there was just about enough light for me to click a picture or two..

Water was filthy though... Sad



That gate has some historical significance...I think it was a sign for sailors, to tell them they're close to Hong Kong/Kowloon Island..

Complete darkness by the time we reached the seafood market. That was brightly lit. And there were so many of them! One thing which really made me sad was the fact that...well, one lobster type thing was happily doing a couple of backflips, and swimming on its back from one side to another...it was pure joy for it! But then sadly, his/her fate was sealed...poor chap must be dead by now Sad But that's how things happen in life, I soon forgot about it..well, tried to. Some pictures of the stuff sold:






Lobster, spider crab, geoduck, clams, the happy guy I was talking about, more seafood...

We were booked at the Hyde Park Restaurant, with a set menu. Drinks were to be paid for, while the food was part of the package. We exchanged pleasantries with a delightful South African couple who were with us on this crew. We all got talking about everything South Africa - Kruger, Durban, banking, wine & cider, everything! The three wide bodies (Uncle E, Dad and I) talked about our eating habits and our love for food! Furthermore, Aunty R also wanted to know about my university plans, and all the general stuff. All of a sudden, I was glad this cruise was booked, the value of this whole thing was a lot higher! And we also exchanged contacts, of course.
Food, you might ask. The restaurant had a set menu for us which included:
-Minced Chicken & Sweet Corn Potage
-Chinese Fried Spicy Salted Prawn
-Deep-Fried Squid with Chili and Salt
-Scallops Steamed with Garlic
-Steamed Fish in Traditional Cantonese Style
-Pork in Sweet and Sour Sauce
-Seasonal Vegetable
-Fried Rice in Yeung Chow Style
-Braised E-Fu Noodles





Fantabulous. Absolutely unbelievably AWESOME TASTY food! This paid off brilliantly! Since Mum isn't a pork eater and Uncle E / Aunty R did not like fish (the steamed one..), we decided to give Mum the fish, and hence I do not have a picture. This was a fantastic dinner and it ended much too soon as it time to head back to the pier to get on the junk. Good news - those people won't be onboard! Very Happy

Uncle E and Dad were talking about wines and all along the way, while Aunty R and Mum talked about pets - specifically referring to Dobby, the First. Mum and I decided to play a prank on Dad: he left his bag pack in the restaurant, but I saw it and picked it up. Mum went along and asked him where the bag was...Dad was bewildered, but then relieved to find it with me. Oh, how this practical joke turned into something big.......

Boarded the junk, but just before that, I spotted an A380 go by...I think it was the QF flight to SYD. Night photography of the harbor was up next, and boy did I do a good job with the camera....I think Idea


Oh, Kai Tak. What have they done to you?!





Exchanged pleasantries, bid goodbye to each other, we got off at the Central Ferry Pier, while the junk would go to Tsim Sha Tsui next. We took a picture of the 'tool' building, and hailed a taxi to back to the hotel.


Pier 8 - Martime Museum..


The building...

Found the cab, and settled down. I once again, jokingly asked Dad, 'Where is your bag..?'
Mum said - 'Its right next to him...can't you see?'
Dad said 'That's the driver's bag, don't joke with me...its with you guys...'
I said - 'No, no, no, its not with us...'
Dad said, instantly, with a pinch of concern in his voice - 'Did I leave it on the ferr....' and suddenly, now an extremely agitated voice: 'I LEFT IT ON THE FERRY, I LEFT IT ON THE FERRY!!!'
It was a sudden sound of silence, as Dad asked the driver: 'TST FERRY PIER! FERRY PIER KOWLOON!!!!' The driver said 'Oh no no, too far, too far, I won't go!'
I told the driver: 'Stop here stop here, Star Ferry, Star Ferry!'

DRAMA UNFOLDS: THE UNWELCOMING HUNT FOR DAD'S BAG!!
Before I continue with the story, just to give you an intel into the gravity of the situation: that bag had one of Dad's camera lenses, his phone, Mum's iPad, and most importantly: ALL OF OUR PASSPORTS!

