Hong Kong

Some of my new friends and I headed to Hong Kong in October to celebrate Andrew's birthday with a long weekend of fun in the metropolitan city. We boarded our overnight train in eager anticipation and spent several hours before lights out chatting and, while Johnny, Andrew and I played cards, Liz and Megan watched Heroes on an iPod. Our card games of poker became quite interesting when choosing the stakes. None of us being loaded with cash, we mustered up some creativity with bets on the "table" such as ice cream cones, cans of Dr. Pepper, bao-tze (Chinese steamed dumplings), Chinese music, pens and a kitsch souvenir. I sadly won an amazing hand with a straight-flush and all I won was a Dr. Pepper. I completely schooled Johnny and Andrew in almost every hand. :-)

L to R: Megan, Andrew, Johnny, Elizabeth

Aboard the sleeper train

Hong Kong sights

Hong Kong has much to offer for visitors with great shopping, an amazingly efficient transportation system, delicious and varied cuisine and many of the familiar big-city options that make spending time there a welcome break from the daily grind. It truly felt like a vacation and not a chore. It helped that Megan and Elizabeth and Johnny have all traveled there before and knew the ropes. We spent the first day shopping and walking around SoHo, eating at Subway and Krispy Kreme! 

A souvenir shop in the SoHo District

Riding one of the longest escalator systems in the world - SoHo is on a huge hill and city planning geniuses constructed a system of escalators that will carry you up any section. 

For Andrew's birthday, his mom very generously treated us to dinner at The Peninsula Hotel's upper restaurant. The decor was extremely chic and created a very special atmosphere of class. We ate overlooking the river and the well lit city as the night unfolded. The meal was equally amazing. We all enjoyed a variety of creative dishes that were absolutely delicious. After dinner, we walked to the river and took a ferry to the other side.

Even the taxis are special in Hong Kong - wonderfully spacious with automatic doors! My backseat door was rigged to open and close with no help from me..the touch of ease!!

The next day, Andrew and I went to The Peak - an overlook area with brilliant views of the city below. The others had seen it before, so we set off to explore.

I was excited to discover the World Wildlife Fund building. Growing up, we always received stickers and fundraising information from the agency. It was cool to see an office in China.