Part 2: HongKong (Ding Ding, Star Ferries, Mid-Level, Wong Tai Sin)

After NgongPing360, we decided to head downtown to Central (Zhong Wan) on HongKong Island. When we got out from the MTR Station, saw a tramline right across the street with cute skinny trams (known as Ding Ding to the locals) like this passing by every few minutes. Of course I couldn't resist it. Conned my man by telling him our destination was few stations away and off we went onto the Ding Ding (which has its' history started since 1904)!

Later, when we got back from the trip, I told my mom that we went on the tram too and she asked.. "So? Romantic arr? From TV, tram ride always look so romantic like that..". That certainly caught be off guard. I went like.. "Errm... quite la... if you consider holding tight on the railings for dear life and not to roll out the bus thru it's windscreen..."... she laughed...  Personally I finds the ride pretty fun... the experience were rather refreshing!  Lols...

NOTE: It cost only HKD2 per ride per person to any station you wish to go.  A cheap and interesting way to see the real HongKong!  The line stretches from Sai Wan on the West and all the way to Shau Kei Wan on the East with many stations in between.  You get on from the back of the Ding Ding and get off in front.  Pay as you get off.  You can either drop cash into a box at the exit or simply swipe your Octopus Card.  That easy.  Do get onto the upper deck for better view if your stop is still a long way more.

Since we went way off our destination on the Ding Ding, we ended up walking quite a long way back.  Hehehe... Yeah, like that also shiok... Along the way, saw lots of tall buildings.  Even went thru some back alley that specializes in sea products like dried scallops, abalone...

Having a go at a shoe polishing machine in the Grand Millenium Plaza when we went to it's toilet.  :p  Time to polish my little red shoe!  Too much dirt accumulated from Kinabalu, Kuching, HCM & now, HK!  Harrison quickly swished out the camera and went…. "See see… see the kampung girl playing with a shoe polishing machine…."… -.-

FYI: There are lots of public toilets in the city.  Fret not if you suddenly have the need to "GO".  They are usually located along the by-ways (the alleys in between building) and clearly marked in most city maps.  :)  Yup, they are that tourists friendly!  The things I love about their toilet are: (1) They don't stink.  You wont realize the toilet is right next to you.  Unlike here, blind also know where the toilet is from miles away.  (2) Majority of them are sensor flush, (3) sensor soap dispenser and (4) sensor water tap.  All that is left to do is just kick the door open.  No need to touch anything at all.  ;)  I like!

Walked thru an alley specialized in namecard printing and rubber stamp making only.  Saw another alley with a lone cobbler working away repairing shoes.

Another alley filled with little fruits/vege/meat stalls - a wet market, squashed in between two tall buildings.  We somehow ended up walking thru in later that night.  Bought 3 nectarines from a vendor there for only HKD10!  It is cheap right?  Anyway, I think it is like.  Not too sure either.  So sweet and yummy!

Finally arrived at where we wanna go.  The world longest outdoor covered escalator system that connects Central to MidLevels residential area.  Should visit cause: (1) lots of quaint little cafes/shops along the way, (2) the escalator ride is free, (3) it is world longest and (4) YUMMY PORK BURGER and MILK TEA!!!! :)  The escalator moves downward in the morning to bring residents from MidLevel to their workplace in Central and switches direction moving upward for the rest of the day.  See the dense residential area on top of the hill? 

We went passed this MTR Saver machine, saw lots of people touched their Octopus Card there.  Not knowing what it was, we shiok shiok u-turned and touched our cards there too… hahaha… quite funny lor..

FYI: Found out from some website later that these MTR Saver machine are actually to promote the healthy benefits of walking.  Apparently MTR identified some routes that involved 480-1900 steps and place a machine there with note informing passengers of the estimated number of steps they would be walking on each route.  Passenger could then estimate the number of steps they had walked, at the same time, enjoy a HKD2 saving on the MTR journeys taken from a particular MTR station stated on the particular machine.  For example, for this particular machine in MidLevels, after touching our Octopus card there, we will get to save HKD2 if we get on the MTR at Central Station within the same day.  Something like that la....

SOHO is situated along MidLevel's travelator.  A place with lots of little bars.  Something like Lan Kwai Fong.  Just more happy hour crowds.  Mostly expats.