We chucked about HK$30 into the cab and we made a run for the next ferry available. Lower deck, of course, upper deck would've taken too long, and perhaps we would've missed the ferry. We made it onboard. Hearbeats quick. Tension high. This was a nightmare coming true for us. The ferry took oh so long to make the crossing. Hours, it seemed. Suddenly, I saw something familiar go by, and I took a picture of it:

I pointed towards it and told Dad - THERE SHE IS! THERE IT IS! THAT'S OUR JUNK!!!!
The Wing on Travel was oh so close to us. But she went way, far way into the distance and took a turn somewhere. She was gone. And potentially, the oh-so-imporant bag, too. We knew we had a long night ahead.

Got off the ferry, which again felt like forever. We were now literally headless chicken. We did not know what to do. Where did the ferry go? How do we catch hold of it? There was just too much going on that it took us quite some time to figure out to actually contact the police. Found a PCO next to the Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) terminus, where Dad was huffing and puffing and barely a word came out of his mouth. I took over the phone, and explained what was going on. I was strangely calm about all of this, and its still a mystery to me.. Shocked Anyways, from what I made out of the details, we had to walk towards the Avenue of Stars. Did that, but we found no one. We knew we were wasting time, and decided to head off for the police station. A nice Englishman saw that something was up with us. He tried helping us. But that was of no use, since he did not know where the police station was and saw no constable, but apologized profusely.

With no buses leaving anytime soon, we asked around people, where the nearest police station was. Some said 'Nathan Road', while others' said 'Tsim Sha Tsui, far way...' This confused us a lot. The taxi was the only viable option. But a long line of 100 odd people. We had no choice but to jump the line. I jogged along the lane where buses usually go through, saying "Lost our bag, emergency, need to go to police station ASAP, sorry for jumping queue!", about 7 or 8 times I said that. The people mostly were helpful, as the first person in the line had a cab waiting for us. We thanked him, and away we went for the police station. A few minutes later, we reached the TST police station, located on Nathan Road.

I ran in and the seemingly rude police officer told me to piss off (indirectly), asked me to sit, and then when Mum and Dad walked in, we asked me what is the issue, asked Mum and Dad too, and then when he found out that it was all the same, his rudeness generally disappeared, and started being nice to us. Dad had to repeat whatever he had said since the officer found it difficult to catch on to whatever Dad said. Luckily, Dad had the immigration slips, so the passport numbers were there, and he entered this onto the system: telling us that if someone finds the passport(s) and hands it over to the police, it would be reported and traced. At that point, no one found it. Giving the description of the bag and contents, the police said that it would be a bit difficult to get those back, and if the stuff isn't recovered by tomorrow afternoon, assume its lost and head for the Indian High Commission. Mum, was worried. Dad, was worried. Me? There I was coolly checking out all the information brochures. A F.I.R type thing was printed and given to us. We were told to contact the tour company ASAP - which I did, but since the office was closed, I left a voice message.

Spent around 45 odd minutes there, we decided to head off to Eaton Hotel before giving up for the night. Uncle E and Aunty R told us they are staying there. So we hoped they saw the bag. A long walk along Nathan Road followed. The lights and ads handing over the street were amazing, but there was something much bigger to worry about, and we failed to appreciate the atmosphere. Found the Eaton after a while. Called up their room, thanks to the help from Concierge. We're in luck, they're awake and picked up! But soon, we're out of luck. 'We went and sat in front, A. I'm sorry, I did not see your bag. It was too dark anyways....' said Uncle E. That was it for the night. We headed back to the hotel, hopeless. Dad was feeling extremely guilty about what had just happened, since we were potentially robbed of a trip to new land in the name of Taiwan, and a huge cost in going to DEL and getting stuff done. But the Fernando Alonso fan in me came alive, and I became philosophical, telling him that we lost as a team. And, it wasn't really our fault, since we met some really good people which most certainly distracted us.


Nathan Road

We reached the hotel. It was about 1 in the morning. The silence among us was just too loud. I suspended writing this TR and almost considered abandoning it. Mum's Find my iPad was turned off. This was turning bleak. But an encouraging sign was...I called up Dad's phone thrice. No one picked up, and it kept ringing. So we assumed no one had it with them, and it was in the bag. But then again, just an assumption. You never know....
We tried to fall asleep, as the senses of no one sleeping were obvious, all three of us being worried became evident as I kept checking my phone for any missed calls, Dad started pacing around the room, while Mum kept going to the washroom. This long night never seemed to end.......

