These past few days have consisted of running about in more ways than one:
My parents were in town en route to Taiwan, so they stayed with me for two days. Michael and I enjoyed taking them up to our favorite spots on the Peak, as well as our favorite congee breakfast spot and our favorite local da pai dong. With a family friend and on a whim, we all wedged in to a tiny table (shared with two other people, notwithstanding!) and sampled the famous beef brisket noodles at Kau Kee on Gough St. Michael and I also accompanied them all the way to Ap Lei Chau to sample some delectable seafood, including tender fresh shrimp dipped in spicy soy sauce and a famous dish - fish served three-ways: steamed, sautéed and stir-fried. I didn't realize until after the fact that it had all been from the same animal, which led me to marvel at the sheer size of this fish. Each of the platters had been massive. I also got another chance to sample the choice fare at Lei Garden's dim sum in the IFC mall. I love their food - I think this is currently my favorite place to get dim sum in Hong Kong. Finally, to round out the experience, after dinner, we accidentally took my parents on a rather strenuous after-dinner walk by making them scale nearly 500 steep steps to return to the apartment. Oops. At least you can say that they definitely got to sample the local experience!
Michael and I have also started running around Hong Kong. Outside. For exercise. I know, it sounds crazy, especially because the air quality here is quite poor, but there's a pretty enthusiastic band of outdoor runners here and I suspect the best time to do this is now, before the crazy humidity sets in and the heat becomes unbearable. Yesterday, we headed west out of our apartment and ambled first farther up into the Mid-levels, then all the way down to the water in Sheung Wan, then nearly collapsed after we charged up the never-ending stairs on Ladder Street (no misnomer).
Today, we thought we'd take it easier by heading for more level ground - we headed east on our street until we passed the U.S. Consulate on Garden Road, then headed up to Bowen Road, a picturesque and nearly car-less path that overlooks Central, Wanchai and Happy Valley. It was tougher going than I expected, but parts of it were quite serene. I'll be sure to run Bowen road again.
When we finished the run, we headed down into Happy Valley, where we stumbled upon a bizarre park atop a reservoir, then into the Happy Valley racecourse, to see it but also to do wind sprints (not my idea). There was no horse race tonight, likely due to the Chingming Festival (a public holiday observed here as a day to visit and clean the graves of your ancestors). From the race course, we were a hop and skip away from Causeway Bay, where we hydrated ourselves with fresh squeezed juice and Gatorade, then hopped a mini green bus back to our apartment. All in all, a successful and productive day.
Last but not least, our next trip is just about planned up. We are leaving in just under a week (isn't it amazing how you can do that here?! I haven't quite gotten over it yet) and I am quite excited. Details to come soon, but I've spent the last two nights poring over Tripadvisor, discussion boards on Frommer's and Lonely Planet, airline websites and various fare search engines, hotel websites, and train schedules...
My parents were in town en route to Taiwan, so they stayed with me for two days. Michael and I enjoyed taking them up to our favorite spots on the Peak, as well as our favorite congee breakfast spot and our favorite local da pai dong. With a family friend and on a whim, we all wedged in to a tiny table (shared with two other people, notwithstanding!) and sampled the famous beef brisket noodles at Kau Kee on Gough St. Michael and I also accompanied them all the way to Ap Lei Chau to sample some delectable seafood, including tender fresh shrimp dipped in spicy soy sauce and a famous dish - fish served three-ways: steamed, sautéed and stir-fried. I didn't realize until after the fact that it had all been from the same animal, which led me to marvel at the sheer size of this fish. Each of the platters had been massive. I also got another chance to sample the choice fare at Lei Garden's dim sum in the IFC mall. I love their food - I think this is currently my favorite place to get dim sum in Hong Kong. Finally, to round out the experience, after dinner, we accidentally took my parents on a rather strenuous after-dinner walk by making them scale nearly 500 steep steps to return to the apartment. Oops. At least you can say that they definitely got to sample the local experience!
Michael and I have also started running around Hong Kong. Outside. For exercise. I know, it sounds crazy, especially because the air quality here is quite poor, but there's a pretty enthusiastic band of outdoor runners here and I suspect the best time to do this is now, before the crazy humidity sets in and the heat becomes unbearable. Yesterday, we headed west out of our apartment and ambled first farther up into the Mid-levels, then all the way down to the water in Sheung Wan, then nearly collapsed after we charged up the never-ending stairs on Ladder Street (no misnomer).
Today, we thought we'd take it easier by heading for more level ground - we headed east on our street until we passed the U.S. Consulate on Garden Road, then headed up to Bowen Road, a picturesque and nearly car-less path that overlooks Central, Wanchai and Happy Valley. It was tougher going than I expected, but parts of it were quite serene. I'll be sure to run Bowen road again.
 |
| Courtesy of CNNGo |
Last but not least, our next trip is just about planned up. We are leaving in just under a week (isn't it amazing how you can do that here?! I haven't quite gotten over it yet) and I am quite excited. Details to come soon, but I've spent the last two nights poring over Tripadvisor, discussion boards on Frommer's and Lonely Planet, airline websites and various fare search engines, hotel websites, and train schedules...
No comments:
Post a Comment