Hello China!

Arriving at PEK

The original arrival time to Beijing was scheduled to be around 4pm. With the delays we landed around 6-7pm. When I cleared customs it was closer to 8pm. As I walked downstairs I noticed the flight attendants holding the masses of people in economy back while they let the people in first and business class deplane first. I imagine this is important on an international flights since the customs and immigration lines can get long.

As I left the plane I noticed the outside air pollution and than a grand entryway. From what I've read, the Beijing airport has gone under refurbishment around the time of the olympics.  I did some fruitless searching of the United airport lounge but after about 10 minutes gave up and head for the city, more specifically the Hongdu Shijia Hotel, or as it was once called the Saga Youth Hostel.

PEK Airport - not bad!

An airport express train connects the airport to the Beijing subway system. When I applied for a visa I made arrangements at a hostel in Beijing off one of the subway lines.  There's an Airport Express bus and train, and I almost ended up on the bus. After a short while I found the train and was en route to the city. The train takes about 20 minutes to travel a little less than 20 miles. The airport express train was comfortable, although the seats were small for someone my size.  The subway trains were modern. Similar to the subway system in Germany, all the cars connect like a giant snake. As I waited for the subway I noticed a few British guys dressed in costume. It took me a second to remember it was halloween. 

Me on the Airport Express, the Beijing Subway

After about an hour on the Airport Express and Subway I finally reached the stop nearest the hostel. I passed through some hutongs (alleys) and watched in on the everyday life of people in Beijing. Although I was walking through the alleys at night, many dark, it didn't feel unsafe. Both bicycles and motorbikes would jet past me as I walked down the streets. The motorbikes were electric, so they were almost silent. It was a bit unnerving to have a silent electric bike pass from behind, but eventually I got used to it. For reasons I can’t quite explain, the street life felt distinctly different from what I’ve seen in the past. Eventually, with the help of Google maps, I found the hostel. Oh, t-Mobile, how I’ve come to rely on your free international data.

Arriving at the Saga Youth Hostel - Hongdu Shijia Hotel

As I entered the hostel from the hutong, I saw a  western girls dressed as a cat…I suspect and hope for halloween. Halloween didn't appear popular at all. I checked in to the hostel, requested a room change to a private single, and cleaned up. After cleaning up I talked to the girl at the front desk about tours. She recommended a Great Wall tour that departed early in the AM. There were 3 different 'Great Wall' tours to choose from, each went to a different segment of the wall. One required an hour drive, the other a 2 hour drive, and the last a 4 hour drive. The girl at the front desk recommended the 2 hour drive. Part of me wanted to take it easy the next day, but I figured starting strong was the way to go. Altogether the excursion, including breakfast and admission, was around $30 (USD).   The segment I would hike is called Mutianyu. More on the hike tomorrow. 

Hutongs by day

Exterior of what was the Saga Youth Hostel

Front Door

Single Room

After cleaning up from the long flight I went to the lobby/bar of the hostel-hotel (whatever it is). I was given a wood coin for a welcome beer, but since it was unique I’d keep it for a souvenir. The bar area really wasn’t much of a bar - just a counter were you could order something with a couple of chairs under the counter. There were plenty of vacant tables though. As I waited, I noticed one of the girls behind the counter (playing bartender) trying to take a selfy with me, the giant, in the background. She spoke English well enough so I asked if she wanted a real picture. She was very happy. 

While I was waiting in line a German college student started chatting with me. It’s worth noting he really was German. He invited me back to the table and we chatted for a bit about US and German domestic issues. I mentioned Berlin was a favorite city of mine and we chatted about the economic divide of the city. Apparently since the fall of the wall, that parts that were formerly communist still stagger in economic growth. They had a lot of questions about Obama, his popularity, and health care reform. We chatted for an hour or so when they resigned to bed. Towards the end of our conversation a Polish guy joined us (far back, left). He was alone, but traveling with his elderly grandfather. He offered up a full bottle of Vodka back at his room that he wanted to finish - but none of us wanted anything other than beer. I had a hard time believing the guy was Polish because his English was perfect and without any form of an accent. Like the Germans, he too was leaving the next day. Shortly after the Germans left the bar did a last call and I made my way back to the room for some sleep. 

Bar/Lobby/Restaurant

Friends

Goodbye Chicago!

Why China?

