Hello, all. This has been a busy week (do I say that every week?), but a really fun one! Kevin had a work party that was pretty.. interesting to say the least. It involved alcohol during working hours, and a game that consisted of daring people do to embarrassing things… which got (surprise) pretty embarrassing. Thankfully we didn’t play and enjoyed the entertainment from afar.

I had to work Saturday for our spring “outdoor day” with the kids and parents. We went to a swanky gated community to play games and have lunch. We’re doing it again this week with the other half of the school (including my class this time) so I’m going to bring my camera so I can share pictures of my little cuties!

Last night we went out for dinner and drinks with Kevin’s work friends. They took us to this little mom and pop shop that was indistinguishable to us from all the others that line every street, but ended up being extremely delicious. They served Sichuan-style barbecue, which has become one of our favorite things to eat, with their specialty being rabbit. This was my first experience eating rabbit and despite my apprehensions it was really, really delicious. It actually tasted like chicken and was well seasoned with crispy skin and juicy meat. Yumyumyum. We all sat on tiny plastic chairs at small tables put together to form a 10-top in the middle of the sidewalk. Everyone Kevin works with is really friendly, and I really enjoyed the experience. I’m very happy that we’ve made some Chinese friends to show us new places to eat and drink and enjoy Chengdu. I need to start carrying my camera when they take us out, though! Must work on this.

My trip to Hong Kong seems so distant now but I cannot let it go because I haven’t gotten to share one of my favorite parts! The third day of my trip I decided I wanted to head to one of the other islands for a little beach action. There are a few prominent options, the two most popular being Lantau and Lamma. Lantau is bigger and is supposed to offer a lot of great hiking trails and views, including Tian Tan Buddha. This is also where Disney World HK is located. However, Lamma is a bit smaller and has no roads or cars and I felt like it might be a little more undeveloped and tropical. I never made it to Lantau so I can’t say for sure what it has to offer but I do know that I loved spending the day wandering around Lamma!

I headed to Hong Kong Island in the morning and wandered from the subway down the the ferry harbors which were easy to find, thankfully. When I arrived I was glad to see that there were frequent rides and that they were inexpensive and payable with the Octopus card. Within a couple of minutes I was on a boat and heading out. The views all around were beautiful, switching between cityscapes and rolling, tropical green hills. The water is dotted with little islands. Although the ride was quite pleasant, a couple minutes in it started to drizzle.

I decided to start my trip in Yung Shue Wan, one of the two small towns with ferry access to/from Hong Kong Island. The town was totally adorable, with little shops selling organic foods, hippy clothes, and imported products. I would have liked to stop for lunch at one of the trendy little cafes and to have avoided some of the heaviest rain but I had already eaten.  Bummer.

My plan was to walk from Yung Shue Wan to Sok Kwu Wan, the town at the other end of the island. This is a popular route that takes less than 2 hours and winds through the hills of the island. It offers signs with information and maps, as well as many overlooks, beaches, and benches to enjoy the views. I’m not sure how exactly I even found the start of the trail but I guess it’s pretty obvious and people just stumble onto it. It drizzled for the whole day, but I honestly just thought it made everything look even more lush and pretty, and I was glad it kept most of the other tourists away. Anyway, here are the pictures!

I ended up in Sok Kwu Wan a few hours later. Both towns are known for their fresh seafood but I didn’t feel like sitting down to a big meal by myself so I decided to just head back. I was tired and wet from the walk, but glad I went. Lamma Island was probably my favorite part of Hong Kong! I love being by the water and I love all the green!! I miss it.