In the next part - the hunt of the bag continues, and the rest of Hong Kong...

Regards
Jish
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sukritmunjal
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jishnu,

Post the next part soon. The suspense is killing me Very Happy
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Spiderguy252
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

More than anything, the food looks scrumptious!
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Nimish
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow - quite a bit of excitement. Can't wait for the balance of the story!

The food looks delicious overall...
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ameya
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 03, 2014 6:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Smile Waiting for the next part Smile
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sukritmunjal wrote:
Jishnu,

Post the next part soon. The suspense is killing me Very Happy

Creating a feasible gap between the TRs so that there is plenty of time to read! I will put the next part up tonight (IST Razz )

Spiderguy252 wrote:
More than anything, the food looks scrumptious!

Nimish wrote:
The food looks delicious overall...

There is something about authentic Chinese food....and that is missing from the looks of the food! So glad to have tried so many things, rather than sticking to 'Indian food' in 2010.....what was I even thinking back then! Rolling Eyes

Nimish wrote:
Wow - quite a bit of excitement. Can't wait for the balance of the story!

ameya wrote:
Smile Waiting for the next part Smile

Tonight for sure! Very Happy

Regards
Jish
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

THE DRAMA CONTINUES...
The three of us woke up early next morning with a sense of uneasiness. Me, perhaps less so because like I said, I was strangely calm about it all. It was all too quiet. I made a call to Dad's phone once again - it rang, no one picked up, so obviously it wasn't switched off. I was pretty relaxed. But this wasn't shown on my face. I was as quiet as my parents, with not a single word coming out from my mouth. It was 0830 in the morning, half an hour till the office would open. We left our hotel and headed off for the Fortress Hill station, to begin a rather deciding MTR journey to Tsim Sha Tsui. It was a make or break scenario. About 45 minutes had passed since we kind of lost our way, in the underground subway of all places. But once we found a bus to the ferry pier, we knew we'd be there, close to the Star House. 3-4 minutes later, we reached the Star House. All shops were closed, and chances of the office being open seemed slim, but I assumed the time on the website was accurate.

The lift door opened. We took the final left turn. It was all or nothing. Light rays came out of the translucent window of the Watertours office. We rang the bell. A young woman opened the door, asking us.. 'Yes?'
Dad said, 'Hi there, I left a big blue-black bag pack on the ferry yesterd....'
'Is it that one?' she pointed at the bag.
There it was, resting on a chair. Peacefully. As if no one had ever touched it. All calm. The three of breathed a huge sigh of relief. We checked, everything was in place, nothing stolen. 'Nobody saw it last night', she said. 'It was on the junk throughout the night, one of the crew saw it and just handed it over a few minutes ago..' Think about it. If we did not get lost in the subway and wasted time, imagine what would've gone through our heads, knowing that the bag wasn't at the office either! Shocked

A valuable lesson was learnt. We took about 5 minutes to reflect and refresh our minds; everything was good. No worries, for now. We then went down to McDonalds for some breakfast. I went for the ham & egg muffin with hash brown...



Connected Mum's iPad to the wifi. Immediately switched on the Find my iPad feature. And we also received an updated from Colombo, of one very important family member:


Great to see Dobby, the First being peaceful with his 'acting daughter' Elsa.
I say 'acting' because: he's a labrador, she's a beagle. Also, he's never had children, despite the fact that he's had around 3 or 4 marriage proposals. Lastly, Elsa came home just a few hours before Dobby was sent there. So effectively, she thought he was a parent!

Post breakfast, we took the Star Ferry back to the Central Ferry pier...

Crocs showroom in the most random place!


Old Star Ferry, new Star Cruises!


That's an angry cloud! Sad



Gangway



Inside the apparent AC cabin..


Oh, those clouds! Come on, just leave us alone, please!