Having been to Thailand early this year I was craving a return visit to the great east. Cambodia is adjacent to the south end of Thailand, and Vietnam is next door to Thailand, so those two countries were high on the hit list. A co-worker often joked that a day didn't go by when Thailand slipped into our conversations. In my own defense, this particular co-worker has never been to Chiang Mai and is clueless to how awesome the place is.

One travel trick I often use when traveling great distances with a flexible timeline is to search a general region for the lease expensive nonstop airfare. Skyscanner is a great tool for this - with a departure airport and a loose date range you can quickly determine all the places you can go and for how much. A round trip ticket to Beijing would cost under $1k. And getting to my target destinations of Cambodia and Vietnam would be just a couple of hundred bucks In a nutshell, I'd hit the countries on my list, and get China for free. The only added stress with going to China involves obtaining a visa.  I had been to Hong Kong earlier in the year, but both Hong Kong and Macau  have different visa requirements than mainland China. If I cut my travel plans within China to under 72 hours a visa wouldn't actually be necessary - but I didn't want to chance it. China maintains a consulate in Chicago and obtaining a 12 month multi-entry visa would involve paying a fee and leaving my passport with the consulate for a couple of nights. Not a problem.

The visa process was unique. The visa requires either an invitation from a local or proof of lodging accommodations along with an airline ticket. For under $2 you can put down a deposit for a bed at a hostel, so lodging isn't a problem. I booked a two sets of accommodations spanning 7 month to confirm I'd receive a multi-entry visa valid for a year. Technically the visa is good for 15 months; a traveler can arrive 12 months after visa issuance and stay 90 days past expiry without issue. I had to make a couple of trips to the consulate. My first attempt involved having a handwritten form without my airline ticket. The embassy only involves typed applications and required evidence of air travel. I was hoping to defer air travel until I had a visa. Luckily there was no issue getting the visa and my passport was ready on the committed date by the consulate.

Aside from reading about a purported wall build thousands of years ago, I didn't know a lot about what to see in China. My friend I stayed with in Hong Kong had told me Shanghai had one of the most magnificent skylines he's ever seen. That's a pretty big compliment coming from someone who has spent significant time living in 3 continents (Europe, American, and Asia). So in addition to Beijing, Shanghai would be on my hit list.

Preparation

Gear

Being a gear-head, thinking through what I need to pickup for the trip is always exciting. I figured a quick recap of my travel essentials is an order. I've noticed a lot of people stumble upon these pages via Google search, hopefully this advice is practical. Note - no links below are intended to contain referral links. It's not my intention to financially benefit from any recommendations made below.

The Stuff

The Eagle Creek Switchback rolling backpack has been my luggage of choice. It's held up incredibly well. Traveling light is one of the best skills I've learned while traveling. With only these two bags I can get around very easy. Back when I was on an island in Thailand I easily got around on a scooter; the larger bag on my back, the daypack over my chest.  The packaging cubes are essentials as well. Compartmentalizing luggage not only makes you a more organized traveler, it cuts down on forgotten stuff and helps you identify essentials. I packed light on the t-shirts expecting to bring some back. I loved the inexpensive t-shirts I brought back from Thailand last time around.

Essentials
Folding Pack -  for pants, button ups
Packing Cubes - great for sox
Larger Cubes - great for undergarments
Liter Toiletry Bag - this bag is a must for everyone. It's a mesh bag that holds all your toiletries. It has a zipper top, handles liquids well, and is the correct TSA size for liquids. I love this bag.
Shoe Sac - this bag is meant for holding a second pair of shoes (the first pair is on your feet). But, I've realized it doubles nicely as a beach bag. It's large enough to hold a beach towel and sunscreen, kindle, etc. The bag is designed to be splash proof and resists sand to some extent. Love it.

No Longer Essential
Travel Toiletry Bag - This bag is well made and works well in bathrooms without much space for spreading out toiletries. It's roughly the same size as the Larger Cube bag mentioned above. Since I have to remove liquids (for international travel), I've realized I can travel without it. The Toiletry bag above is recommended. I suppose for short trips this bag could be useful, but I've learned to live lean with just the bag above.

SeV Scott-E-Vest Travel Pants - These pants were expensive. They're made of nylon and pretty comfortable - plus dry very quickly. Great for long flights. They also convert easily into shorts without looking too geeky. They're intended to conceal gadgets without looking bulky. The only real good feature about them is their front double-pockets (great protection against pick-pockets). Unfortunately they're complete "Made in China" crap. Within  couple of months they started to break apart. Worst yet, when I reached out to the company about the warranty I was brushed off. My opinion after talking with the idiots at SeV - the product is designed to fall apart. I did have a tailor sew them up, so I bought them along. Skip SeV altogether, it's crap.

