![\"185HKG\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2015\/05\/185HKG-225x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nI arrived very late on a Friday night at Hong Kong International Airport. \u00a0I was in Hong Kong for business, so I stayed in the Sheung Wan area on Hong Kong Island (what used to be called Victoria Island.) \u00a0The part of Sheung Wan I stayed in was very heavily industrial and\u00a0residential. \u00a0Even though I really loved the hotel – The Courtyard Marriott – I didn’t love the area so much. \u00a0I found it challenging as a tourist to navigate in that area – cabs were hard to find, restaurants didn’t have English menus, etc… \u00a0and the MTR station was just a tad too far a walk in the\u00a0scorching\u00a0Hong Kong summer heat. \u00a0The plus was that the hotel did have a free shuttle that ran from around 8am to 10pm to the IFC Mall and from there you could get anywhere on public transportation.<\/p>\n
Day 1 in Hong Kong was a blur. \u00a0I spent the entire day recovering from a really bad case of “I drank the water in South Korea.” \u00a0While the tap water in South Korea is safe to drink, many visitors – including me – are not used to the heavy mineral content in the water and can end up feeling pretty sick. \u00a0I learned from a Dr in Hong Kong that many people who live in Korea actually drink bottled water, even though tap is safe, because they just don’t like the taste of the water due to the high mineral content. \u00a0Lesson learned. \u00a0 I knew that drinking tap water in Hong Kong was a no-no, but the hotel reminded me when I checked in.<\/p>\n
On Day 2 I ventured out into the city. \u00a0One of the things I like to do on any trip is to take a city tour. \u00a0I find it a great way to get familiar with the area and figure out what else I want to see and do. \u00a0In Hong Kong, I joined the Big Bus Tours Hop On Hop Off tour. \u00a0They had three routes for one price and it included a junk boat trip and Star Ferry round trip ticket. \u00a0 I started the tour at 10am (their first departure for the day) and by 1pm I was melting in the sun on the second level of the double deck bus. \u00a0I would highly recommend dressing appropriately, wearing sun screen and bring a hat to block the sun.<\/p>\n
During the week, I really didn’t do much sightseeing – since it was a business trip – but I did have a chance to eat some amazing food. \u00a0At lunch, my client took me to some amazing local restaurants. \u00a0One day we had delicious Beijing-style dumplings at a Queen Street Cooked Food Market. \u00a0A cooked food market is like Hong Kongs answer to a local food court. \u00a0There were tons of vendors offering all types of food and in the center were folding tables and chairs packed with diners.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"184HKG\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2015\/05\/184HKG-225x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Another day we had lunch at a traditional tea restaurant. \u00a0This one was located on the 3rd floor of the Shun Tak center (the home to the Macau Ferry Terminal, offices and many shops. \u00a0Lan Fong Yuen is a crowded little restaurant with small tables packed with hungry lunch crowds. \u00a0I took the suggestion of the people I was with and had a combo of duck and chicken over rice. \u00a0It came with an absolutely delicious ginger and green onion paste meant to be used on the rice. \u00a0I loved that paste and learned that there were companies that specialized in making it. \u00a0The menu had some very interesting food and drink choices. \u00a0One of my colleagues ordered the Red Bean and Milk drink. \u00a0Didn’t look too good to me, but it’s a local favorite.<\/p>\n
![\"035HKG\"](\"http:\/\/first2board.com\/verygoodpoints\/files\/2015\/05\/035HKG-225x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"