I <3 Hong Kong

I'm completely wiped, but I figure I'll try to get this all posted and wrapped up before I pass out (plus the laundry is still going.)

Nathan and I caught the train to Shenzhen around 4pm on Friday. We both took some Nyquil and passed out pretty early, eager to sleep through the fourteen hour train ride. We ended up arriving around 5:30am.

Unfortunately for us, the ticket booth to buy our return tickets to Nanchang/Jiujiang didn't open until later, so we spent some time eating breakfast and hanging out (in the gloriously warm weather) at the Shenzhen train station. Eventually we were able to buy the return tickets and move on to the other side of the train station which was where the border to Hong Kong was located.
We passed through customs with ease and made our way to the metro where we bought tickets to head into the main city area of Kowloon. After a 45 minute metro ride we arrived at our stop, which was conveniently located right next to the Mirador Mansion where we were to stay. Inside the mansion were a number of hostels, so we settled for one, made a deal with the lady who ran the operation, and settled in. Naps and showers were in order, so we set about making that happen.
In the early afternoon we decided to have some lunch (Indian food) before setting out to look around. The area we were in (Nathan Road) was bustling with activity. We walked around and discovered how conveniently close we were to the Ocean Port where Grandma and Grandpa would be docking the next day. We decided to take the ferry across to the island of Hong Kong (it probably has it's own name but I can't be bothered to look it up.) We spent hours looking around at all the markets, hiking up stairs, and peeking into art galleries. In the evening we wandered by the park, and stumbled upon a night market. By the end of the day my feet were straight up busted and we were exhausted.

We met Grandma and Grandpa the next day, at 10am sharp. Luckily the dock was only a 15 minute walk away from our hotel. We decided that breakfast was in order and found a local Starbucks to meet our breakfast needs. After that it was off down Nathan road to have a look at the shops and try to find a tailor (unsuccessfully). After a nice look around the park which boasts a small lake complete with flamingos and a rare bird aviary, we made our way to the ferry to see the island. Nathan has a brilliant mind for directions and took us back to all the markets I thought the grandparents would like to see. We ended up hopping on a tram as a mini adventure, but didn't make it far before deciding to stop at another market for a quick look and some lunch. A pizza hut was nearby, so we headed in there to refuel, gorging on such delicacies as garlic bread and pizza.
The idea of going to Stanley Market kept coming up, so we hailed a cab and headed out that way. It ended up being on the opposite side of the island, but the views were brilliant as we passed all the million dollar homes and small beaches. We did a bit more shopping at the market, running into Grandma and Grandpa's fellow Oriana passengers as we did. After a few picture taking opportunities, we decided to catch a double decker bus back to the city.
We took the top deck of the ferry back to Kowloon which was quite nice. The shopping had accumulated into a bothersome mess, so we went back to our hotel to drop it off before heading on to the night market. Street food was in order, though it cost a might more than street food on the mainland. Nathan ordered about four dishes, and Grandma and I scampered off to have a look at the market while they were being cooked. Unfortunately the dishes arrived soon after we left, so it was a bit cold when we returned, but still delicious.
It was soon time for the light show, so we made our way to where the ferry dock was in order to get good seats. The show was quite nice, although the commentating was in Cantonese. Everyone was pretty exhausted after that so we walked Grandma and Grandpa back to the Oriana and headed off. Nathan enjoyed a couple beers while I did a bit more shopping, then went back to the hotel.

Monday morning Nathan and I hurried to The Penninsula to meet Grandma and Grandpa. We had a delicious breakfast there while taking in all the poshness. We decided it best to drop off the Ribena and book that Grandma and Grandpa had brought with them, so we returned to the hotel, then made our way to the Hong Kong space museum. Unfortunately it was closed, so we headed for the ferry instead. After a short ride across we were once again on the island. Nathan led us to the area where all the art galleries are, so we spent the afternoon poking around in there until it was time to return to Kowloon. We metroed back and stopped by our hotel to check out and retrieve our bags before heading to a small Indian restaurant in the next mansion over from ours.
We ordered our food and ended up waiting forever! I was growing ever more nervous about missing our train, but we were able to eat and get the naan to go. We bid Grandma and Grandpa farewell, and ran for the metro which we had to take to get back to the HK/Shenzhen border. We ended up having just enough time to make it through customs and arrived at our train gate just as it began boarding.
Nathan and I didn't have beds next to each other, so I hung out in his area until we were both exhausted. Then I returned to my bed, had a Nyquil, read for a bit, and passed out.

This morning Nathan tapped me as he was heading off. His stop was in Nanchang, an hour and a half before my own. I gave him a hug, then fell back asleep, before being woken up to hand over my ticket and prepare to disembark. The train was a bit late getting in, but I immediately found a taxi (where I was overcharged but didn't care) and arrived home with enough time to unpack before heading to class.
In class we watched a movie, The Princess Bride, which the kids all seemed to adore. Think I'll stick to the movies this week, next week will be a hard lesson 'At the Doctor'.


P.S. Nathan and I now own Fafu, a lovable panda who like bamboo and traveling as well as blogging. Check out her adventures here: http://chroniclesoffafu.blogspot.com/