Never wanting to go to the same place twice. Our sights are set for Hong Kong. I could write for days with the fun we had, yet I will spare you and give the highlights.

Upon landing I stopped into a bathroom and discovered the infamous toilets. I was wondering why people let me go in first. They were obviously waiting for our traditional style. I was in such a rush I did not note sign. Good thing to practice before you head over to Asian - Do Squats. Your pant legs may love you :)

Directly outside baggage area make sure you purchase an Octopus card. This is a transportation card you use at turnstiles. This will save you the frustration of digging for change. This card can be used at many locations, even snacks. The tickets range in price depending on your plans so have an understanding of what you plan to do to get your best value.

We travelled in late Sept/October which meant we were able to enjoy rituals and event for the MID-Autumn festival. (China National Holiday) One of the best perks is enjoying MOON CAKES. OMG, too bad these are seasonal. (BTW, my waistline is thankful they are a 1 time per year decadent dessert)

I pre-ordered these cakes from our 4 Seasons hotel. Chef Lung King Heen is a Michelin 3 star chef and these cakes were divine to say the least.

Traditional mooncakes are made with lotus paste and salted duck eggs. The dough is made and salted duck egg is placed in center and then wrapped. it is then placed in a wooden mold (as see here.) BTW: I am on a hunt to find a mold to cherish my travels.

The moon cake I decide to order was an egg custard with toasted pine nuts, excellent choice. Our harbour view room at the 4 Seasons was the perfect location to enjoy this treat.

What more could a gal want? OH, maybe a great glass of vino.

Wanting to make sure we hit all the high points and unique outings I discovered the Fire Dragon event. We are going 100% for sure!

Tai Hang Fire Dragon.
It was started in 1880 after the village experienced bad luck.
It is now considered one of China top 3 cultural heritage events. That's all it took to get me to put this into our schedule.
There are about 300 men running through the quaint area of Tai Hang, dripping wet lifting the dragon into the air with sticks. The head alone is said to be 48 KG. You can imagine the hard work it is running on concrete, under hot incense, in 80% humidity. Like a choreographed dance, the men switch out to take a break. Yes, I don't think I would be signing up anytime soon.
The cutest little girls in red outfits carry flaming lotus lanterns, while drummers hammer in the background.
This 67-foot straw dragon is covered with over 70,000 burning incense sticks.
For 1.5 hours we watched as the dragon wander through the streets scaring out the bad omens.

The smell of incense is strong and smoke thick. Not the best place to be if your have breathing issues. That being said, if you happen to be in HK during this time (late September), I highly recommend the dance as well as the beautifully created lanterns that are on display in a park a few blocks away!
We were interviewed by a reporter was very curious on how we knew of their dragon. (We were probably one of the few Caucasians in the crowd.) AS a reward she shared her best vantage point. As you can see by the photos, it was bang on, PERFECT!

Our incence sticks and the morning paper

Here is a link to a short video clip Fire Dragon

There are many places to eat in HK, however if you are looking for quality food.

CHECK OUT YARDBIRDS!!! This place does not disappoint!! Omg, the food!

This restaurant started in 2011 by a Calgarian, Matt. He certainly know his chicken. He brings in organic foul daily and uses every piece to create sinful plates that has you begging for more.

We started with cocktails and finished with a celebration house made sake with the owners sister. Matt has additional eating places in HK. Who knows, maybe we will hit another?? But honestly, eating anywhere else after this place will likely fall short. Here is a dish that was sublime.

Meatball Yakitori with egg yolk and a soy basting sauce called tare was one of my favorites. The style is small sharing plates. Make sure you check out other dishes such as KFC, (Korean Fried Cauliflower), corn fritters or… ,forget it. Try them all! I doubt you will be disappointed.

New location 33-35 Bridges Street | Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, China. BTW, Matt has quite a following, so make reservations. https://yardbirdrestaurant.com/info/

I found that the best eating places – OK, western style restaurants, were on the island side. We had to try Mak's noodle house. Taste & inexpensive. Great for a quick bite.

