Hong Kong Day 2We started day 2 by having breakfast at another fabled Hong Kong eatery, Australia Diary Company over at G/F 47-49 Parkes Street (Jordan MTR Exit C). The nondescript black and white signboard harbored a large following inside.
Like most Hong Kong eateries, the place was packed to the brim with hungry patrons.
We ordered the milk custard and their breakfast set (macaroni soup with thick toast and scrambled eggs + milk tea) which were more then enough to feed 2 hungry
girls women.
Next, we headed off to explore Lantau Island. Upon entering the MTR station, we spotted Sadako, whom apparently had heard about the sales in Hong Kong and had decided to vacation here too!
Switching at Lai King MTR interchange, we stopped at Tung Chung MTR and walked over to ride the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to Ngong Ping Village. The rain could not dampen our spirits!
The normal cabins cost HKD98 for a return trip, whereas the crystal cabins cost HKD157. Touted as a novelty, the crystal cabins seat 4 passengers and come with a transparent floor. Personally I feel that normal cabins suffice, because it seats 6 passengers comfortably and offers the same breathtaking view of the mountains and the South China Sea.
Apart from the visitors in modern clothes, Ngong Ping Village looks like you've stepped into some
Wu Xia movie set.
From Ngong Ping Village, we took a bus (no. 11) to Tai O village, a quaint little fishing village. Do note that according to Hong Kong law, it is an offence to speak to the driver whilst he is driving. The driver was super skilled. He drove down hill super fast and before we knew it, we were at Tai O!
We chanced upon a boat ride (HKD20) promising a ride to view the perimeters of the village and the famed pink dolphins. I wasn’t too sure about the part on seeing the dolphins but still decided to give it a try. And lo and behold, we really saw dolphins! Both the pink and grey bottlenose dolphins!!
on the boat
Some of the houses were destroyed in a fire. The metal huts on the right are houses rebuilt by the Government.
There are many multi storey houses and restaurants in the village
I was so excited because it was my first time seeing wild dolphins. They jumped out of the water repeatedly as they played near the shore. Though the boat could not get very near (as they would have been scared away), it was enough to see them break through the water’s surface doing their little impromptu ballet.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture the dolphins on film.. sobs! Buy me a Canon DSLR please!!
We took a stroll in Tai O and had lunch at a local eatery. We ordered their Che Zai Mien (small car noodles) and soya bean which was a huge serving and very good.
Che Zai Mien with choice of toppings. Mine was beef!
We retraced our steps back to Ngong Ping Village for the return trip via the cable car. This time, the clear weather brought even better views.
stunning views!
we saw this lone cow randomly grazing on a platform.
How did it get there?!
In the late afternoon, we went to Citygate Outlets (Tung Chung MTR Exit C) and bled money. The outlet shops had huuuuuuuuuuuuge bargains. People flocked to Esprit and bought insane amounts of clothes. We saw a party of 4 buy so many pieces until the pile on the counter totally blocked the cashier.
The Polo Ralph and Coach outlets were equally evvvvvvvvvvvvvvvil. With 40%-70% discounts on evergreen designs, yes, we threw all caution away and shopped. And shopped. And shopped.
In the end, we lugged overflowing packages and much lighter wallets back to the hotel. For dinner, we went down to Aberdeen Seafood Restaurant over in Temple Street for seafood. Super yummy though the chef could have cut the broccoli into more dainty, bite sized pieces.
super fresh seafood
At the end of the day, our snack bar spawned into a wall of instant noodles! Happily stuffed to the brim, we slept, anticipating another adventure the break of dawn would bring.
junk food haven
hurray for Calbee, Nissin and Kee Wah!!
totally drained
