So this weekend was Hong Kong for a visa trip. Don’t you just hate automatic windows updates. I mean don’t shut my computer down while I’m in the middle of something without giving me a damn choice…”you have five minutes before your computer shuts down” thanks jerks. I’m looking at you Eb, what’s my solution here?
So Dragon Air, codeshare with Cathay pacific. Excellent service, good meal (economy), well recommended. We got hagan dass ice cream for desert, strawberry for me thanks you kindly, I’m on a strict diet and everything. Coffee? Could you leave the pitcher please?
And now we’re back after that everso useful security update. So we land, go through customs, no hassle, walk right out, excellent. Get on the airport express train and we’re in the main city area in 24 minutes. Oh man I almost forgot. So back in Shanghai, there is a magnetic levitation train (maglev for short) that takes you to the airport in about 6 minutes. Normally by car it takes at least an hour or so, and if traffic is high, well fuggataboutit. So lets say on a Friday afternoon, daddy wasn’t taking no chances (how’s that for grammer you English nuts?) So maglev it is, oh man smooth ride, and the top speed reached was 431 km/hr. Excellent, but apparently, the payback period on this investment will be something awful like 160 years at the current rate of use. Hopefully it will pick up. It’s cheaper than a taxi and faster. The only thing is if you have lots of luggage, it could be a hassle. But one large suitcase and a carryon and backpack can easily be done. So for domestic and most international travels this should be pretty good. So anyways, that’s the maglev story.
So back to HK. We get out of the subway, the subway is much better designed than the one in Shanghai. For transfers you just walk across the exit platform and there is it is, and it’s there within 2 minutes if not right there. In Shanghai, currently there are only 4 lines, and the main ones I use are 1 and 2. and that transfer is at least a few minute walk. And people wait in line to get on the train, and there are lanes designated to where to stand and where to keep free so that passengers can get out of the train. The British queues gents. Already I’ve got the feeling that Hong Kong is going to be better than Shanghai.
We walk out of the subway into Causeway bay which is on the east end of Hong Kong. (insert map link). And we walk out and boom, people everywhere, a sea of humanity, trite, but true. Neons, shops, food, it’s a bustling and it’s 10:00 on a Friday night. Good times ahead certainly. So we get to our hotel, it’s supposed to be a five star according to the travel agent. And I have decided that when I am in Asia, after that Yu Yao trip earlier, I’m not taking any chances with anything below a 4 star. So the hotel room is nothing spectacular, our view (I am traveling with my friend Jon who also needs visa stuff) is a parking garage. Ladies, I know you feelin that. The bathrooms are clean and the beds are made, its good. Not that much different than the Hilton I stayed in Las Vegas, a little smaller. Clean bed, clean bathroom, we good. We get a little washed up and we hit the town for a late late dinner and hopefully some trouble (the good kind). Since we don’t know the area at all, we just wander around and find Itmae-Sushi. A chain, but good stuff. Sushi meal that filled us up just right, $15 U.S. a pice. Not bad. So now we are off to search for some trouble. There are lots of high rises with bars and restaurants on each floor. So you have to go into the doorway and start looking. Good to have a hotel guidebook with you or the ripped off page of the places of interest, much easier to carry. Classic Pub is a small little joint which is smoky but friendly staff. I was told that the drinks are a little watered down. It was a quiet night and we played a few card games. One of the regulars was a real nice guy and he came over chatted with us in broken English, and we left there for bed.
Slept in t’ll about 10 or so and had some dinner at a place called Windsor house which is real close to Victoria Park and right next to the park lane hotel. Hard to find someone who spoke English there, but it was done, and we got an English menu and we were off to the races. The food was okay, better luck at the Crystal Jade, which is a chain that you can find in Shanghai as well, but serves good food, very efficient, and can almost always get an English speaking waiter and server. You pay for it with the price. Our meal at the local place was $7.50 U.S a piece, and at the Windsor it ended up being almost double that. So after a breakfast of dimsum, we went to Mong Kok which is known for its cheap shopping. My man needed an IPOD but he wanted to buy from an authorized shop just so he was guaranteed maintenance on the product. There are plenty of stores including local chains like “Fortress” and “Broadway” that sell IPODS but they are not licensed dealers. The fear of being ripped off ( and it is a real one) permits one from dealing with those stores. All purchases are final at the bargaining stores. Risk vs. Reward as always. Anyways, we hardly buy anything, more just window shopping, and we are pretty exhausted by the shopping (I did buy a decent golf shirt).
