No More Group Tours

As convenient as it was to have a local take us around and show us the so-called 'hot spots', I don't think I could do another group tour. I was right about having to follow a bunch of middle to old-aged, grumpy, bitchy people around all day. The only decent one was Ronald B, the 28-year-old, possibly homosexual tour guide. He was cool.

We started off the day going to Repulse Bay, a famous beach in Hong Kong. The area as adorned with budhas and other bhuddist statues for every reason possible. One was for good fortune, one was for prosperity, one was for wealth, there was even two HUGE statues meant to protect fisherman while they were out at sea.

We then went to Stanley Market which is famous for it's not-so-cheap-anymore markets. The more tourists that come into the area, the more prices go up. Smart move on the merchant's behalf I guess.

After the market we went to Wan Chai to see the Forever Blooming Bauhinia situated in front of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition centre. Nothing too spectacular. Just a big, golden flower. We took a couple pictures there and then went for lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch we went to the highest Peak in Hong Kong to take some pictures of the city. The view would have been amazing had the view been a little less blurred by all the smog.

Then we made an interesting stop at the most expensive washroom on earth. Everything in that bathroom was made out of gold. It had two stalls, two sinks and gold plated tiles covering the walls and ceilings. The total cost of that bathroom was 90,000,000 Hong Kong Dollars, which is approximately 15,000,000 Canadian dollars, to build. It was just there for display, but unfortunately we weren't aloud to take any pictures of it. You had to pay to get your picture taken with it. But really, who wants to have their picture taken while sitting on the john, regardless of what it's made of???

After that pee break (haha) we finished the tour at the Avenue of Stars. It's a 'knockoff' (and trust me, the people here are good at knockoffs) of Hollywood's Walk of Fame, but with Chinese actors and actresses instead. While walking along the water we recognized names like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and that's about it. Oh yeah, and there was even a statue and star for Bruce Lee on the Avenue. I wonder what 'Wendy Law' would look like stamped into a plate of metal and placed into the ground?

I was definately glad to be free from guides and grumps after that. We decided to check out a trendy restaurant/bar area called Knutsford Terrace. After walking from one end to the other and checking out our possibilities we decided on a place called 'Heaven on Earth'. The name definately fit the restaurant to a tee. The food was phenominal. A little pricey, but I guess you get what you pay for.

Once our bellies were satisfied we walked back down to the Avenue of Stars where we watched the Symphony of Lights. This was the most exciting part of the day. Every night, at 8:00pm, there's a showing of lasers and lights from across Victoria harbour. All of the highrises accross the harbour light up in sequence and in rhythm to classical music playing in the background. The 'symphony' lasts for about 10 minutes or so and is definately a must-see for anyone travelling this way. There's even an option to watch the show from sight-seeing ferries right on the harbour!

It was a long day for us so we decided to head home early this evening. We'll be hopping accross the border to Shenzhen, China tomorrow morning to do some bartering for cheap knockoffs.

So, I am off to bed. I'll be dreaming of all of you who are working, studying, freezing....HAHAHAHAHA.....Suckers!

11:55pm HK time