Good bye Hong Kong, Good bye the view from my room.

Good bye phase one of the MacLehose trail and the pristine crystal-blue waters. One day I will visit the other 84 kilometers that stretch across the natural wondrous beauty encompassed in the New Territories from Sai Kung peninsula to the Tai Lam mountain range. I have been inspired, exhausted, and in love with the endless hiking trails and incredible landscapes as they weave through the Hong Kong Islands.



Good bye 7/11, bright lights and crowded streets.


Good bye Happy Valley and all the Jockey fanatics. Thank you for a fun lucky win; 30 to 1 odds, At Moment In Time, Sparkling Feeling, Ever Beauty !


Good bye Victoria Harbor and the never ending skyline. Good bye traditional Chinese junk boats.


Good bye 10,000 Buddhas and counting! And good bye to the biggest Buddha of all.




Good bye really tall buildings known as "the chop sticks".


And good bye IFC. Where are you batman? I am still waiting for another famous leap, like in the Dark Night...


Good bye Hot Kong Yoga - stretch, breathe, balance... and maybe the flying splits (as they do here in Hong Kong, yoga is taken to a complete new level here)!


Good bye street food; delicious siu baau, pineapple beer, alfresco seafood, and other flavorful delights!



Good bye QUADRAT! a sinergized staff and lots of laughs!



Good bye to another island, a different immigration system, where Europe meets Asia, taste the most delicious egg tarts found at Margarets Cafe, the home of the largest single structure hotel building in Asia - The Venetian... arrive by boat, plane or helicopter and enjoy the Vegas of the East; Macau


Double double toil and trouble, fires burn and hot pots bubble. Thinly sliced meats, fresh veggies and seafood - dunk, simmer and indulge! Good bye great food, flavors and friends.


Good bye giant leaves, incredible treas and mystic magical timberland.


Good bye population density overload, right-side-driving-double-decker buses, and swerving-werving taxi cabs.


Good bye arrows all over the MTR (underground), kindly placed to remind us of proper walking paths, however the "east meets west" induces quite the mix-up and mash-up of left-side, right-side, middle of the pack bustling foot traffic.


Good bye mystery midnight foot massages.


Good bye Fragrant Harbour!


Thank you Hong Kong! Thank you Dreamers! Thank you Marge-in-Charge for pulling me in to such sublime summer.

Truly the best Thursday ever!

By 6am Marge and Clay were up and out of the non-air-conditioned bedroom (it broke in the middle of the night), running shoes on, and hitting the Hong Kong pavement. The coolest, or shall I say, the most bearable part of the day – before it reaches close to 90 degrees (“real feel, 104”) and 85% humidity. We like to compare stepping outside to entering a Bikrim Yoga class, or for especially thick days – calling out the soup of the day. Sometimes it is split pea, other days we get tomato bisque when the air feels a bit lighter. Nevertheless, motivated to not let the uncomfortable heat control our moods, we got our endorphins pumping and made a nice loop in our new neighborhood. We, including our friend, Mauricio, were the youngest taking in the morning peace among the tai chi partakers and others doing their daily stretches and reflex exercises.

Marge and I set out to do a bit of work and enjoy a treat at Café Lavande, in the Midlevels. We were surprised with an awesome fresh market and a – shout out to the Delaney / DiJulio (especially Anner!) affection for frozen yogurt, we found a delicious treat! Then onwards and upwards to the quaint French café was a perfect spot tucked away on one of the most charming streets in this bustling city!

Next stop – Joy Ocean Foot Reflexology

Wondering what was behind the doors, hoping for a pedicure, we were welcomed and hustled large comfy chairs, wrapped in towels and provided with water bottles. Trying to explain that we were interested in pedicures, a voice from the row behind also layered in towels and enjoying her treatment, translated that they don’t do pedicures. 60 minutes later, after a full leg and foot rub-down / beat-down, we were extremely content with our decision to forgo looking for a pedicure and enjoying a Hong Kong signature foot massage.

On our way back to the City University Residence, we stumbled into the longest elevator in the world! From bottom to top, it takes 25 minutes! We actually didn’t take a ride of it. Although it would have been an ease to our hike up the hills, we didn’t realize we were walking parallel to the famous escalator until our descent. Not only were we in awe by the never ending escalator, but the abundance of restaurants and cafes (all projecting world cup). So why not pop in for a two for one happy hour special and enjoy some football!? That’s exactly what we did!

Talk about a glorious day with no one better to share with than a sister!

ok, not my pictures... dont run with a camera, but, you get the idea - amazing!