Hong Kong the start

About 30 years ago, Mike visited Hong Kong several times courtesy of the U.S. Navy. His first visit was not his favorite, the group of guys he was with wanted to find a McDonald's. Mike's thinking that they were in Hong Kong and should be eating Chinese food. The next time he visited the place he was with guys who thought the same way and he enjoyed every visit after that.

About 1987

USS Oldendorf about 1987

This year marks our 30^th wedding anniversary and we decided to make a trip to Hongkong. I checked into airline ticket prices. It was going to cost about $200 each to go so I booked a flight for October 29 to return November 1. Judson got sick two days before our departure so he stayed with my cousin.

HONGKONG HERE WE COME....

We stayed at Baybridge Hotel with a room facing the Ma Wan Channel. It looked so pretty during the night with all the lights from the high rise apartments opposite the channel plus the beautiful sunrise in the morning. Both the living room and our bedroom have picture windows so we left the drapes open all night to enjoy the lights.

We were greeted with a beautiful sunrise the next morning.  Then we noticed that there are tug boats moored on the channel and just across from the hotel there also yachts moored. We noticed a little tugboat going out and we immediately missed JJ. He has a book titled “Little Toot” that he liked to be read to before bed. Instantly I blurted out, “Look, there's little Toot. JJ would have loved seeing this.” Then we started looking for Big Toot (Little Toot's Daddy) and Grandpa Toot and sure enough we saw them. We got excited (well, little things like this excites us, you know, lol). We started taking pictures of Little Toot so we can show them to JJ when we get home. The next morning, I saw the three all lined up so I took pictures of them proudly waiting for their day's assignments.

One of JJ's favorite books:

Here's Little Toot going out to sea with the yachts on the background:

Here's Big Toot:

Grandpa Toot, Big Toot and Little Toot waiting for their day's assignments:

The Toots

A beautiful sunrise from our window:

The subway is the best way to get around Hong Kong.  When our plane landed and after clearing customs we got a subway map and Airport Express train card. The Airport Express card (HK$50) was only good from the airport to the first station on the line.  We bought the Octopus card (HK$150) that you can use for the trains, some of the attractions, some of the buses and even some vending machines. The Octopus card is re-loadable so it can be used indefinitely.  Just like Chicago trains, the maps are color coded. And I'd say it is run very efficiently.

Of course like most subways everywhere in the world, directions are posted for the passengers inconspicuously and since we are in China, the signs are in Chinese and English. You read train stops like Ngong Phing and Tsin Wa, or Tsin Yi, etc.., but one of the train stops is called Austin which caught our attention because that was the only stop that has an American name.

Needless to say, you go up and down stairs, elevators and escalators to go from one station to another.  I was fine with going up and down the stairs our first day but my feet started to hurt
the afternoon on the second day.  After the hotel shuttle drops you off at the train station, you walk, stand on the train most of the time, stand in line to get to the attractions until you come back to the shuttle drop off that night.  So much walking.....so many things/places to see/do in Hong Kong.....so little time.

Well the title we used for this part of the blog is "Hong Kong, the Start" so stay tuned for more adventures.