Is this really Asia???

Entry 7:

We found our seats on the Cathay Pacific jumbo jet and prepared ourselves for the 14-hour journey to Hong Kong. We were surprised by the cleanliness and efficiency of the HK airport and train into the city. In 24 minutes we were in the center of the city and only minutes away by cab from our destination.

We were greeted by David's helper and soon after found ourselves in front of a bowl of congee. Both of us were clueless at what to do with the bowl and accompanying condiments. More to come later...

About 8 years ago, David moved to Hong Kong for a job and has not looked back since. He and his Thai wife, Nan, were amazing hosts and we cannot thank them enough for their hospitality.

In our two days in Hong Kong, we made good use of our legs. We saw Central, which is the shopping district, complete with covered escalators scaling up the side of the mountain. We then loaded a boat to Lamma Island where we walked around on food and at lunch at a peaceful vegan restaurant. Not exactly Asian, but good nonetheless.

Going back to the congee...on Tuesday morning, David stayed home for breakfast with us. As the congee was brought to the table, David asked how we liked it. We explained that we thought it was very bland and tasteless. He pointed out that we need to add the appropriate condiments to spice this rice porridge dish up. After taking his advice, we have to admit that congee is not as bad as our first impression. Just adding a bard boiled egg, chili pepper, fish sauce, ginger, and scallion makes all the difference.

Since Tuesday was the first morning of Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), we all made our way to temple for morning services. Believe it or not, it was actually the first time we had been to services together. Following the sounding of the shofar we made our way to the American Club for a huge feast, bottomless glasses of iced tea, and a swim in the giant pool. The views were breathtaking and the company was unbeatable.



Most people probably think of Macau as the Asian Las Vegas complete with high rise casino hotels, but in actuality it is a former Portuegese colony with its own unique culture. We took the hydrofoil from Hong Kong to Macau and toured about for the day. We hit some interesting sites, including a tea museum, a Chinese temple, and a Portuguese restaurant for lunch. Believe it or not, we never actually made it into the casinos. Later that night, we sat on the 27th floor of a beautfiul apartment with 15 foot high windows overlooking the city of Hong Kong and the harbour. The home made Thai papaya salad prepared by David's wife, Nan, will be cherished in our memories forever. It was that good. For those of you who'd like to try this at home, you will need: papaya, cherry tomatoes, chili peppers, tamarind, lime juice, peanuts, and fish sauce (hope we didn't leave anything out).


Although Hong Kong is a long way from home, if you're considering travelling to Asia, we highly recommend visit David and his family. They appreciate visitors and will make you feel very much at home.

To see more of our pictures for this entry as well as the rest, go to our shutterfly account: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com