Days 6 and 7: Hong Kong - Part 1: Street Markets

I'm back. In China, that is. Yes, after an all too quick one-and-a-half-day weekend in Hong Kong (that went by all too quickly, I might add), I am once again calling the PRC home. I have been to Hong Kong a few times now, although it is almost always only to pass through on my way to somewhere else. But we arrived around 4:30 Saturday (after finishing up work at 1pm) with intent to stay a solid two nights. We were driven by our hosts to the Lo Wu border to cross into Hong Kong SAR. This is the busiest border crossing in the entire world. I read that of all people who enter/leave China, 85% pass through at Lo Wu. So how it goes is, you pass through customs to leave one place (in our case, China), walk over a covered footbridge that passes over the Shenzhen river (which is protected on either side with barbed wire), and then pass through immigration on the other side. Kind of a wild experience, to be walking up high over this river while existing in a virtual no man's land for a short time.

After checking in to the hotel, we decided to head over to Hong Kong Island for some sightseeting and dinner. We took the iconic Star Ferry, which is often called the most spectacular $0.25 cent voyage in the world, right to Central, the heart of the city (for a good primer on the layout of the area, check out this map). Here, we jumped on the old trolley trams that carry people east/west to the main areas of the city. These reminded me a lot of the trolley cars in San Francisco, only they are double deckers and are mostly enclosed.

I noticed some interesting side street activity, so we jumped off the tram in Wanchai to look around. We had stumbled upon Wanchai market, a huge area of street stalls selling every food item from fresh fruits and veggies to hot snacks, live chickens, and various dried animal parts. It was an eyeopening experience for sure.

Sunday found us visiting the computer market on the Kowloon side of the island. The streets are packed with ads for all manner of techie devices advertised for rock bottom prices. I picked up a USB2 SD card reader for about $3, a tabletop camera tripod for $6, and an A/V cable adapter for $0.62. The selection was limitless. One of my co-workers picked up a pocket-sized wireless router for about $75.

Off the street level, we were directed into a small, nondescript building for software shopping. Instead of a typical store with inventory on the shelf, these "stores" were simply small rooms with photos of various software packages and games tacked up on the wall. You are supposed to point to what you want, pay, and you are handed a paper with a handwritten number and time, usually about an hour later. When your time approaches, they will call out the numbers (in Cantonese, of course!) and hand you a thin plastic bag with a freshly burned disc. All for about $3.75 per disc. This particular day was a little different.

Suddenly, there seemed to be a commotion and a hush came over the crowd. People started to scatter, and the metal rollup doors began to close, and the shops and were quickly locked. Police raid! Within a half hour, the doors were back open again and it was like nothing ever happened.

We headed outside and took the MTR (subway) down to Mong Kok to browse the outdoor markets there for clothes, souveiners, and various things that we don't need but think are cool. I had forgotten my bathing suit at home, so I picked one up for $1.25 (one size fits all, or, at least some). I also didn't bring a pair of white socks with me to wear with my shorts and sneakers (big boo-boo), so I grabbed a 5 pack of "Nike" socks for $2.50. I also picked up some silk pajamas for Elisabeth and also a little something for Hollis (can't tell you now, she's reading!).

This is only scratching the surface of what various markets are out there in this city. But it seems like a good place to start.

A stall selling veggies - some familiar (broccoli, corn, beans) and some not (lotus root, ???).



Before.



After.



This was taken in a Chinese pharmacy. You would come here to get a prescription filled from a doctor. Notice the dried seahorses (top center), dried lizards (bottom right), and goat horns (bottom left). For some reason, this makes perfect sense to everyone.



One of many street-side butchers. Nothing more appetizing than organ meat hanging on the sidewalk in 85 degree humidity. Can anyone tell me what those green things are that seem to come in pairs?



At the computer market in Sham Shui Po.



On the way to Mong Kok street market.