Wednesday, May 11, 2016

City, Sand, and Surf

The combination of these three: city, sand & surf - is one of the things I love about Hong Kong.

CITY



Not much can beat an evening ride on the Star Ferry across the harbor with this incredible view, a boardwalk stroll to a tapas bar for dinner and a hole-in-the-wall jazz club afterwards. Date night perfected. City Lights? check. Sangria and chorizo? check.check. Funky riffs of incredible talent? check.

Ned Kelly's Last Stand is the name of the jazz bar and it's the oldest bar in all of Hong Kong that is still standing in its original location. Dixieland, classics, and improvisation rule the showy stage. We'll definitely be back!



It's not just the fancy side of HK that draws me to the city. Its also the gritty peopled-ness of it all:

the "ding ding" - aka The Tram - get around the city with pennies

typical scrunched stairs winding between busy streets
just another street in Central

The Helpers - nannies, house cleaners, ahmahs... congregate on Sundays to get out of their work place and chillax with their friends. Picnics on cardboard boxes on sidewalks and walkways all around Central.

SAND


Finally warm enough (and dry enough) to head to Shek-O beach for an afternoon! Met up with friends, played and then walked into the village to a fabulous little restaurant called Black Sheep.


Restaurant on the left - doesn't look like much, but the food is delicious, the staff is friendly, and the inside is decorated with black lights and fish tanks. Plus, you get to watch the guy on the right tidy up his own shop at the close of business.


temple in the village
SURF
Dragon boat sidled up next to its home-boat



image from internet

image from internet

Dragon Boat Races!!!  You've read Boys In The Boat? - It'll help you appreciate this age-old cultural tradition. With up to 20 rowers per boat shouting in Cantonese and a drummer keeping the pace - it's fun to watch them practice from our balcony but a race is even better. We watched from our window, then from our "yard". If only I'd had a better camera to capture the energy and color.

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