Sightseeing

Sometimes, when the shopping is bad, sightseeing might just be a better option.

So today, we caught a bus from Exchange Square and headed for Stanley Market/Beach. Along the way, we passed by Ocean Park (which we decided to give a miss after some thought) and Repulse Bay. Stanley Beach was a little touristy with nothing much to buy (again!), but being away from the bustling crowd was somewhat refreshing.

We went Thai for lunch at Chili & Spice at Stanley Beach. Good food in an old style colonial building (Murray House) by the beach. Nice.

Chilli & Spice and ambient nice. :)

From Stanley Beach, we caught a minibus (the type I always see in HK dramas and movies) to Aberdeen. From Aberdeen, we took a 40-cent sampan boat ride over some smelly fishing waters to Ap Lei Chau (Duck's Tongue Island). Ap Lei Chau used to be a centre for building junks, but is slowly being replaced with concrete housing.

Someone mentioned that there were lots to buy at "Joyce" factory outlet. We were so grossly disappointed. And there was absolutely nothing else to do at Ap Lei Chau! If not for the experience of the sampan ride, I would have throttled your friend for that recommendation, Shades of Pink! All that travelling on bus and sampan to spend 20 min at Ap Lei Chau??

Done after that 20 minutes on that island, we took the return sampan trip to Aberdeen and took a bus to Central, HK. From there, we took a train to Tai Koo and did some shopping at City Plaza there. Tai Koo is kinda in the suburbs. So the only reason I knew about it is because my aunt had an apartment there and that was where we stayed some 15 years or so back. City Plaza was where I first ice-skated too. It still has the rink, but the complex has doubled in size! Suburb as it may be, we actually managed to shop quite a bit here....at MNG. Funny right? Go Hong Kong and shop at MNG.

Done with our shopping, we headed back to Central and joined the snaking queue to get on the tram up The Peak. The 45 minute wait was worth it, just to get a view of HK from The Peak.

With all that running around today from island to island and hopping from one transport mode onto another, here was our sustenance for the night...