We ot off the travelator on Gage Street, where there is a colorful fruit stall at it's junction.  It was on this road that we accidentally bumped into this little shop hidden behind some street vendors.  It was because of it many newspapers & magazine write-ups that was plastered all over it's entrance that we decided to give it a try and we never regret our choice!

Though they have served quite a few signature dishes, namely the pork burger, authentic HK milk tea and few other stuff, we both love their milk tea best!  It just tasted different from the rest.  Am not sure how authentic it is but it certainly goes well with our taste buds. :)  Noticed that the Hongkies loves air-dried noodle (the maggie mee kind).  They just served them in different toppings - chicken, char siew & etc.  It can get pretty jelak-ing after some time.

NOTE: They called their instant noodle 'Gong Zai Mien' (公仔面).  Gong Zai as in 'cartoon'.  :p  I think the cartoon name derived from it's colourful packaging of a particular brand of instant noodle - Chu Qian Yi Ding (出前一丁) which is widely used in all the cafes there.

Saw this fluffy cat outside the shop staring intensely into the drain and I went staring into the drain too just to see what it is that got the cat so distracted.  Nothing.   Totally nothing.  I was about to squat and stare the direction it stare until the man went... "wei... what you doing like the cat?" :p hahaha...  I think HK cats just finds it very zen concentrating on flowing drain water. Lols... btw, all dogs and cats there are fluffy and nice.  :)

This the market we saw earlier that was squashed in an alley where I bought some nectarines.  Pretty clean isn't it?

From Gage Street, thru alleys and covered walkways, we walked towards Pier 6 to hop on a Star Ferry for Tsim Sa Tsui.  A pretty long walk  but the weather was really nice to walk in.  Caught these beautiful night view along the way.

 

Spotted Barbie doll in HongKong!!!  Pink hat, pink blouse, skirt and pink boots too!  HongKong is one place where you can wear anything and nobody could care.  A seriously cool place to experiment with fashion.  Unlike here in Malaysia, everyone would give you a weird look if you dress a little  fashionable.  

The covered walkway connects to many different piers - from pier 1 to 9.  Different pier serve different route.  There are signboards everywhere.  Very easy to find our way.

Instead of crossing over in a MTR, we decided to go on a Star Ferry from Central Pier to Tsim Sa Tsui which was named by The National Geographic of Traveler as one of the "fifty places of a lifetime".  How can we missed one of the "fifty places of a lifetime"?  Definately not!

NOTE: It cost only HKD2.50 (upper deck) / HKD2 (lower deck) on weekdays for that particular route.  Weekends and public holidays, HKD3 and HKD2.40 respectively.  Extra advise, take the Tsim Sa Tsui to Central route instead and go on the upper deck.  You will be treated with prettier view. :)

The interior of the ferry - just bright enough.

The classic Star Ferry's logo on the seat.  Good.  Provide some ventilation when you ahem...:p  Btw, the back rest can be moved left or right to facilitate which sides you prefer to sit facing.  Simple yet practical.

As we were crossing over to Tsim Sa Tsui, saw this Star Cruise Liner.  As we were so near to it, it look so huge.  

Arrived at the Tsim Sa Tsui pier 10 minutes later.  It was just a short ride.

Got onto the other side just in time to witness presentation of 'The Symphony of Lights'.  The viewing deck was packed to the brim with tourists when we got there.  With laser beams flashing all over and the lights of the building flickers in-synced with the movie playing in the background, it took my breath away.  But if I were to compare it with those I saw a long time ago during Christmas, the Christmas' ones were much prettier.  Boo..!  Hehehehe....

NOTE: "The Symphony of Lights" is a spectacular multimedia display which include more than 40 buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour complete with live commentary and music.  It was named by the Guinness World Records as the "World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show".  So, surely cannot missed and  the best part is, it is FREE!  Oh yeah, the deck opens daily at 7:45pm (except on typhoon days, they will cancel the presentation) and the presentation starts at 8pm and last for 15 minutes.

Didn't take much photos cause (1) I am short.  Yes, you hear me right.  Everyone seems to be taller than me on the deck that day.  (2) Too crowded and (3) I left my tripod in the hotel.  Thought of going back the next day with the tripod, but it didn't materialized.  We ended up somewhere else more interesting.

