Hong Kong Day 2

Apart from visa madness we have been making a point to continue seeing what there is to see.  Climbing Victoria Peak was first on our agenda.  The Peak is an 1800 foot rise above sea level and was first home to the non-Chinese colonists and now to the wealthy.  We started the climb and within minutes were dripping with sweat.  We had somewhere come by the false impression that the climb was just a steep grade.  It was more like a 1000 foot staircase.  I decided to turn around and take the kids up the funicular, much to their delight, while Patti forged on.  When we connected with Mom again, she was soaked completely through and wondering why she did not wimp out like us.

The rest of our small group was guided over the border to the mainland where they boarded a bus to Yangshuo and we once again hit the streets of Hong Kong.  One of the stranger things you will see in HK is the use of bamboo for construction scaffolding.  These frames appear to be somewhat haphazardly assembled with joints fastened by plastic strapping and rise many, seemingly too many, floors above the street.

We toured a number of the market streets last night including the fish market.  This was not the fish as food market, but the fish as aquarium occupant market.  It is amazing how whole blocks are dedicated to the sale of a single type of product and to the untrained eye it appears rather undifferentiated.  I did find a bike shop in the midst of the fish block, in which I found the 'wheels of lightness'.  Her are the kids posing by one of the many walls o' fish.

I did find a bike shop in the midst of the fish block, in which I found the 'wheels of lightness'.

The girls really have a subtle way of bargaining in the market stalls.  They like looking more then buying all the fans and watches and assorted other 'real' name brand items.  The girls handle and hem and haw all the goods and Patti and I let them do their thing.  Once the stall owner understands that they are dealing with the girls for the sale and not the parents they start the bargaining process.  T and R usually just start walking away when the dealing begins in earnest.

Apple is a very popular brand in China and they have really expanded their product offerings here.  For instance men, that special lady in your life will love her night on the town as the apple of your eye.

We ate in the Food Republic (Chinese food court) yesterday and among the dozen or so food vendors none of them offered napkins which I found curious.  As I observed the other eaters I noticed that they seemed careful so as not to need one.  The Huth family is not quite there yet even though the kids have become quite proficient at chop stick handling.  As some of you may recall from a Huth family update letter of Christmas Past, I have a mild for of tactile dysfunction and as such really need my precious napkins.  We happened upon a Starbucks and traded them the purchase of a steamed milk and some snacks for a stack of there finest napkins.

Patti and I have only heard one siren in our roughly 60 hours in HK and that was on an ambulance yesterday.  This is a big city with lots of cars and people and seemingly many opportunities for emergency services.  Why is that?  We did notice that all of the hostels that we have seen have doors that are like bank vaults.  Not sure I want to be behind that in case of fire.

Riley has her mothers highly tuned sense of smell.  This has lead to lots of holding her shirt over her nose as she tries not to gag.  Some of the smells are overwhelming to such an extent that I am not sure if anything could smell worse.  Yesterday there were a few stretches that I had to take short shallow breaths from my mouth and keep telling myself that I really did not need to breathe to live for the next minute.

Tara turned the big 11 today.  We are going to head out and find a special treat, maybe some tastey chicken feet or stir fry dog or something.

Check the 2013 Hong Kong folder for some pics.