Mum and Dad kept looking towards the front, at the Hong Kong Island, while I kept an eye on the clouds above Kowloon Island: the weather did not look promising. It started to look like the sun was soon to be eaten up by the angry dark clouds forming in the vicinity. However, when we took a cab up to the hotel, the clouds went along with Kowloon Island towards Kai Tak and Lei Yie Mun, and not touching Hong Kong Island. Thank you!
We got back to the hotel. A cleaning lady was making up our room, and she apologized a lot of starting off early, and she stating that she should've heeded the make up room sign! Oh, don't worry Smile We were going to be leaving soon!
Now extremely relieved, we took our showers and got ready. We still had things to see, and some work to complete.
We headed off for Dad's office branch in Central...very well located!

Fortress Hill station. How many people on their smartphones..

View from the office!

We got a crucial piece of information: I wanted a pair of headphones. I just didn't know where to go! Wan Chai computer center is what Dad's colleagues told me. Spent around half an hour there, we went to Nikon's Service Center in Mong Kok, Langham Place. I'm sure you've noticed the million spots on my sensor, those are now gone. Thanks to the awesome service!

Langham Place


In the service center Smile

We headed off to Jordan Station next: this station was our starting point to all journey's in 2010, since Novotel Nathan Road's nearest station was this.
The next few pictures I took with Dad's camera, and as you can see, I barely got a hold of it. I missed my camera Crying or Very sad



There's something about Nathan Road....



Hello ex-hotel! Very Happy

The first day when we arrived in 2010, we stepped out in the afternoon, and an accommodating old lady dragged us to her restaurant. We loved that place so much that we eventually went there everyday for at least one meal! So we decided, it would be unfair if we didn't visit her this time, and there she was! She charmingly welcomed us, and suggested some dishes for us to have. I doubt if she remembered us as well as we remembered her - she asked if we were Filipino...uhh...
I had a preparation of scrambled egg, leafy veggies, crab meat and shark fin...

It felt amazing to get back there! Memories of merely 4 years ago (which felt so far back in time) relived!

Once we were done with lunch, we headed back to TST Police Station and to close our bag missing mystery case. With this done, it was time head back to the Nikon service center and get my camera back: it was such an empty feeling despite carrying Dad's heavier camera Rolling Eyes

Ah, the 7 Eleven and currency exchange right opposite...you made life so much easier!


Following lunch, we went to Mong Kok, Langham Center, to get my camera back. I could feel the difference of the sensor being cleaned almost instantaneously! Very Happy So yeah, here on, pictures are from my camera, unless I mention Wink
After picking up the camera, we decided to split up. Dad went back to Fortress Hill (hotel) while Mum and I got off at Wan Chai (for the computer center to check out the headphones)



Wan Chai Computer Center is a wholesale type market - about 200-250 shops crammed into 2 floors, with very little area for each store, but with genuine products. I did not do any prior research for the headphones before hand, but I did use my friends' V-Moda and Audio Technica M-50 headphones in school. Went through a couple of headphones, but I decided not to buy anything just then, another night of research was my way to go. Mum and I decided to take the tram. It was a fun experience! Dare I say it, the tram accelerating sounds like a GE CF6 starting up (on the A330 at least)... Rolling Eyes








A point of interest for a few, perhaps: there was a massive middle-of-the-road construction in front of Fortress Hill station at around 10 am. Plenty of digging, people and construction vehicles and warning signs. But by evening, say 6 pm, these were gone, vanished. In to thin air. As if nothing had happened there before. And then we look at our country (both India and SL..) things like this take forever, and even when work is complete, they just leave the junk there...
Well anyways.
We decided to go for the Symphony of Lights show, ferry from Central to TST. We were perhaps a ferry or two early, since when the light show happens, some of them actually stop midway to show the lights. We didn't find the ideal spot for the show and commentary (it was the english day), but then again, we found something happen.....

Sunset from the room


F1 branded Red Bull. It was sweeter, and darker in texture. With a slight hint of orange.









Headed back to the hotel that night, and we went up to the Le 188° Restaurant & Lounge for dinner. Pretty expensive, but wow was it worth it! The view was simply stunning! Western dinner there obviously...