A trip to Hong Kong is NOT complete without a trip up to the Peak. If time allows, watch the weather and pick a day without rain.

We both go the memo. so now the question is Who wore it best? Enterance to Hong Kong Park

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Get up early – take a taxi up and get the tram down. Save yourself the massive line up. BTW- the tram has only 95 seats and standing room for 25. Now you know why the line up is long. A trip leaves about every 10-15 minutes.

The cost of cab was inexpensive HK$74 and well worth the fee paid. While at top I would recommend you buy the pass to Sky Terrace. This will give you 360 degree viewing from the highest point on Hong Kong Island.

If you walk around the building you will find a path. Take a trip down Findlay Path. Within a very short distance you will come across the Lion Pavilion. Again, another striking location to snap a picture or two. (There is not cost to view from here.

Once you can say "Been there, done that", purchase your ticket for the +120 year old Funicular down the hill. There is a queue, so timing is everything. If possible grab a seat on the LEFT side. This will allow for some last time viewing to the harbour.

By the time we got to the base, the lineup winded around and around. My guess is you could wait for an hour or two. So glad we took the cab up and beat the crowds- JUST saying!

The holiday is filling up the city. WE are amazed how people are setting up makeshift camps on cardboard boxes. They play cards, and visit. I am not sure if they are only here for the day and then are pushed off the island. Would be interesting to know.

A few other tourist locations you might be inclined to check out, Stone Slab street (Pottinger Street). Found in CENTRAL in Hong Kong Island, this street is made of uneven large granite slabs. On either side is a waterway and I must warn you. WATCH your FOOTING! The slope is steep and very uneven. As you can see, it is a very popular place for your photo opportunity. While there, a number of Asians where obviously taking their blog pics.

And shoppers - There are cute boutiques in this area. Make sure you have cash on hand or better yet, a credit card with lots of room to buy! Have fun shopping...

Cat Alley is the antique area. You can find all things Asian here as well as serious antique shops. These narrow streets are lined with vendors with their carts. Interesting to note that at nightfall, they do not cart away but lock up and leave.
We watched a man took great pride to paint gold on satin ribbon with Chinese characters. The skill he had was certainly an art. He dipped his brush and then gracefully glided the brush perpendicular to the desk. Not once did I see him slant his hand. AMAZING! Had I know the language I may have requested a good blessing ribbon.

One of the OLDEST temples built in 1847 in Hong Kong is Mann MO. This is the temple for the God of Literature (MANN) and War (MO) Pop into this prestigious temple and for your photo bugs, Yes, photography is allowed.

The minute you walk in, look up at the large incense coils hanging from the roof. As they burn, the ashes drop to trays. Baskets of fruit are placed around the perimeter among the many statues. I imagine this is a gift to their Gods. Watch the rituals of the people entering and take a good look away from the lens. It is so interesting to watch as they purchase their many incense sticks, and walk up to light them, say their prayers and depart. While there we watch 2 young ladies worked on restoring a plaque on the wall. Time does go back here.

video link inside temple

Central area could be a 2 - 3 day adventure for sure.

You can ride the Mid-level escalator –Opened in 1993 is 800 meters long and is considered the world’s longest covered escalator. Again shops and spas dot the area. Another opportunity for shopping.

Between 30,000 and 40,000 use this esclator daily. Be careful when you decide to travel, as this escalator changes direction according to time and your short walk with the help of a long ride could mean sore feet on a steep hill.

Other highlights on the island side included a trip to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club for dinner. We had made arrangements for a reciprocating visitors pass. Talk about a prime location. Great place for a drink. Food was OK. View 100%. Would be a great place to watch the nightly laser show. If you download an app, you can hear the music to tie in with the laser show. Look for Symphony of Lights app. – this only lasts for about 10 minutes and starts at 8 PM. Link to view video

Time to check out the other side - Kowloon here I come.