Escaped from the mad crowd on the deck and walked on to the "Avenue of Stars" further down the road.  Saw lots of 'stars' on the pavement.  Hollywood style complete with names, signatures and handprints too...  

We had so much fun chasing star after star...  "Malaysian tourists gone mad...".

Spotted this beautifully lighted up Harbour Cruise from Star Ferry with brightly lighted buildings across the straits on HongKong island as it's backdrop. 

There were some youth performing on the stage there belting out a number or two canton pops which, I never heard of.  But I am never much update with the canton pop arena. :p  My favourite are still Joey Yung, Sammy Cheng.... :p  hahahaha...  yeah i know, pretty outdated.  Lols...

A junk boat docking by the side of the Avenue of Stars.  You can hire it for the day to explore the outlying islands or just for a cruise along the straits to experience the ancient HK.  Ahh.. this one, I dont know how much.  Didn't check.  Didn't thought of going on it.  Worry it might capsized.  Kiasi...

This poor fella was so tired after being dragged all over the place that day and quickly took up the first empty seat along the way and i.e., the director's seat on the Avenue..hehehe..

I couldn't resist the aroma of barbeque cuttlefish from this little stall and quickly jumped into line. :)  HKD20 per slice.  Quite a thick slice.  It was sweet and yummy and best of all, something warm in that cold and windy night!  It got really cold that night.

Went for dimsum breakfast the next morning.  Somewhere near our hotel.  Though just a simple restaurant, the dimsum was really nice.  Fresh & juicy.  Unless most dimsum here in Malaysia, somehow it taste like fridge. :p  Those frozen taste.  Not sure you get what I mean.  But nevermind.

This is Harrison's favourite.  Steamed chicken rice.  It tasted really good.  Btw, steamed rice dishes are also one of many HK specialties.

I on the other hand simply love their carrot cake.  The texture not too hard, not too soft, not oily, just right. =)

Right outside the window where we sat, we saw this rather unique signboard.  With our limited knowledge of chinese characters, we still managed to figure out what it was all about.  Direct translation would be: "Snake King Brothers.  Specialized in Snake Wine and Snake Bile".  Yucks!  I thought things  like that only exists in Vietnam/Thailand/Cambodia.  But in HongKong??! *blek* Wonder where they get their snakes from.

After breakfast, it was the MTR again.  We set out for the famous Wong Tai Sin temple that morning.  Our 3rd day in HongKong.  The MTR system in HongKong is really really idiot proof.  Even I finds it a breeze to travel around.  More idiot proof than the MRT in Singapore.  They have signs like these in the train itself with little arrows pointing the direction the current train going.

Arrived in Wong Tai Sin just a short while later and was greeted by this row of stalls selling lots of red stuff.  They have been there like forever... selling prayer stuff - incenses, red symbolic decorative stuff and so forth.  Wong Tai Sin Temple is known for it fortune sticks.  Those bamboo thingy filled with numbered sticks which you see people shaking till one of the numbered stick drop out?    Well, the fortune sticks in Wong Tai Sin are known to be very accurate.

With the number, you can get your fortune told in one of these little stalls at the entrance of the temple.  However, a long time ago, a tourist guide advise me otherwise.  He said most of the stalls there are out to cheat people off their money.  So don't bother ya... just pay for the fortune slip of the number you got, and later on, get a someone reliable to decipher it for you.

The courtyard of the temple.  Currently undergoing renovations.  A little messy.  Used to have roofed patio surrounding it.

"This one??! So fast?!"

There are people constantly clearing away these joss-sticks.  So no chance for it to burn half also...

The barricaded section of the temple.  We dont pray inside but at the courtyard only.

Saw some people praying there complete with a whole roasted pig ok... Must have his wishes came true!  Don't play play... very 'lieng'... (accurate).

Tour buses parked at the Wong Tai Sin Temple parking bay.  Mad crowded right....?  Now you believe.

Got bored while waiting for MTR for our next destination and took this one pic.  I think I look like 'tai luk mui' in this picture.. (mainland chinese girl)...lols.. btw, this is not PS ok... ori one.. :p

And yes, we are going to Disneyland next!  Will update soon on that one.... :)