Went back to the room, for finally a good night's sleep, as the agenda for the next was just lunch at a fancy-ish restaurant, and of course, the flight to Taipei.

HONG KONG: DAY 3
The day when we should've gone to the HKU. But oh well. Since we were checked in an hour late, we were allowed to check out an hour later. Pretty good.
While Mum and Dad slept, I was up that night, not writing this TR, but reviewing headphones. 3 hours I spent, just listening to YouTube reviews. And after long and hard thinking, I decided: Audio Technica M-50x.



A sunny last day in Hong Kong, SuperStar Virgo


Hong Kong milk tea, pork and rice noodle soup...


Wan Chai Computer Center. Hello new headphones! Very Happy

Once again, we took the tram back to the hotel....


To Happy Valley




Hello there! Shocked


A380 SuperTram? Wink




Checked out of this great hotel. But the nice staff offered us to keep our bags, so that we could pick up our bags later for the airport.


There was a lemon grass fragrance all throughout...

First off, we went to Dogaroo, a pet store close by to buy stuff for Dobby, The First and Elsa.


Bakery nearby sold egg tarts....yum!




Took quite long to get a cab. And once we did get one....he was an angry old man, lets just keep it that way. He turned into the hotel TWICE with the meter running. And once we asked if he knew where he was going (he didn't seem to initially), he shot down our question with a rude and angry 'NO!'
We were going to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen, by the way.
Once we got to Aberdeen, he left us somewhere, rudely, took the fare, and just sped away from us. Where we left us was...far away from the jetty, and not a single soul around. And once we learnt where it is, a long walk followed, a place where the cabbie could've easily dropped us. Wow, the cabbies in Hong Kong are real nice.
Well anyways, we reached the restaurant, typical Chinese atmosphere around.






Pork buns, prawn dumplings, crab noodles, seafood soup and mango pudding for lunch..







Absolutely clueless in this lifeless place, we decided to take a minibus up to Kennedy Market. At least, the trams would be close by - life!!! Oh, ironically, we passed by HKU as well! It looked good Smile Options are open.....





Disappointed by not seeing a single Ferrari, I saw two within half an hour...a Ferrari FF and a Ferrari F430!

We reached the hotel after finding a decent cabbie. Picked up our luggage and began the long drive to the airport.

So this is it for the non aviation part from Hong Kong.
In the next part:Spotting from Hong Kong Airport SkyDeck (Aviation Photography section), and BR1852 to Taipei on the MD90! (Trip Reports section).

Till then!

Regards
Jish
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Last edited by jbalonso777 on Tue Oct 07, 2014 8:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ameya
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 3:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great TR Jishnu. Glad to know about the bag !

Dobby looks a great dog.. I have said this before too, when you had put in his pic in one the TRs

Offcourse the HK pics are great too !
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Nimish
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome pictures Jishnu - great work and thanks for sharing Smile. And must have been an incredible relief to have found your bag. We had a recent experience this summer where my daughter left the iPad in the seat back pocket on United, it was such a relief when we were able to pick it up a week later...

And congrats on your new headphones - out of curiosity - were they similarly priced to the USD167 price on Amazon.com?

Cheers
Nimish
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 07, 2014 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ameya sir and Nimish sir, thank you both for your replies! Very Happy

Ameya sir,
Yes, a complete WHEW situation after getting the bag! Taiwan happened, if it weren't for the bag...God only knows what!
8 years of taking care of, and entertained by Dobby has been a pleasant experience! However, that will come to an end next year as I look to move into University.
And thank you for the compliment! Do stay tuned for the TPE pictures, as well!

Nimsih sir,
Yes again, incredibly relieved after what was a harrowing experience! Wow, leaving anything, let alone gadgets on a plane is quite frightening! But it was a week for you..rather than just the night for us, as well. I remember reading one of the great Sam Chui's TRs in Zimbabwe I think - he kept his iPad in the seat pocket, realized he left it just after getting off, but it was too late, one of the cleaning staff took the iPad away.....
The Audio Techina ATH M-50x is an amazing pair of headphones for me personally, I would recommend this over Beats by Dr. Dre. USD150 was the price for which I bought those...only in the Wan Chai Computer center..included plenty of bargaining though (as advised).....

