The Return

Hey guys, I just got home about twenty minutes ago. Time to relax.
Katie

Lantau and Joe

Went to Lantau Island yesterday to see the giant Buddha. Found an American guy named Joe and we spent about 8 hours exploring Hong Kong and shopping. Tons of fun, but I was really tired by midnight. I come home tomorrow!

Katie

The Spa, aka Heaven

So yesterday Erik and I went just over the border to Shenzhen. Heather was planning on going as well but unfortunately had food poisoning from the night before. We went to the spa where we couldn't understand most of what they were saying, but it was fun trying to figure it out. We're pretty sure everyone though we were a couple which was funny. I've never been to a spa before but this place was amazing. First we had a two hour Tai massage (the lady walked on my back). We had so much fun trying to talk to them even though we weren't very successful. Next we went to this big room full of big comfy chairs, and each chair had it's own tv. I got a foot massage, a pedicure, a manicure and had my ears cleaned (sounds strange but it felt amazing). The best part? Paying the bill. I spent about $60 US for the whole thing, including tips. Today I'm headed for Lantau Island (part of Hong Kong) to do some hiking and sight seeing. See you guys in a few days!

Katie

Technological Difficulties

Hey guys, I'm having trouble loading my pictures and videos right now. I'll let you know what I've been up to and then post pictures when I can.

This past week was pretty full. I went to Stanley Market, got my visa for China, spent a few hours at a bar with an interesting mix of characters, took Anika to Disneyland, and went bar hopping last night with Heather, Erik, and two of their friends. The night ended at a small Lebonese restuarant around 12 am...the food was delicious! Today Heather, Erik and I are going to Shenzhen, China. It's just across the border from us but apparently it is a stark contrast to the English-friendly Hong Kong. It'll be fun, especially because we plan to spend most of our time at a spa they've been to before.

I'm heading back to the states on Wednesday, so if I can't get pictures up before I leave I promise to load them when I get home. I can't believe I've already been here almost a month...it feels like only a week has gone by. Sadly, I must leave and find a job at home. (anybody want to hire me?)

Katie

Macau

A few pictures from Macau...

Gotta love those Melver girls!

I thought I should put up some more pictures of Anika and Saskia since they are just so darn cute! On this night Anika, Erik and I were playing Killer Bunnies (which I highly recommend) while Saskia 'helped.' After a while the girls got bored and decided to take all of the shoes out of the shoe drawer by the front door.

This was one night when we decided that brownies would taste delicious. Of course the girls wanted to help Lillian make them. And yes, the kitchen is that small...

This was just having fun with Saskia'a hair. Anika tried to give me a 'do as well.

Races

First, I apologize for taking so long to post my new pictures. I really don't have any excuse besides laziness. Hopefully this will make up for my lack of communication with you guys.

I went to the races last Sunday. The Sha Tin racetrack can hold up to 85,000 people and has a digital screen as long as a 747. I wasn't particularly impressed by the races, but I suppose the only thing I have to compare it to is Del Mar, which is amazing. At Del Mar women get dressed up in their dresses and hats and people arrive in limos sometimes. At Sha Tin the women who were 'dressed up' had on dark pants suits. The only other people there besides the owners were old men. It wasn't as much of a family experience as Del Mar is...and they didn't have snow cones!

I decided to take a free tour of the racetrack that they offered to tourists. I was the only one on the tour. I did get to go to the center of the track to the park there that isn't open on race days. They had some memorabilia left from the Olympics and a practice track that wound through it. I got to take a picture on one of the jumps from the Olympics. There were also tons of horse statues throughout the racetrack from the Olympics that were pretty neat. So there I was, being given a tour by two guides who didn't really say anything most of the time. The younger guide did ask me why I was alone...it wouldn't have bothered me except he wasn't the first person that has mentioned that to me on this trip. First, is it any of his business? No. Second, is it unsafe for me to be wandering around Hong Kong by myself? For the most part, not at all. Third, does a person always need a companion to be happy? Sure, at times during my travels I would have liked some company, but it's not the end of the world. Basically, don't ask me why I am alone unless you are offering to join me!

So, now that that's out of the way, on to the pictures. Most races were on the turf and were run clockwise instead of counter clockwise.

Macau

Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted anything in a few days. I'm headed to Macau today but when I get back I'll update you.
Katie

Saturday

I saw Pygmalian at the theatre with Erik and a bunch of people from the school today. Not much else is going on, the girls are being silly.

I need to take a poll though. I've been thinking of going just over the border to China for a day, but the visa costs $100 US dollars. Is it worth it to go so I can say I've been to China? Apparently you can get really cheap massages there too. Let me know what you think!

Cell Phone

So I did it. I've been thinking about it and shopping, and I finally bought myself a new cell phone. The great thing about cell phones in Hong Kong is that they aren't locked, meaning you can use them with any carrier by just putting in a SIM card. I also got a prepaid SIM card that lets me make calls in Hong Kong for less than a penny a minute, and more for international. The other great thing about my new phone is that almost no one in the US will have the same phone as me...sweet!

Sai Kung

I have so many pictures this time that I'm not going to describe them all, I'll just let you look at them.

I went to Sai Kung which is a small fishing village on the Eastern side of the New Territories. It was unlike the rest of Hong Kong because there was actually areas without buildings and all of the buildings were relatively short. When I got off the bus I walked over to the pier to see the fishing boats. The fishermen had their catches for the day in little tubs that filled the boats. Some of them were repairing nets or selling their fish. As I walked along the boardwalk a man pointed to a boat and said $30 (less then US $3). I asked where it was going and he pointed to the small islands just off shore. The boat had character, it was old and had an odd assortment of benches in it and I decided it could be a great adventure. He told me the last boat back would be at 5 pm. When we got to what I later found out was Sharp Island, I was a little dissapointed at first - there wasn't anything there. There was a bathroom and shower facility and some signs for the beach in front of it. The lifeguard was off duty for winter they said, and there were a few people fishing. An old amusement part was in ruins just beyond the bathroom. I felt like I was on the show Lost. I stared walking down the beach on an old broken concrete path and soon realized the beauty of the island - there was nothing there. A few men fishing stood on the rocks by the ocean, and two dogs layed on the sand in front of some makeshift camping tents from abandoned carnival stands. I quickly decided that this was my favorite place in Hong Kong so far. I walked as far as I could on the path and then climbed on the rocks a ways. I chose a flat slanted rock and layed down for a while and listened to the ocean. It was amazing that in a place so highly populated there was an island like this. I made my way back and walked as far as I could in the other direction where I saw a sign warning of explosives, and then saw then boat coming back.

Before I got on the boat, I met a lady and what I assumed was her daughter with their small poodle that was dressed in an outfit with a polka dotted pink skirt. People in Hong Kong seem to take good care of their dogs and the dogs I've seen have all been pretty well behaved and walk nicely on their leashes. I think this is because they go out so often to go to the bathroom. While we were on the boat headed back to Sai Kung, they gave the dog some water and food - both normal things. Then they wiped its mouth with a baby wipe...a little over the top. At least it was amusing.

When I got back on land I looked at the restuarants along the boardwalk. They had big tanks in front with live fish in them. The selection ranged from eels to horseshoe crabs. It was about four in the afternoon at this point and I went into one of the casual places on the boardwalk. I found myself sitting in a comfy airchair drinking a pina colada and listening to Sinatra while looking out towards the water - complete relaxation, and a great end to a great day.