Now the fun starts. We are starved and upon the recommendation from the hotel guidebook we hit up Spring Deer, a restaurant that specializes in northern Chinese cooking, read Peking Duck. Now Peking Duck traditionally is a make your own tortilla of crispy duck skin, scallions, and cucumber with a soybased barbeque sauce. The meat is served later. Here at the Spring Deer, they slice the meat with the skin and serve it to you and you make your tortilla. Scrumptious? Yes.. We ordered enough food to comfortably feed three people and we ate it all. We walk out satisfied and head back to the hotel to powder our noses and get ready for all dem ladies. (rolling my eyes as well). You seen my nose recently? Holy cow that thing is hideous, more like a giant bird’s beak or something. Plus that and not shaving for three days makes me look like a real winner. I hate shaving. So we lace up our party boots (Saucony Grid V, my personal choice) and head out to Soho (just ask a cabbie to take you to Elgin Street) and we hit a nice mellow lounge, the Peak Bar. Excellent random choice. Nice relaxed atmosphere talked had a couple drinks and lets be out suckas.
So we walk down the area is on a hill so its terraced streets with tons of restaurants and clubs, lounges, bars. What’s the ling-go these days. Oh yeah, let’s get it on. Everything is open, no cover charges and you can go from place to place to try out salsa, hip hop, classic American, techno whatever you’re into. So we first go to a salsa bar and my ineptness at the whole thing compared to really good people force me to leave and try out the hip hop place. And you know, you know your boy can and will bust a move. Make that several hundred moves t’ll literally six in the morn. Well after 4 or so we hit a live music bar where the cover band kicked some serious ass. Hong Kong Holla. I’ve got to stop saying stupid stuff like that. Shanghai does not have this scene. We get to this later. We met a few foreigners that we struck up conversations and partied with them. new zelanders, Americans, trinis, germans, les francaises. Friendly most of them.. Shout out to Vivian from Vancouver, didn’t get to say goodbye, but mad cool.
So next day wake up at twelve, and Jon doesn’t get up t’ll 2. lazy bum…I went looking for a church unsuccessfully for about an hour and met up with Jon. and we walk around forever trying to find an American style diner, got a craving for hashbrowns like a mofo. No dice. I’m hot, f’n tired and we settle on an Italian restaurant and ordered portugese chicken. Go figure After some rest, we headed out to the Peak which gives a fantastic view of Hong Kong nightline. Holy cow, the pics don’t do justice because my camera is terrible for stuff like this. So if you’re in Hong Kong, you owe it yourself to go check out the Peak at night. Just ask a hotel concierge, they’ll tell you exactly how to get there. Try to avoid Sundays because everybody goes there then, if you’re with friends, then the wait is not so bad. The view is absolutely worth the price of admission about $5 U.S for a round trip ticket. Take the subway to wanchai and you can walk upto the Tram station or take a bus to Kennedy Station. Either way works or just take the cab all the way there.. Being the cheap bastard I am, you know what I did. An ice cream and some pics later, hit up SOho again for a late night Nepalese dinner. Extremly close to Indian food, good place, right below elgin street.
Monday was uneventful because it was doing the Visa stuff and some shopping (no not for anybody else, just me, you know why? Cause I’m selfish like that). Heck with everybody else, just me, that’s how I roll.
Oh man I almost forgot after DimSum on Saturday, we got hair cuts, let’s say that my awful afro isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered for the Shanghai summer H&H (heat and humidity for all you old folk). So this haricut cost me about $30 U.S. It took 2 freaking hours. First “the stylist” takes his sweet time cutting my hair, he’s meticulous as heck, and then I get this shampoo/condidtioner/head massage treatment that took a good 20 minutes. This way all the hair was completely washed out and I didn’t have to go back and take a shower. Now the hair cut itself, it was good, a solid 7 out of 10, but definitely not worth wasting 2 hours of my life. Give me David from Columbus who can do a better job in about 20 minutes tops and only costs me $11. Now that’s how it should be.