Regards
Jish
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 4:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sir, again, it was worth the wait for me. Thanks for a lovely comprehensive view of Hong Kong. Your writing style makes for compulsive reading. I sat rivetted in front of the screen, not wanting to miss a word till the bag was finally found. I have misplaced my air tickets in the old paper ticket days) once at Vancouver, which ironically, I did via Hong Kong, both ways, in 2001. The return trip was when I was able to see a bit of Hong Kong, for the first time. The food pictures were simply wonderful, and so were the views of the city. I was able to ride the Peak Tram only in 2010, and I remember the experience quite well. I also remember that the Ocean Park was a big let-down. It was with this trip that I started writing TRs on this forum, which ended up as a rather bare-bones trip report.
1. IGI T3, AI 314 DEL-HKG and AI 311 HKG-DEL
http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic10018.html
I would visit Hong Kong once more, while passing through it, in 2011, en route to Beijing, and on the way back.
I find the Toyota Crowns simple but classy, even though they are quite old. Your Hong Kong night photography was superb! I am jealous of Papa for being able to visit Kowloon and Kai Tak a few months before it closed down.
Else is a very cute little angel...congratulations on the addition to the family!
She and Dobby look to be great friends.
A lovely TR...I look forward to reading the Taiwan report, now.
Cheers, Sumantra.
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sumantra sir, thank you so much for your amazing reply! Smile

Yes, I agree about Ocean Park being a huge let down, although, its only the dolphin show which was worth...something rather than nothing.

Oh wow, your Dad was surely lucky in seeing Kai Tak at its peak! Oh, if only I could see that! Crying or Very sad

Again, thank you for the reply!

Regards
Jish
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Theairplaneguy4ever
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2014 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, finally.. what an amazing TR, brought back a lot of memories, good to see you could finally enjoy HK properly, albeit the passport drama.

Stellar pictures as well, you're getting better as each trip report goes by!

Quote:
Instant noodle soup with ham, bread as extra.


Now that definitely sounds weird. Ham with instant noodles?! Was it any bit good?

Quote:
Bus to Ocean Park


Oh no.. it's all coming back to me.

Quote:
Crowds were quite big, despite this being a Thursday!


I've heard this as well. Which is why I took a bus to the peak back last year.

IMO the view is much more spectacular at night rather than at day, I think you should have tried it at that time. But, that's just me.

The passport scare really is quite the worry and one's worst fear when travelling. You guys are very lucky to have gotten it back!

The food looks amazing, I so wish I'd properly eaten at HK instead of backing away after having a not so good experience. Oh well, there's always next time.

Thanks for this amazing TR, jishnu!

Aditya
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jbalonso777
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Theairplaneguy4ever wrote:
Ah, finally.. what an amazing TR, brought back a lot of memories, good to see you could finally enjoy HK properly, albeit the passport drama.

Stellar pictures as well, you're getting better as each trip report goes by!

Thank you so much for your very kind words, Aditya! It really means a lot Very Happy

Theairplaneguy4ever wrote:
Now that definitely sounds weird. Ham with instant noodles?! Was it any bit good?

It was pretty OK, if I have to complain - it was too salty. But that's just the preservatives of instant noodles acting up.


Theairplaneguy4ever wrote:
I've heard this as well. Which is why I took a bus to the peak back last year.
IMO the view is much more spectacular at night rather than at day, I think you should have tried it at that time. But, that's just me.

I've heard many people say that the peak tram is a rip off, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion! For me personally, I enjoyed the steep climb and the views outside, it was pretty good! I haven't been there at night, though Sad

Theairplaneguy4ever wrote:
The passport scare really is quite the worry and one's worst fear when travelling. You guys are very lucky to have gotten it back!

Oh yes, very lucky. If it wasn't for that..no Taiwan, but more importantly, no MD90 or 747 (<-avgeek kicked in! Razz )

Theairplaneguy4ever wrote:
The food looks amazing, I so wish I'd properly eaten at HK instead of backing away after having a not so good experience. Oh well, there's always next time.

And an amazing trip report with that? Smile

Regards
Jish
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