How many modes of transportation?

How many modes of transportation can one take in a day? Bus, subway, foot, cable car, taxi, and the ferry were some of our choices for our first day in Hong Kong. We said good-bye to many whose cruise ended in Hong Kong. Sadly, this was the end of the road for the Golden Girls. We got big hugs on the way out! We left the ship with J and MJ to explore on our own. First stop- Victoria’s Peak. It was apparently the first stop for a lot of other people, too. Still, we beat the system by buying a multi-ticket pass that took us to Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. The cable car, much like the Ruby Falls car, takes a steep incline to the peak. From the top, there is an amazing view of the city, the water, and the islands. We are so glad we endured the lines and the series of escalators taking us to the tip-top. We found some great Asain food at the top, too! The crowds were the only deterrent. I imagine it is a cultural thing but the pushing and shoving in large crowds gets rough. I’m learning to smile and hold my own. We took a quick look at the wax museum. It, rightfully so, had an Asian flair so there were lots of replicas we didn’t know but we enjoyed watching the Asians enjoy the statues.

On our trip down, we opted for a taxi instead of enduring the long line for the downward tram. Our awesome cab driver, who will reappear later in the story, took us directly to the Star Ferry. The Star Ferry, like the Staten Island Ferry, is one of the best deals around. From there, we mastered the subway and made our way to the night market. What a market it was! We found a birthday gift, a wedding gift, and yes, of course, grandchildren gifts. We wouldn’t advise you to try the street food in this area. STINKY! We, to our amazement, made our way back to the HAL bus just in time to return to the boat! What a day! It’s a room service night!

The four of us made our way to Stanley Day Market the next day! It’s a shopper’s paradise. We are the proud owners of yet another piece of luggage to cart home all of our gifts and souvenirs. J found us the perfect waterfront lunch place called The Pickled Pelican! I left the Asian food for a minute and had some gourmet Mac and Cheese in honor of those grands back home! We visited the local grocer and purchased a few bottles of vino. OK. A box of wine! Then, we returned to the taxi stand. Yep, same driver as the day before. There are 18,000 taxis in the city. What are the chances? And such a nice guy!

I try to avoid talking about shipboard activities but you’ve got to hear about the ventriloquist on board. He, and his buddy, NoseWorthy wer quite entertaining! He, a Canadian, gave his own a hard time. “Hey, What’s the difference between a Canoe and a Canadian?” “A Canoe occasionally tips.” LOL. Or not! We had some great piano music on board, too. And this time, we didn’t have a wine tab. How did that happen, you might ask. Hmmm. Think about it!