January 22:
We decided to take a tour of Hong Kong. First we stopped at a Man Mo Temple which is dedicated to the gods of Literature (Man) and Martial Arts (Mo). This temple is notable because of its many brass and pewter incense burners. There was incense everywhere! Hanging from the ceiling and on every table. For the people who came there to worship, they brought food with them, usually apples and oranges, to offer the gods. There was a table for fortune telling. It was way too smoky so we didn't stay long. In the pictures, the coils hanging from the ceiling are incense.
From there we headed to Victoria Peak. We had to ride the world's steepest railway up to the peak of 428 meters where we saw the view of the harbor and the Kowloon Peninsula. It was a bit foggy but I'm sure on a clear day it is spectacular.
The next stop was to the Aberdeen Fishing Village. We rode a sampan through a traditional fishing village. It was pretty interesting as most families have several boats: the fishing boat, the house boat, and then a small boat to ferry the children back and forth to school.
From there we ended up at Dynasty Jewellery Manufacturer. Yes, that's how jewelry was spelled. It was kinda interesting to watch the men cut and polish the diamonds. But, the jewelry there was way expensive and we were there for a very long time with the people trying to convince us to purchase something. A group of Spanish women bought several items. The rest of us just hung out. My kids found a little spot to play.
Of course the tour ended at Stanley Market. Gotta squeeze every dime out of ya. On to the next day.
January 23:
We went over to Macau. We visited the Ruins of St. Paul's. This was once the largest Catholic church in East Asia and was built in the 1600's. In 1835, the church burned down but the front facade remained intact. So, that's what we looked at. It was pretty cool actually. We even made friends. Actually, we don't know them. But the lady with the beige jacket was mesmerized by Danae, especially her hair. She asked to take a picture with us. Her friends jumped in too. Dwayne was laughing because we're all smiling like we're old friends. I was actually laughing at the absurdity of it all.
There was a fort there as well with a ton of canons. Of course, people were selling souvenirs and gawking at the black folks. I have to add Danae's ANTM pose. Dwayne was holding ice on Brayden's head. He decided to try to jump and fell on the concrete. Danae found this place, posed, and said "Mommy, take my picture please." Fierce!
We went to yet another temple with more incense. Actually, Dwayne went in while the kids took a much needed nap. We visited another Catholic church where Danae decided to have a little prayer session and we got a decent family picture.
We walked around Macau a bit. We ended up at a factory outlet which was just a room with a bunch of clothes inside. I bought a Ralph Lauren outfit and Dwayne got a Polo shirt. We didn't really feel like sifting through all the clothes. They were cheaper than in the malls but still not quite what I expected.
We left January 24th and I can now say I've been to Hong Kong. I thoroughly enjoyed myself but probably won't return anytime soon. Why? Because there are way too many other countries to visit.
We decided to take a tour of Hong Kong. First we stopped at a Man Mo Temple which is dedicated to the gods of Literature (Man) and Martial Arts (Mo). This temple is notable because of its many brass and pewter incense burners. There was incense everywhere! Hanging from the ceiling and on every table. For the people who came there to worship, they brought food with them, usually apples and oranges, to offer the gods. There was a table for fortune telling. It was way too smoky so we didn't stay long. In the pictures, the coils hanging from the ceiling are incense.
From there we headed to Victoria Peak. We had to ride the world's steepest railway up to the peak of 428 meters where we saw the view of the harbor and the Kowloon Peninsula. It was a bit foggy but I'm sure on a clear day it is spectacular.
The next stop was to the Aberdeen Fishing Village. We rode a sampan through a traditional fishing village. It was pretty interesting as most families have several boats: the fishing boat, the house boat, and then a small boat to ferry the children back and forth to school.
From there we ended up at Dynasty Jewellery Manufacturer. Yes, that's how jewelry was spelled. It was kinda interesting to watch the men cut and polish the diamonds. But, the jewelry there was way expensive and we were there for a very long time with the people trying to convince us to purchase something. A group of Spanish women bought several items. The rest of us just hung out. My kids found a little spot to play.
Of course the tour ended at Stanley Market. Gotta squeeze every dime out of ya. On to the next day.
January 23:
We went over to Macau. We visited the Ruins of St. Paul's. This was once the largest Catholic church in East Asia and was built in the 1600's. In 1835, the church burned down but the front facade remained intact. So, that's what we looked at. It was pretty cool actually. We even made friends. Actually, we don't know them. But the lady with the beige jacket was mesmerized by Danae, especially her hair. She asked to take a picture with us. Her friends jumped in too. Dwayne was laughing because we're all smiling like we're old friends. I was actually laughing at the absurdity of it all.
There was a fort there as well with a ton of canons. Of course, people were selling souvenirs and gawking at the black folks. I have to add Danae's ANTM pose. Dwayne was holding ice on Brayden's head. He decided to try to jump and fell on the concrete. Danae found this place, posed, and said "Mommy, take my picture please." Fierce!
We went to yet another temple with more incense. Actually, Dwayne went in while the kids took a much needed nap. We visited another Catholic church where Danae decided to have a little prayer session and we got a decent family picture.
We walked around Macau a bit. We ended up at a factory outlet which was just a room with a bunch of clothes inside. I bought a Ralph Lauren outfit and Dwayne got a Polo shirt. We didn't really feel like sifting through all the clothes. They were cheaper than in the malls but still not quite what I expected.
We left January 24th and I can now say I've been to Hong Kong. I thoroughly enjoyed myself but probably won't return anytime soon. Why? Because there are way too many other countries to visit.
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