So Dragon Air, codeshare with Cathay pacific. Excellent service, good meal (economy), well recommended. We got hagan dass ice cream for desert, strawberry for me thanks you kindly, I’m on a strict diet and everything. Coffee? Could you leave the pitcher please?
And now we’re back after that everso useful security update. So we land, go through customs, no hassle, walk right out, excellent. Get on the airport express train and we’re in the main city area in 24 minutes. Oh man I almost forgot. So back in Shanghai, there is a magnetic levitation train (maglev for short) that takes you to the airport in about 6 minutes. Normally by car it takes at least an hour or so, and if traffic is high, well fuggataboutit. So lets say on a Friday afternoon, daddy wasn’t taking no chances (how’s that for grammer you English nuts?) So maglev it is, oh man smooth ride, and the top speed reached was 431 km/hr. Excellent, but apparently, the payback period on this investment will be something awful like 160 years at the current rate of use. Hopefully it will pick up. It’s cheaper than a taxi and faster. The only thing is if you have lots of luggage, it could be a hassle. But one large suitcase and a carryon and backpack can easily be done. So for domestic and most international travels this should be pretty good. So anyways, that’s the maglev story.
So back to HK. We get out of the subway, the subway is much better designed than the one in Shanghai. For transfers you just walk across the exit platform and there is it is, and it’s there within 2 minutes if not right there. In Shanghai, currently there are only 4 lines, and the main ones I use are 1 and 2. and that transfer is at least a few minute walk. And people wait in line to get on the train, and there are lanes designated to where to stand and where to keep free so that passengers can get out of the train. The British queues gents. Already I’ve got the feeling that Hong Kong is going to be better than Shanghai.
We walk out of the subway into Causeway bay which is on the east end of Hong Kong. (insert map link). And we walk out and boom, people everywhere, a sea of humanity, trite, but true. Neons, shops, food, it’s a bustling and it’s 10:00 on a Friday night. Good times ahead certainly. So we get to our hotel, it’s supposed to be a five star according to the travel agent. And I have decided that when I am in Asia, after that Yu Yao trip earlier, I’m not taking any chances with anything below a 4 star. So the hotel room is nothing spectacular, our view (I am traveling with my friend Jon who also needs visa stuff) is a parking garage. Ladies, I know you feelin that. The bathrooms are clean and the beds are made, its good. Not that much different than the Hilton I stayed in Las Vegas, a little smaller. Clean bed, clean bathroom, we good. We get a little washed up and we hit the town for a late late dinner and hopefully some trouble (the good kind). Since we don’t know the area at all, we just wander around and find Itmae-Sushi. A chain, but good stuff. Sushi meal that filled us up just right, $15 U.S. a pice. Not bad. So now we are off to search for some trouble. There are lots of high rises with bars and restaurants on each floor. So you have to go into the doorway and start looking. Good to have a hotel guidebook with you or the ripped off page of the places of interest, much easier to carry. Classic Pub is a small little joint which is smoky but friendly staff. I was told that the drinks are a little watered down. It was a quiet night and we played a few card games. One of the regulars was a real nice guy and he came over chatted with us in broken English, and we left there for bed.
Slept in t’ll about 10 or so and had some dinner at a place called Windsor house which is real close to Victoria Park and right next to the park lane hotel. Hard to find someone who spoke English there, but it was done, and we got an English menu and we were off to the races. The food was okay, better luck at the Crystal Jade, which is a chain that you can find in Shanghai as well, but serves good food, very efficient, and can almost always get an English speaking waiter and server. You pay for it with the price. Our meal at the local place was $7.50 U.S a piece, and at the Windsor it ended up being almost double that. So after a breakfast of dimsum, we went to Mong Kok which is known for its cheap shopping. My man needed an IPOD but he wanted to buy from an authorized shop just so he was guaranteed maintenance on the product. There are plenty of stores including local chains like “Fortress” and “Broadway” that sell IPODS but they are not licensed dealers. The fear of being ripped off ( and it is a real one) permits one from dealing with those stores. All purchases are final at the bargaining stores. Risk vs. Reward as always. Anyways, we hardly buy anything, more just window shopping, and we are pretty exhausted by the shopping (I did buy a decent golf shirt).