Kuhl Liberator - I replaced the SeV pants with a pair of like pants from Kuhl (purchased at REI). Roughly the same price and they've held up much better. The Kuhl's are a better fit, too.

Eagle Creek Switchback Max 22

RAVPower 15000 - The USB rechargeable battery pack I took with for the past few trips worked really well. This time around I picked up a new battery pack that was a little bigger and would quick charge electronics faster. The RAVPower 15000 had perfect reviews on Amazon and was half the price of my other USB brick.

Canon 5d Mark III - I picked up a new Canon 5d Mark III camera. My original camera body stopped working. Canon claims it was corrosion. Maybe the weather seals were defective, but I can say for certain the camera was never immersed in water. Since I invested so much in Canon lenses I was kinda stuck. American Express backed me up thought. The extended warranty program that's part of my Blue Cash card cut me a check for the cost of the camera. I picked up a well rated Zonman dry bag for the camera on Amazon, but the bag didn't work for the camera like advertised.  If Thor exists, I hope he finds Zonman and has his way with him. 

Kirkland Beef Jerky - Costco sells 12 oz packages of the stuff for under 10 bucks and it's fantastic. Once opened it's only good for 3 days. However, with a  vacuum sealer, it's easy to make 3-4 individual servings. I picked up 3 bags but would only need about 2. I'd  hide about 6 individual serving in my larger bag and 2 in my daypack. This stuff is great for all day hikes - it takes up little space and is really packed with energy.

Kirkland Marino Wool Socks - For the price of less than one pair of Smart Wool ($11), you can get a 4 pack of the Costco equivalent. These things are the best for traveling and go days without odor problems. 

Bye Bye Beard

Before heading out to Asia, it's time for a shave. I was doing a simple vacation with my family in the Dominican and stopped shaving throughout the trip. Since I was switching jobs I didn't see the need to shave when I returned. I started to feel ridiculous though, especially since I'm not a bearded man. So off to the barber I went for a shave and haircut.

Bye bye beard!

Getting to the Airport

After getting stuff ready and packing I didn't get much sleep much the night before. My flight wasn’t until 1pm, but the target was to be at the airport at 11am. Checking in online wasn’t possible because the airline needed to verify I had a Chinese visa. I had originally planned to spend the night prior to flight at my mom's - but that didn't happen because I had so much to do. So she offered to come to the city in the morning. We'd have a breakfast and she'd take me to the airport.

My mom got to the city right around 10am. She put together a care package for the flight consisting of fresh fruit, beef jerky, gummy peaches (my favorite), pretzel chips, granola bars, and box of slim jims. I appreciated the gesture but was kinda annoyed. I didn’t want to look ungrateful but I also didn’t want to weighed down with another bag.  Packing light is key for the way I travel. She insisted it would be great for the 12 ½ hour non-stop flight to Beijing. She said I should just toss what I didn’t want when I got to China. I grimaced and took the bag. It was far more food than I could eat on the plane.  Foreshadowing a bit, she couldn’t have been more correct. My mom is the best!

Mom & Me

United Lounge at O'Hare (ORD)

Since I didn't have luggage to check and am part of the TSA Pre program, checking in and clearing security was easy. Although I checked in online the day prior, United still required me to get a boarding pass at the airport. I suspect this was so an agent could confirm I had a visa for China. Like Hong Kong, Beijing allows for 72 hour visa-free transit through Beijing, So I'm not sure why they were checking for a visa. 

When I checked in online the day prior, United offered a business class upgrade for the leg to Beijing for a pretty hefty discount. Business class meant traveling in the upper deck of a 747, so after some back and forth I opted for the upgrade. The upgrade allowed for access to the lounge adjacent to the terminal. I suspect this was one of many lounges United has at O'hare - but I hope the other lounges offer more than this one. The lounge had nicer seating than the general terminals, but aside from the seating the lounge offered very little. The water available in a large pitcher was dirty - and bottled water was offered. The lights snacks offered were far from impressive. If I paid a daily rate for this lounge I would have felt like a sucker, especially thinking back to the Prime Class lounge at Istanbul airport. The flight was delayed about 2 hours, so the comfortable seating and extra space was a nice value add.  The fact the lounge was directly adjacent to the gate was a huge plus. I could actually see the crew swapping out our aircraft, a huge 747-400, for another. 

