Victoria Peak

Last night we went to Victoria Peak- a tower reputable for having the best views of the city's skyline and harbour from the viewing terrace. To get there, take a tram from central to the peak. Although this is one of the city's most scenic transport routes, it is not for the faint of heart. The cable car creeps up a 45 degree slope for 1800ft. And while it has been in operation since 1888 and the view is incomparable, its a long way down and I advise not to look back. Once at the peak, we rode the seemingly endless escalators to reach the terrace where the city's symphony of lights can capture even the most unsuspecting viewer.

Wakeboarding at Tai Tam Tuk Village

A short taxi ride took us to Tai Tam, a local wakeboarding site. The quaint houses of the locals encompassed the launch site behind a scenic backdrop of lush green mountains. I don't think I could have dreamt up a cooler wakeboarding destination. The trek back to Stanely was another story. It felt remotely like a game of frogger, making mad dashes back and forth across the street to dodge the daytime traffic which congests Hong Kong's urban areas. Taking this to another level are the dillusional bus drivers daydreaming they are Mario Andretti competing for a Nascar title.

I may need the immodium for this one....just kidding. A staple street food, octopus tentacles on a stick (fried, sauted, or, my personal favorite, grilled and slathered w/ an asian BBQ sauce) are exceptionally good. While the chewy texture may be rather repulsive to some people, you cant ignore the taste that is good seafood- and for about a dollar, there is no reason to pass it up. As for the chicken/duck/mystery bird feet however....

Street Performance

Walking around what can only be described as Hong Kong's equivalent of times square, we saw a huge screen, much like New York's, on the side of a building broadcasting a street performance that we stumbled across a couple minutes later. Although we didn't understand a word they were saying, we stopped and watched only to get sucked into the skit minutes later after Camila insisted upon uninvitingly interjecting herself into the performance. Between a brazilian accent, two semesters of mandarin Chinese, and complete colloquial obliviousness, I'm positive the reputations of Western civilizations are at stake....

The Jade Market

Its been raining a lot here. I checked the forecast and it says rain for the next 10 days...ugh. It sucks because it really is gorgeous everywhere and I want to get some pictures that truly reflect what I am seeing. In the heart of the city lies the ladies market and the jade market. The ladies market offers fakes to the highly sought after labels that plague our society but, hey, sell what sells-I'm not opposed to that. However, it is slightly annoying that upon sighting westerners, the street vendors instinctively run up to give their offers for "copee watch," "lou vittone," etc. In spite of this slight annoyance, it's hard to pass up the opportunity to haggle with the incessantly persistent vendors even without the slightest intention of buying the item. By the time they see your back, you can pretty much name your price- including the 30 HKD I paid for this lime green Juicy clutch. Get exicited Nicole...it's heading your way!

This is perhaps the coolest looking fruit I have ever seen-this is also the sole reason I ate half of one. The white flesh on the inside, spotted with seeds resembling that of a kiwi, provide a stark contrast to the pinky purple sponge-like exterior-also adorned with yellow leaves (really just "leaf-like") that extend from all parts of the oval body. Its appearance made me think, time and again, even after each bite, that it would be good. In opposition to its vibrant appearance, it tastes very bland...

First stop...Hong Kong. Camila lives on the island of Stanley, which is about 10 minutes away from central Hong Kong. Right outside the door of her apartment complex begins Stanley Market-a New York style "China Town"(no pun intended) braided throughout the streets. It offers everything from clothing and jewelery to books, toys and magically heating gel packs (thats another story). Down the street there is a McDonalds, a Starbucks, a Gelato shop, a bakery, and what we have affectionatly come to know as "Tasty" (actually spelled Taste). We raided the bakery no less than 3 times on the first day. This modern grocery store offers intriguing combinations to every basic bread. For a dollar you can get a tuna and cheese roll, 

a corn, ham, and tomato bun, a sweet roll-thats a small loaf infused will a jelly-like coconut center, cheesy puff balls, and the list goes on. We even saw 3 types of the elusive special K (China is holding out on you, Nicole). Special K aside, even the produce is so abundant. There are fruits that I have never even heard of- I have yet to try the lychee but the dragonfruit seemed the most interesting (yeah....see the next post).

Stanley Market 

(taken from apartment roof)