Now the fun starts. We are starved and upon the recommendation from the hotel guidebook we hit up Spring Deer, a restaurant that specializes in northern Chinese cooking, read Peking Duck. Now Peking Duck traditionally is a make your own tortilla of crispy duck skin, scallions, and cucumber with a soybased barbeque sauce. The meat is served later. Here at the Spring Deer, they slice the meat with the skin and serve it to you and you make your tortilla. Scrumptious? Yes.. We ordered enough food to comfortably feed three people and we ate it all. We walk out satisfied and head back to the hotel to powder our noses and get ready for all dem ladies. (rolling my eyes as well). You seen my nose recently? Holy cow that thing is hideous, more like a giant bird’s beak or something. Plus that and not shaving for three days makes me look like a real winner. I hate shaving. So we lace up our party boots (Saucony Grid V, my personal choice) and head out to Soho (just ask a cabbie to take you to Elgin Street) and we hit a nice mellow lounge, the Peak Bar. Excellent random choice. Nice relaxed atmosphere talked had a couple drinks and lets be out suckas.
So we walk down the area is on a hill so its terraced streets with tons of restaurants and clubs, lounges, bars. What’s the ling-go these days. Oh yeah, let’s get it on. Everything is open, no cover charges and you can go from place to place to try out salsa, hip hop, classic American, techno whatever you’re into. So we first go to a salsa bar and my ineptness at the whole thing compared to really good people force me to leave and try out the hip hop place. And you know, you know your boy can and will bust a move. Make that several hundred moves t’ll literally six in the morn. Well after 4 or so we hit a live music bar where the cover band kicked some serious ass. Hong Kong Holla. I’ve got to stop saying stupid stuff like that. Shanghai does not have this scene. We get to this later. We met a few foreigners that we struck up conversations and partied with them. new zelanders, Americans, trinis, germans, les francaises. Friendly most of them.. Shout out to Vivian from Vancouver, didn’t get to say goodbye, but mad cool.
So next day wake up at twelve, and Jon doesn’t get up t’ll 2. lazy bum…I went looking for a church unsuccessfully for about an hour and met up with Jon. and we walk around forever trying to find an American style diner, got a craving for hashbrowns like a mofo. No dice. I’m hot, f’n tired and we settle on an Italian restaurant and ordered portugese chicken. Go figure After some rest, we headed out to the Peak which gives a fantastic view of Hong Kong nightline. Holy cow, the pics don’t do justice because my camera is terrible for stuff like this. So if you’re in Hong Kong, you owe it yourself to go check out the Peak at night. Just ask a hotel concierge, they’ll tell you exactly how to get there. Try to avoid Sundays because everybody goes there then, if you’re with friends, then the wait is not so bad. The view is absolutely worth the price of admission about $5 U.S for a round trip ticket. Take the subway to wanchai and you can walk upto the Tram station or take a bus to Kennedy Station. Either way works or just take the cab all the way there.. Being the cheap bastard I am, you know what I did. An ice cream and some pics later, hit up SOho again for a late night Nepalese dinner. Extremly close to Indian food, good place, right below elgin street.
Monday was uneventful because it was doing the Visa stuff and some shopping (no not for anybody else, just me, you know why? Cause I’m selfish like that). Heck with everybody else, just me, that’s how I roll.
Oh man I almost forgot after DimSum on Saturday, we got hair cuts, let’s say that my awful afro isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered for the Shanghai summer H&H (heat and humidity for all you old folk). So this haricut cost me about $30 U.S. It took 2 freaking hours. First “the stylist” takes his sweet time cutting my hair, he’s meticulous as heck, and then I get this shampoo/condidtioner/head massage treatment that took a good 20 minutes. This way all the hair was completely washed out and I didn’t have to go back and take a shower. Now the hair cut itself, it was good, a solid 7 out of 10, but definitely not worth wasting 2 hours of my life. Give me David from Columbus who can do a better job in about 20 minutes tops and only costs me $11. Now that’s how it should be.
1 comment:
That's how you roll? Nice, Milan, real nice.
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