The buffet was good and filling. An interesting mix of Indian, Chinese, British and American fare. I had coffee, spicy vegetable curry & rice and a bowl of congee (rice porridge) topped with diced egg and shredded chicken. Troy enjoyed his omelette, pastry and baked beans. An odd combo, but he liked it. :)
After breakfast we went for another long walk (after hitting Starbucks for some energy!), and spent several hours just window shopping and hiking about Kowloon. The shops are amazing and very extensive. Everything from Chanel, Ferragamo or Versace to little medicine shops, featuring various tinctures and animals in jars with parchment paper labels. We had such a good time just wondering around, taking it all in.
We hoppped on the Star Ferry and rode across to Central (Hong Kong Island). It was a great little ride and only cost .30! We ate dim sum for lunch at Maxim's. A loud, brash and bustling restaurant on the 2nd floor of City Hall. Troy was delighted with lunch and surprised that he enjoyed it all. The shrimp dumplings were particularly good. We drank two pots of fragrant jasmine tea and had a great time.
After lunch we decided it was time to take a break from our own wanderings, and join the crowd. The #1 tourist attraction (and most notable natural landmark) in Hong Kong is Victoria Peak. "The Peak", according to most guides, is the residential aspiration of most of the population, and certainly the goal of more than three million visitors a year. To get to the top, we rode the Tram. It rises 1,299 feet above sea level in just seven minutes up grades as steep as 27 degrees. It was a fun ride and the view from the top is as advertised -- simply amazing. The viewing platform provides an incredible 360 degree vista and even though today was very overcast and cloudy, we could still appreciate the heights. You simply cannot imagine how high these apartment complexes are...and how many there are! And everything is very lush and green...a beautiful mix of tropical and deciduous trees.
Just as we were arriving back at the bottom of the Peak, it began to rain so we hopped into a cab and came back to the hotel for a nap. This evening, we did some more walking and then had dinner at a restaurant on the water. We actually chose an Italian restaurant and it was such a pleasant but bizarre experience. Here we are, two Americans, eating foccacia and linguine, while listening to Beyonce & Sheryl Crow being played in the background, and watching the boats moving slowly along Hong Kong's harbor. Such a mixing pot! We felt like extravagant when the bill came and it was almost $500. But of course, that's HK $... it was really only around 80 bucks.
Tomorrow we will get up, have breakfast and check out of our hotel by 11. Then we'll go the airport and fly to Nanning, Guangxi. The capital of Laney's province! We'll do some preliminary adoption paperwork and then we'll be just one day away from holding our baby. Incredible! Here are a few pictures from the day:
Hong Kong...at sun rise.
Dragon Fruit for sale at the local grocery. So beautiful, but I'm not sure what to do with it!
Troy finds two kinds of potato chips he is NOT interested in trying...shrimp & tomato.
