The Travel Diaries: Hello Hong Kong!

The next few days of my trip were spent settling down into Hong Kong life. Jossi was pretty determined to show me all of her everyday stomping grounds. With this in mind, she took me shopping.

Along the way, we met some rather large, multicoloured creatures.

She also took me off to do some bargain shopping in Mong Kok where I may have invested in far too many crop tops. But hey, the weather was so hot I had an excuse!

Every morning at 5:30am, Jossi and her dad go off hiking around the Peak. One day, at a more sociable hour, they walked me around a little loop of the Hong Kong Trail, before reeling me in to join them on one of these early morning excursions. Somehow, I then found myself hiking for three hours up and down the Peak mountain in uncomfortably warm temperatures, in order to visit the fishing village of Aberdeen.

However, the views were pretty spectacular!

...but look how large the spiders were....!

Now, the term 'village' should probably be used quite loosely when comparing to UK standards. I mean, the shore was lined with densely packed, towering skyscrapers, completely unlike any quaint English village I've ever seen.

In Aberdeen I got my first taste of a Hong Kong fish market. This was definitely an interesting experience- everywhere you looked, there were fresh fish. So fresh in fact they were mostly still very much alive, swimming around in shallow crates of water. Apparently you pick the fish you want and then it is butchered for you, then and there! Definitely not a place for the squeamish but certainly worth a visit!

One evening, Jossi took me up to a rooftop bar, where I got a much closer view of Hong Kong by night. Just look at the view!

However, another evening I was really spoilt when Jossi's family took us to the Marriott Hotel to experience their dinner buffet.

I have never eaten so much. Ever.

Like any sensible people, Jossi and I started with ice-cream before working our way backwards to mains, and then forwards again to pudding.

There was just so much to choose from, from noodle and rice dishes to sushi, curry or more western dishes. There were even dishes of iced lobster available! I was in food heaven!

That evening, on our way home, we stopped in the more touristy part of the Peak to take in the view. Hong Kong was starting to feel like home!