Looking towards Kowloon from our 4 Seasons Hotel pool

Eventually we moved our touring to Kowloon – the other side of Victoria Harbour. A fun way to get from point A to B is the Star Ferry – You can use your Octopus card as this is part of the MTR. you could also take a Junk.

Kowloon is dated and a jumble of neon lights & people. OMG, Don’t take a cab, you can walk or ride the MTR anywhere here in a fraction of the time.

Right near the ferry terminal, you will find the Hong Kong Cultural Center and across the street the Time Ball Tower at 1881 Heritage. This is a stunning shopping area with high end designer shops. It has a stunning courtyard. My bet is you will find photographers throughout, Oh heck, grab your selfie stick. Might as well snap a shot yourself.

BTW: If you struggle with getting to sleep, might I tempt you with a dessert from a cafe called Senses - Van Gogh – yes, that would be a artist. This flagship store is perfect for a cup of coffee, or you can have preset meals for lunch and dinner. Reservations? Yes, I would recommend. The pastries are so beautiful decorated, THEY are a work of art themselves. I struggled, should I eat it or not? Hence the photo. It tasted as fantastic as it looked! While there we also watched flower boxes being made. If I lived here I would have bought one.

Next Stop - Monk Kok

This is home to the Ladies Market, Temple Market, Goldfish Market, Flower Market, Bird Market... I think you are getting the idea.

From the wealth around the harbour a couple blocks in and you are in the thick of mass people. Along your route you can walk to HKs version of Central Park. Right in the middle of massive high rises, honking cars and street food vendors, you can find yourself strolling through gardens, an aquatic park, as well as an aviary. If you want to find this on a map, look for Kowloon Park. Entry is free and will take you miles away from the hustle outside the walls. I was shocked on how few people were there. Grab a book and enjoy a slowed down pace. Considering I was here during Golden Week, it was dead quiet. I spend about a hour walking around and then headed back out in my search for the TRUE Monk Kok.

Kowloon Park- a place to get away from the hustle

I leave the park and travel the MRT departing at Prince Edward station. Heading east, I finally arrived at the legendary Bird Market.

This market appears to be a guy thing. Not sure what that is all about. The men bring their birds here, like we bring our dogs to a park. The birds are housed in cages that have a loop on bottom. This makes it perfect for sticking your thumb in and posing for the tourists like myself.

I loved watching this little bird enjoy his bath. Check it out Video

I spent about 45 minutes here watching men take their birds out and shower them in a spray of water or feed them live worms with chopsticks. I was amazed. The care they take is unbelievable.

When we leave, we pass through the Flower Market, then pass through the tented alleys of the Ladies Market. Oh yeah, BTW, let's call the Ladies Market what it really is. Ready?,…. JUNK!

To say I was disappointed would be a understatement.

I am not a knock off or trinket person, so walking through these set up tent shops was hugely overrated. I hunted high and low for something I would actually value and decided on a Mahjong game and chopsticks. Little else was of interest but if looking for inexpensive gifts or knock off hand bags- then this is your place.

After meandering through small alleys we finally stumble upon the Goldfish Market. This is located at Tung Choi Street North (I will save you hunting for it like I did)

Goldfish Market - finding a new family member.

For some reason I thought this area would be larger, but then again, Goldfish don't take up much room which is likely the appeal.

All types of fish can be found in bags hanging on racks or in tanks tucked in narrow buildings. It is a buzz. With land is such a premium, you need pets that are easy to manage. I watched as this gal was hunting for her perfect new family member. Her focus was uninterrupted with the noise around her.

Here a couple more shots that may amuse you

After days touring both the island of HK and Kowloon area we are ready for a switch. Can you say DAY TRIP?

Hong Kong Island and Kowloon - Off my bucket list. Time to venture further out. Next step Stanley.

A Step in Asia - Hong Kong Island and Kowloon

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