Swapping out our 747 for another

Lounge

The 12 Hour Flight

Beijing!

She finally arrived!

After about 2 hours of waiting in the comfy lounge boarding finally began. I left the comfy lounge and boarded the plane. Having spent the past 2 hours in the comfy lounge, I was almost oblivious to the 200 people waiting near the gate.

Upon entering the plane I made my way to upper deck. There were only a couple of dozen seats up top. The configuration of the seats are such that groups of seats are separated by partitions. My seat would actually face the rear of the plane. The flight offered WiFi for most of the flight, at least outside the poles and Chinese airspace. 

Time to board - I'm (group) #1

Lay flat seats throughout the upper deck

Living First Class

There's not much to say about the flight. The upper deck had a couple of flight attendants for the couple of dozen people up top and did a great job taking care of everyone. The food was really good, as was the ice cream. Even though the seat folded down I wasn't able to sleep well.  The seat is designed to fold into and under the TV - and if you're tall there's only a tiny cut-out for your feat. So, unless you curl into a fetal position, it kinda feels like you're in a coffin. I had plenty of entertainment though for the flight. Plus, with internet it's pretty easy to stay entertained. The flight wasn't short, but it's wasn't painfully long either.  Maybe it's because of the 17 hour nonstop flight to Hong Kong I took earlier in the year.

Goodbye Asia

Waking Up

Wakeup time was 6:30am. I'd borrow Gregory's bedroom and he's bunk with his parents. The arrangement worked out very well.  I'm lucky to have friends like Mike and his family. I got about 4 hours of sleep and hardly unpacked the night before.  Since I picked up a custom suit and 6 shirts I'd have to check a bag. Mike had a spare bag, so I packed that up with some cloths that I didn't mind getting wrinkled. The one thing that was unpacked were my electronics - I had to ensure everything was fully charged because my flight was *long*. It was about an hour and a half shy of the flight to Hong Kong, but it's still a 14.5 hour flight.

I woke up to the smell of bacon - yum! After a fantastic breakfast and saying goodbye to everyone I was off with Mike to check my bag in central and head to the airport.

Saying goodbye is tuff!

Checking In

My flight left at 11:50am, the plan was to be on the shuttle bus 90 minutes prior. I didn't have much time between getting into Central and leaving for the airport.

Getting ready

The Flight

The Flight

I picked up a bottle of Bombay Sapphire East as a gift and wanted a bottle for myself. I stopped by the duty free shop and picked up my bottle. At checkout I was asked where I was heading. Once I disclosed Chicago I was told I wouldn't be able to carry on my purchase. The US apparently applies the 3 oz/100ml rule to all carry-on liquids coming in to the US, even past security check-in. The gate for my flight was roped off.  A woman with a clipboard checked off each passengers name as they came through. People were randomly selected for 'enhanced security screening' and I was one of them. I filled my bottle of water from a water fountain earlier, only to have the staff empty it.  After emptying my carry-on bags completely I was set to go. I checked in my garment bag with a flight attendant, set an alarm so I wouldn't forget to collect it once in Chicago, and made my way to the seat.

I boarded the flight and arrived at my seat. The middle and aisle seat were occupied by a couple of Chinese guys. The guy in the middle seat was almost as tall as me. I took my seat and made myself comfortable. The guy in the middle seemed nice enough, but spoke no English. He was tall, and tried several times throughout the flight to encroach on my space. A few times I was awaken to find his entire upper torso an inch or two away from my face as he took in the view out the window.

I got some good rest on the flight and awoke to realize my entertainment console was broken. The touch screen didn't work at all. I and the flight attendant reset it, but that did no good. I caught up on some reading, more sleep, and eventually we arrived in Chicago.

Clearing customs was easy with Global Entry. Since I had to check a single bag, the wait cancelled out any savings gained from Global Entry. My bags took about 45 minutes to arrive. I arrived around noon and really wasn't jet lagged at all. I felt good.  Good enough to get a haircut and catchup with some friends over dinner.

