Hong Kong - Peregringo

A Hong Kong Visual Feast

City of Contrasts: A striking city of calm and chaos, emerald mountains and soaring towers of steel, families picnicking on soft green grasses just steps away from packed tramways and bustling walkways, neighborhood markets with tiny family shops just around the corner from luxurious shopping galleries with haute couture fashion. In our two days in Hong Kong we saw the many beautiful faces of Hong Kong.

$\"Symphony of Lights\"display on Hong Kong Island as seen from Kowloon peninsula$

Fine and Fun Moments: We found surprises and delights every step along our way through Hong Kong.

$Guest house in the \"mansions\" in Tsim Sha Tsui, the room was not much larger$

$Loving the Mah Jong shops in Hong Kong! Too bad they weren\'t so heavy, otherwise a set would be in my backpack!$

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iPad Fever Hits Hong Kong

Our first morning in Hong Kong was greeted with unusual excitement as Apple unveiled its new iPad 3. After crossing to Hong Kong Island on the Star Ferry, we happened upon an Apple store teeming with frenzied employees and consumers craving the hot new product.

We fought the crowds to enter the store and finally got our hands on the new iPad. Frankly it is a nice device featuring a slim design, wicked performance and an exceptional display. 2-3 times per minute or less the blue-shirted employees would cheer as a new purchaser would run upstairs to receive the coveted iPad. There was more energy in the store than at most sporting events.

We were amazed by the near hysteria, the consumer deluge bolstered by the many mainland Chinese who came to Hong Kong specifically to get the new iPad and waited in long queues before the store’s doors opened. Ironic really, considering the iPad is manufactured in China but is not yet available there for purchase. And it costs twice as much in Hong Kong as it does in the US.

Impressive debut, once again. Kudos to Apple for inspiring such zeal among consumers, an amazing feat and rare indeed for a company today. The wondrous wizardry of Steve Jobs lives on…

Hong Kong Gateway – Our Arrival in Asia

Seventeen hours on an airplane. Ugh. Fortunately our non-stop trip from New York went very smoothly and it was easier logistically to reach Asia with no connections, but we were ever so glad to arrive in Hong Kong. Following the advice of Mark and Amy who greatly enjoyed their stopover in Hong Kong, we decided it would be an excellent opportunity to begin to recover from jet lag while exploring this city with such a fascinating past and future.

We stayed in Tsim Sha Tsui on the mainland, just at the tip of Kowloon peninsula. It is an interesting neighborhood, full of high-end fashion and jewelery shops, sparkling shopping malls and luxury hotels. Our accommodation was less luxurious but perfectly fine, we stayed in one of the many guest houses sprinkled throughout the highrise “mansions” along Nathan Road. Here the rooms are basic but comfortable and clean, with lightning-fast wi-fi and tiny “all-in-one” bathrooms that provide a sink, toilet and shower in a single square meter.

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