Incredible Hong Kong

Last weekend we took the train to Hong Kong and like many people before us, fell in love. What an interesting, beautiful, vibrant, place! And oh, the food! I can see why many officers go there frequently. We were there for a First and Second Tour (FAST) officers weekend, but we mostly did our own thing and joined the group for dinners.

We arrived on Saturday morning and made our way to the Airbnb apartment we had rented, right in Central. Our first stop was lunch at an American style diner. Then we walked over to the Central-Mid-Levels Escalators, and the IFC Mall. The escalators are the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world, and as you travel up, the street scenes and restaurant options are amazing.




















Later we took a cab to Deep Water Bay Beach for a BBQ. The kids took a dip in the warm water. I was surprised at how close it was - I thought it took hours to drive to the southern part of the island, but it was only 15 minutes.

On Sunday morning, we decided to take the Cable car to the Big Buddha, because it sounded like a fun outing, and it was. We chose the cable car with the clear bottom, and the kids were enthralled! It's a good 20 minute ride over the bay.

Upon arrival, there is a nice (albeit touristy) area where you can have lunch and buy souvenirs. After lunch, we headed over to climb the 268 steps to the Buddha, a major center of Buddhism in Hong Kong. It symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. The kids were impressive and made it easily to the top. We were very proud of them.

(*note: if you do this, buy and print your tickets in advance. The lines were long!)

View from the top of the stairs

That night we took the Rainbow ferry to Lamma Island for a seafood dinner. It was definitely not what I was expecting, but awesome all the same. Then we headed home and fell into bed!

The next morning, we took the Star Ferry with our bags over to the train station. The whole trip (Hong Kong-Guangzhou) took more than four hours door to door. But it was so worth it.

I can't wait to go back.