Our Second Week in Hong Kong

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Are second week say us in bed and indoors for the first few days.  The cold we shared kicked us in the butt.  Thankfully we had great WiFi, an air conditioned apartment, and plenty to keep us occupied.  Three days into our convalescence we decided to go for a short stroll in the neighborhood.  The Walks of Stars was nearby and it was fun to watch the locals and Asian tourists fawn over the Chinese cinema stars.

It is amazing how really small Hong Kong is...you can literally walk most everywhere from one side of each island to the other...or a short Metro ride will get you out into the suburbs where other short walks do the same.  There is a food store, drug store, cloting store....EVERYTHING store on just about every corner. 

We wandered a bit through a nearby park hoping for a bit cooler environment.  We soon discovered that the park's humidity made things even more uncomfortable.  Fully "hydrated" we returned to our apartment.

One more day of rest and we were out for a long hike to a temple and garden in the suburbs.  We rode the Metro system...really easy and quick...then walked around the grounds.

 Feelling up to the challenge we decided to start back on foot...ti would be a six K< walk.  We wondered through the many housing projects and parks and finally eneded up at a local artist colony.

 The old Cattle Depot, a sight of animal processing for many years, has been taken over by a group of performing artists and turned into a collection of small theaters.  From classical Chinese to modern and avante-garde performance venues.  We wandered around and backstage at a few.

 The heat was consuming us so at about mile 4.0 we hoped a local bus for the ride home.

 The bamboo scaffolding was amazing.  How all of that stayed attached to the building and provided working platforms amazed up...some of them as high as ten floors.

 Another rest day and then out once more, this time to visit the Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

The shear number of statues was overwhelming.  The expressions and gestures were priceless.  It was a beautiful place with lovely gardens and great views...all 800 steps up to the top and then back down.

On the way back we passed an IKEA store and had to stop it.  It was cool, yet crowded...hundreds of shoppers in the traditional layout...only the floor plan was much more compact...just like most Hong Kong apartments.