Hong Kong watch out...here comes Jessica!!

Whoa! So much to say! Woke up around 6:30 and felt pretty good. Looked at my hair and it was curly from letting it dry the night before. Got dressed and tried to pack my bag for every contingency. Popped a couple of Pepto Bismol tablets (just in case) ;) It was raining and cloudy and foggy, so I got my umbrella. I called Isabella and she came and got me. We walked a bit and got breakfast. Ham and eggs with fish and tartar sauce, iced milk tea (good) and shared a lotus leaf with rice and meat. Isabella had soup with macaroni noodles. Good. Next we walked to a bus stop and she gave me an Octopus card. It's kind of like the Metro pass in NYC but better. It's an electronic card that you add money to. You can use it on the bus, subway, even some stores like the 7 Eleven (yes, there is a 7 Eleven on every corner and in between here). AWESOME!!! A bus ride cost about $3.20 HKD like $.50 USD (depending on where you go). We took the bus to the IFC (International Finance Centre), where the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) was. IFC mall same location. Designer stuff. Gucci, Armani, LV... Went to a bakery to get some snacks: wedding snacks. Traditionally the boy is supposed to buy these snacks for the girl. Each cake has a different meaning. I think I had a melon cake. No idea what it signifies and neither did Isabella. Got on the MTR (very clean BTW) to go to Lantau Island to see the Giant Buddah on the mountain. Wow! Talk about a bus ride (after the MTR). I thought the road to Hana was bad. Nothing compared to this!!! Very narrow road, very curvy. Beautiful scenery. Love the trees. Isabella said 300 different varieties. Got to the top of the mountain. Very foggy. Buddah is very big. Built in the 1920s? Refurbished in 1993?

Had to climb many stairs to get to the top. Inside is a relic of the Buddah the size of a grain of rice. Supposed to be a part of him (bone). Our ticket came with a veggie meal at the monastary. Good! Had to use the restroom. Whoa! Not very many toliet seats like in USA. You have to squat over the toliet that's flush with the floor (mainly in the public restrooms) AND bring your own toliet paper. What an experience. These types of toliets will be now referred to as...squatty potties or SP.

After the Buddah we took a bus to Tai O, a fishing village. Awesome!! Dried fish everywhere. They don't just use parts of the fish. They use it all!!! Fresh fish and crabs too!!!

We had a bowl of sweet tofu in the village (very famous according to Isabella). Actually pretty good. Took the ferry back across to HK Island. Very cool. Used the restroom again. Yikes!!! Took the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak at night. Very cool! Taxi to Causeway Bay to eat Japanese food in Times Square (lots of shops...very busy place). Nice restrooms...i.e. western seats. By the time we were finished it was about 10pm. Tired! Talked to Mom and Roger while traveling on the bus. Fun!!! Mom was very glad to hear from me. Back to the apartment.

Have no idea what we are going to do tomorrow.

A couple of things:

• Tsing Ma Bridge and the Eastern Corridor link Hong Kong together. Very famous bridge.
• Mr. Lee is the richest person in HK. Owns real estate, supermarkets and built the sword bank to counteract the razor bank and Brtish governor via feng shui.
• Saw people exercising (Tai Chi) this morning (and with a fan).
• My air was crap!!! because of the humidity today. So embarassing...oh well...
• Saw where Roger went to school near the Peak Tram.
• The Hui's live in the easter part of HK: Sai Wan Ho.
• $1 USD = $7.7 HKD...sweet.