Touring Hong Kong

Okay...the two ladies put up with us dragging them everywhere and all they wanted to do was shop.. so we decided when we got to Hong Kong and got rid of the group we would let them have a day... and a day we did.

We loaded onto a city double decker and headed off to Stanley Market. Stanley Market is the topic of todays blog.. but the double decker has to be talked about. We didn't just get on this bus we got on the upstairs part of this bus and away we went for our hours ride to the market high up in the air! It was so crazy. The bus driver did not slow down even around corners that we running on the side of the mountain! It was so scary! We would look down and there would be no side...no road to go off on, NOT even a guard rail! I had to close my eyes and make prayers to the Lord to get us there safely! I guess the road crews in Hong Kong knew how high these busses were as all the trees were trimmed to just miss the bus!!

Anyways we get to Stanley Market...it looks like one of our Outlet Malls....five stories and half the stores closed down! So we kept trucking through the area and finally we find what we are looking for... an outdoor market full of things only tourists would buy!! Heaven!!

I think we spent about five hours here. It was a bunch of fun. Hong Kong people don't wheel and deal with you the way the rest of China did but we found a few good bargins! I have to say the art work is just beautiful. We spoke to a few different people that explained that some of the artist go to school for four years just to master a certain type of art. Amanda bought an oil painting that I wish I had purchased. I just kept worrying that my suitcases were going over the weight limit!... I spent most of my money on squeeky shoes for Ali along with clothes for her! Mallory spent most of her money on her teachers, friends from school and her dad's family, JoAnn bought for everyone!! she had the most fun and mom had a few people in mind, mostly family and a room she is decorating in a Asian theme but all in all we had a great time shopping. I said if I had it to do over again I would have bought way more... I am home now and I can think of twenty things I wish I had bought myself along with gifts for others!

The bus ride back from Stanley Market, Jay and I sat on the bottom of the bus... we felt safer...but you could see more of what the crazy bus driver was doing... so I rode with my eyes closed!

Later that evening Mom, Amanda and the baby stayed in while Jo, Jay, Mallory and I adventured out into the town to see what else we could find! It was truely amazing. There were people and stores everywhere. I don't know if I had ever said this in the prior days but to shop in China if you had a project to do, say a bathroom, would take days just to get the supplies. Each store is very small, in a mountain or under a stairwell and they specialize in one thing. You would buy a toilet in one store, the plumbing in another, the sink in another, the light fixture in another and so on! Not like hitting Home Depot! We found another outside market in the middle of town and picked up two more suitcases to get us home