Hong Kong - Data, Stanley, Noodles, Rickshaw Tires

Yummie Noodles near Lai Sun Commercial Center,
Who can eat this entire bowl?

This was another exciting exploring adventure to Hong Kong. I'm so glad I went again because last time I spent most of my time visiting the main shopping areas. And while that was great fun, and the variety of sheek, swank, trendy clothes almost inspired me to lose the drab grunge style I've had my whole life, I didn't end up buying anything. I think I was just too overwhelmed with it all. I didn't buy anything this time either, but for a completely different reason (my debit card had expired days before my trip, and I didn't notice until I couldn't get money out. Oops! Thankfully I had enough to make it through the trip.)

One of the coolest things I figured out was how to get data on my phone in Hong Kong!! Just buy a CSL Power Prepaid SIM Card and activate the mobile broadband feature. Unlucky for me the instructions in the booklet, complete with menu selections, didn't work. I finally had to track down a One2Free shop and they set it up for me. He told me the printed instructions included with the card are out of date. Lame, but I had maps in Hong Kong! I'm a much more adventurous explorer when I'm confident that I can't really get lost. W00t!

Similar to the one I'm seeking a tire for

I also spent some time tracking down my friend's rickshaw replacement tire. It's a weird tire and so far neither he nor I have had any luck. I sought out the oldest bike shop in Hong Kong and talked to the owner who's easily in his late 70s. He gave me some leads, but unfortunately had never seen the tire I was seeking. Sigh. Next time I go to Hong Kong I'll follow that lead. It's actually kind of fun to have a scavenger hunt to help me end up in certain parts of the city. And I would never have been near that bike shop to find the noodle shop otherwise.

As I was walking out of the bike shop I was thinking how much I wanted just a simple bowl of noodles. And about a block later that's exactly what I found. The bowl was so big. How do people eat that much? And they're mostly smaller than me. It totally hit the spot and was cheap. Awesome!

And there's this (disturbing) phenomenon where people are using the sound of a cat screaming as their text message indicator. All over the trains and streets I kept hearing that sound. Yuck! I don't like hearing cats in pain.

Before this trip I did some research on more off the beaten path shopping places and other destinations and that's what led my path. Things like:

• where to find the best chocolate croissant (Le Salon De The De Joel Robuchon) and it was so delicious! I'm thinking it was even better than the ones I was eating frequently in Amsterdam.
• Stanley Market - where I discovered a cool beach town complete with a cheap street market and a plaza surrounded by ridiculously expensive things. Interesting and beautiful.
• Temple St Night Market - which I expect is typically much better without the rain. The stuff that was there wasn't that great IMO. But a fun adventure finding it nonetheless.
• Mandarin Bar & Grill - which is supposed to have a pretty mean eggs benedict. I had an hours long reconnaissance trying to find it. I ended up walking around the Landmark and throughout the many, many blocks of buildings all seamlessly hooked together with walkways and such. When I did finally succeed in finding it; it was closed for repairs. It should be faster next time, now that I know that area a little better.
• I went to TrendyZone and Kig Woh Centre which are malls with tons of tiny shops geared towards the Chinese teenager. They were kind of interesting, but not really my style. The people watching was the best though!

This time I stayed at the Kowloon Ramada which was sooo much better than the hostel I stayed in last time. I slept well there and it was in a cool neighborhood in which I explored a ton. I like it there. Lots of cool clothes!