First Class

Almost a cubical...but not quite

Economy - this is more my style

Hong Kong Bound

Waking Up

Checkout was at 12pm at my hotel, but the information at the front desk indicated a fee of 30% would not be assessed until 1pm. So I figured a 1pm checkout time would suffice.  I was up and ready to go by 10am, with everything packed and ready to go. The hotel did not include breakfast, so either beef jerky or street food would need to suffice. Beef jerky it would be.

Vimanmek Mansion

The Vimanmek Mansion is the former Royal Palace. It is also known as the Teak House, as it's the largest house constructed of teakwood in the world. Although it's a major tourist attraction, I hadn't heard of the mansion until a Thai woman on the metro advised me of its existence. She insisted I visit and upon further research the place sounded really interesting.

I left the hotel and walked towards a tuk-tuk to begin the haggling process. Everything in Bangkok is a haggle. It gets frustrating at times, but it's the way they do things here. Either they're taking advantage of people from the west, or vice versa...probably a bit of both.  The first tuk-tuk drove away before I could get to him. The next vehicle was a taxi and he wanted 1000 baht to do the trip, almost $31 US. He spoke very little English but insisted in grunts it was very far. Google maps thought otherwise.  We eventually settled on 400 baht, a little over $12 and for that I'd get a round trip to/from the hotel.

For the next 40 minutes he'd drive me around Bangkok. For the most part we were moving along the road just fine. Somewhere on the highway we stopped. Literally, the drive pulled to the side of the road and told me I could get out and take photos. In the distance was a giant structure he was expecting me to photograph from the highway exit. Somehow there was a miscommunication about where I'd be going. We continued to talk through the misunderstanding. I had handed my phone to him earlier and showed him exactly where I wanted to go, so I was a little confused by the miscommunication. A few minutes later he figured out where I wanted to go and we were off. I was impressed, he didn't use the miscommunication as away to get more money out of me. I checked Google Maps and we were about 20 minutes from the Mansion. We'd be running cutting it tight, but the trip was still doable. Shortly thereafter he exited the highway and I'd experience real Bangkok traffic. That is, we wouldn't move at all for minutes on end. Occasionally we'd inch forward, than come to a complete stop. We were on local roads, about a quarter mile ahead I could see a traffic light. And it was frozen red. Even when it turned green nothing happened. I was beginning to wonder if I'd miss my flight. About 20 minutes into the rerouted journey I'd become convinced I'd miss my flight. I tried to tell the driver to just take me back to the hotel, but again there was a communication issue.

Eventually we reached an area very close to the Mansion. I thought we were golden until he pointed and grunted. Apparently the roads were shut down because of protestors. About 20 minutes later we'd eventually approach the Mansion.  The driver told me I could walk around for about an hour - I told him I'd need 10 minutes.

The Mansion is surrounded by a visitors facility, with storage lockers and a souvenir shop. The facility made it very clear that proper dress must be worn and cameras were forbidden inside. They even indicated a fine, per offense. I think it was either 2,000 or 5,000 baht ($60 - $150 US).  I was wearing pants so the only thing I'd have to check was my camera and bag. I checked my things and went outside to the entry queue.

There was a large group of Chinese tourists already in line. It looked like the guide was talking them through something so I bypassed the group and started walking on the property grounds. Since they went out of their way to publicize fines I didn't make any effort to capture photos inside the property.

Visitors leave their shoes in a sheltered patio located adjacent to the mansion. The mansion was huge and a place definitely worth touring. Each room, of which there are 72,  is furnished as it was back in its heyday. Treasures decorate each room, including enormous ivory tusks, swords, gold objects, and paintings. The mansion has been modernized with AC. Guests follow a long hallway throughout much of the mansion, offering a view (but not access) into each room. I took about 10 minutes walking through all the rooms. I was in a hurry because my flight was set to leave in 2 1/2 hours and I had no idea how long it would take to return to my hotel.

Photos are permitted outside, so I snapped some pictures of the property and surrounding gardens.

On the road to...somewhere

Uh oh...road closed

This isn't Parliament, rather a Post Office

FINALLY!

Garden

We left the mansion and were heading back to the hotel. I was concerned because traffic moved extremely slowly at first, but once we got out of the general area we began to make decent speed. I arrived back at the hotel about 2 hours prior to my flight. I was in good shape. I took a quick shower to cleanup before the flight (did I mention Bangkok was HOT) and checked out just a few minutes past 1pm. The hotel was rather ambiguous about whether bottled water was included with the stay. The hotel mini-bar said mineral water was the equivalent of $1 US. I wasn't sure if bottled water was mineral water - there were two different kinds in the mini fridge. Bottled water was complimentary at every other hotel I stayed at, creating the uncertainty.  They didn't hit me up for extra money at check out, so I guess it was included.

