Hong Kong

Andy was fortunate enough to get sent to Hong Kong for work, and since I had some down time at work, I joined him for 5 days at the start of his assignment. That gave us 4 days (prior to him working) to take in the city.

I have to be honest, I don't even know where to begin in describing how amazing our trip was. From the moment we set foot on the island, we knew it would become one of our favorite cities in the world. And we don't give that distinction lightly!

Our friends Renton and Shannon actually live in HK, so it was great to finally have an excuse to visit them. Andy worked with Renton in Seattle before he and his wife moved to Zurich (where we followed shortly after). They were the first to welcome us to Zurich, but unfortunately we were only in Z at the same time for about 6 months before they moved to HK (shortly after that they had their daughter Henley who is now 7 1/2 months old, a total doll).

They were kind enough to put us up and show us around for the first two nights of our stay. They had an amazing place on Hong Kong island which looked out over the downtown skyline - not an all too bad place to spend a couple of days! They were incredible hosts, taking us to a delicious Chinese restaurant on our first night and to a fancy high tea at the Peninsula hotel the following day (the boys loved that :). Henley was such a charmer and it was so much fun to be with them for a few days. Shannon and I even squeezed in a run - which was a bit of a challenge in the humidity for me, sorry Shan!

Andy and Renton enjoying a Chinese specialty, beer from a bowl

Two Shannons and a Henley

Miss Henley

He's a natural

On our last night with the Leversedges we ordered in some amazing food, enjoyed the city skyline from the comfort of their apartment, and of course gave their wine fridge a run for its money (thanks guys) :) They were such amazing hosts, it could not have been a better catch-up with old friends.

The next day Andy and I were off to tour the island on our own with no shortage of recommendations from Renton and Shannon. First up was taking the cog-wheel train up the mountain to "The Peak" which boasts the best views in all of HK.

The downtown skyline and Victoria Harbor from "The Peak"

We walked around the top there for a few hours (HK has a ton of local hiking trails) and soaked in the view. After a quick snack (more spring rolls for Andy, his favorite) it was nearly time to meet up with Josh (our usual travel buddy) and their Swiss colleague Connie. Josh and Connie flew in and we whisked them off to the first of many incredible restaurant recommendations from the Leversedges. Josh was dying for Peking Duck so we wound up at a huge family style Chinese restaurant where the duck was so tender (and fatty...and flavorful!) that we could hardly believe it. I'm fairly certain we ingested enough calories for an entire week with those succulent slices of duck....but I digress. Did I mention the food was absolutely, hands down some of the best in the world?!

Our duck being sliced

The next day we had a full schedule in an attempt to see as much as possible before it was time for Andy and Josh to start working. That morning we were actually up and out of the hotel by 9am (a record, let me tell you) and touring the "wet market" of downtown. This is where locals bring out produce (both dead and alive) for sale every morning. Think live frogs (for frog legs), live fish, live chickens and a few dead ones too!

The wet market

Fresh Meat

After experiencing enough of the market, we had a dim sum lunch at a true locals' place above their city hall. That's the thing about most of the good restaurants in Hong Kong, you really need to know where you are going or you'd never find the great hidden places. It's such a big city! Dim Sum is fun because you just kick back and wait while a bunch of ladies push carts by you containing little dumplings and different meats - you can pick what you like. Again, scrumptious!

After lunch, we traveled to a smaller town called Stanley on the opposite end of HK island. Stanley is a quaint seaside town with miles and miles of markets winding the streets. We were able to pick up quite a few really cool souvenirs (which will remain a surprise until we're home :) and spent a relaxing day wandering the alleys. The boys finally couldn't handle my shopping at the end and had to defect to the waterfront for beers. I don't blame them, it was pretty overwhelming!

That night we met still more of the guys' colleagues for what can only be described as the most amazing meal I've ever had in my entire life. Not only was the food incredible, but the restaurant was on the 29th floor of a building on the Kowloon side (so facing back to the HK skyline) providing the most beautiful setting for a long and leisurely dinner. We were seated at a corner table, windows on every side, just in time for the night time light show where the buildings take turns flashing their lights (sounds probably not too exciting but that coupled with the lights shimmering off of Victoria harbor and being 29 floors up, it really was mesmerizing). It was impossible to get a photo that could adequately capture the ambiance of the evening. We had about 10 different courses of all sorts of meats, fish, noodles, dumplings all stewing in amazing Chinese sauces and spices.

One of many delicious courses

The next day, as my leg of the trip was winding to an end, the boys finally had to do what they came for - work. While they were in the KPMG building - I got a chance to wander around and finally got to do some long awaited shopping, manicuring and pedicuring. Despite rents being super high in HK, the shopping was certainly cheaper than in Zurich. I must say, they do it right. Every street corner of the main downtown has a different high end store (Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Tiffany, Coach, etc.) and it's all Vegas-esque - big and bold.

One of the many Coach stores

Andy finally got out of work, and just the two of us met for a long pub-crawl down the main Lan Kwai Fong street which is full of all different cuisines and pubs (English, Irish, Thai, Mexican, Spanish, American, you name it.) We hopped from pub to pub before settling on a quick meal and a mad dash to the airport so I could catch my flight. Here is my favorite photo from our last hurrah - I just think he looks so handsome and happy :)

My favorite pub crawl buddy.

I know this was an exceptionally long blog for such a short trip, but it was one of those trips that really reminded us why we love to travel so much.

For now, Andy will be working hard in China in preparation to get home for a visit from my Dad and Allison (who arrive on June 20th) and then our very long awaited trip to the US! We're hoping to make it in time for Andy's 10 yr. high school reunion - which would just be a hoot being able to go with Ryan, Michelle, Pete and Amy. We are really hoping Andy's project will be done in time!

Thanks for visiting...more to come :)