Checking In

Before checking out I checked in to my flight and made my way to the nearby MTA. The site made it clear one must pickup a boarding pass at the airport - you can not print it out at home. I took the MTA to the Airport Express terminal. Two lines run frequently from the terminal, the city line and the airport express line. The airport express line makes fewer stops but runs every 30 minutes. The city line runs more frequently and makes more stops, taking longer to reach the airport. I was counting the minutes as I got off the train - the trip took longer than I expected. I booked it to the airline counter. There was a very short line and a customer service kiosk to the side - I went to the customer service kiosk since all I needed was a boarding pass. I must have been cutting it close because without identifying myself the woman correctly guessed who I was and gave me my boarding pass insisting I hustle to the gate. Bangkok airport is very big and my gate was at the opposite end.

Airport Express is not what I'd ride...rather the slower city line

Bangkok Airport Customer Counter (pre-security)

Tubes connect the concourses - very modern

The airport could easily be mistaken for a high end shopping mall

Gates - again very cool architecture

Arriving in Hong Kong

The flight wasn't very long, under 3 hours. Clearing customs in Hong Kong took longer than last time, but it stilll wasn't awful as it took under 20 minutes. I picked up a small gift for my friend in Hong Kong, a unique blend of Bombay Sapphire for the Southeast Asia market and boarded the train to Central. Within a half hour I was back in Central, Hong Kong. Fortunately, visibility was much better this time around. En route to Hong Kong my friend asked if I was hungry. He was at the American Club and offered to put in an order for me. The food there was fantastic so I was excited. After I arrived in Central I literally got step by step instructions to the building I was at weeks before. I met my friend Mike and his family, his wife and son had to jet. Mike and I returned to the American club for my meal and began an evening of sightseeing.  We stopped by the car so I could ditch my bags. Lucky for me, Mike brought his awesome Gitzo tripod for me.

Victoria Peak

Our first stop would be Victoria Peak, a place to take in Hong Kong's cityscape. Hong Kong's population density is second only to Singapore. Higher than Tokyo, New York, or anywhere else you can think of. Even though Singapore is more densely populated, Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than anywhere else in the world.

To get to the peak we boarded a public tram. The front of the car was reserved for royalty back in the day, now anyone can sit there. The tram ascends up a very steak incline...well over 45 degrees. Once at the peak we made our way through a shopping mall to an outdoor area overlooking the peak. We'd hang out there for a good half hour taking pics, mostly to my insistence.

Tram to Victoria Peak

What a skyline!

Smiling and happy

Temple Street Night Market

On the list of the world's greatest markets is Temple Street, so we'd check that site out first. The market is held everyday, starting around 8pm and ending around midnight. We'd get here around 9pm. Oddly, vendors were beginning to both setup and tear down shop. Eventually we'd make our way to fortune tellers. For the low, low price of $10 I could have someone tell me my fortune. How could I resist? Anyhow, without giving the man anything to go off aside from my birthdate and time, he offered up some wise advise to me.  I pulled out my phone to turn it off and he asked I not record his offerings. Okay, no problem.

At first I didn't know if I was born in the morning or late afternoon. He suggested we proceed with 'early evening'. He didn't like what he saw should I be born in the morning. I confirmed via text with my mom I was indeed born late morning. This confirmation did not please him.

Using my birth date/time and facial size, he offered up the following advice.

1. My long head, especially the forehead, means I am very wise
2. My hands suggest I work with my brain
3. I will be married twice
4. I should avoid ALL Western-European woman. Eastern European woman are okay.
5. I should avoid ANY woman who is overweight
6. I should date woman at least 5 years younger than me...preferably younger

To the Market!

Shops are closed, but the market thrives

Temple Street Market

Nightlife

After the market we walked around some of the more social areas of Hong Kong, including the red light district. We stopped for a drink, where I again got a properly poured Guinness, than head back to the house. We left town well after midnight, so we were both exhausted.  Once at the house I tried on my custom suit and shirt. The suit fit well, but the shirts fit perfectly...especially around the neck and shoulders. Wahoo...I am happy. Tomorrow would be an early morning.

BEER!

Nightlife

Red Light District

A bit more obvious with this sign