A serendipitous breakfast

First: for the grammar police... I am hoping "serendipitous" is a word because I think we had a serendipitous breakfast this AM. We were planning to head off to Lantau Island this morning to see the famous Big Buddha, but we met a nice ex-pat couple from Shanghai who had been doing a lot of hiking all across Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. They told us about a few cute little beach towns on the back side of Hong Kong Island and assured us they were worth a visit. They mentioned Stanley, a town we had heard of and feared was a bit touristy, but also a small village called Shek O and a place called Big Wave Bay. Armed with their endorsement and directions for a taxi, we changed plans and went to explore the other side of Hong Kong Island.

We are so glad we did! It was like we were suddenly on a tropical island (slightly over-dressed in the city walking gear we had on the for the day). We had our taxi drop us off at Big Wave Bay, which was the only disappointment of the day: no waves at all, never mind big ones. Colette and I then walked about 20 minutes to Shek O, the next village up the road. Here are some pictures from this tiny little beachside village.... again, such a contrast from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island just over the peak!

A woman doing her morning Tai Chi and exercises in the sunshine. It had to have been nearly 80 degrees over on this side of the island.

Colette looking cute on the rocks just up from the beach in Shek O.

After we sat and enjoyed the sunshine and peace and quiet for about an hour, we meandered into the little town. While the town is very local, there is a beautiful golf club and many large homes built on the ocean just outside of the little village center. So as we explored the little lanes, a few times we had to get out of the way of a Bentley or BMW that came around the corner!

I kept forgetting where I was.... Hong Kong or Barbados?? I've never been, but this shot is something I picture from Barbados.

And this shot reminded me of a small little town in Mexico.... a place so relaxed, the dogs can sleep on the side of the road. But no - it's Hong Kong. I really couldn't wrap my head around it!

As most places I've visited on this trip, the tiny little village of Shek O had a small temple... this is a shot I took inside.

After we explored the little nooks and crannies of Shek O, we decided to head to the more well-known town of Stanley - we figured it would be easier to find lunch there! So, we hopped on two different busses to make our way to Stanley... the busses were tiny and rickety and the roads were high up on cliffs and windy, so it was a bit hair-rising at times. Everyone was incredibly friendly though and made sure Colette and I made it to our destination in Stanley.

Stanley is the home of many ex-pats living in Hong Kong... beach views and gorgeous high rise buildings just outside the bustle of the city... I can see why it would be a desirable place to live. We enjoyed a nice lunch on the boardwalk, took some photos, and then jumped in a taxi to head back to the city. I felt like I had been to a tropical island and back again all within 4 hours! Below are a few photos of the main street in Stanley.

What a nice day! Once back in the city, we decided we had to get another foot massage... we had done so much walking, it was necessary. For the record: they are incredible, so if you make it to Hong Kong, be sure to take advantage!

We're resting up now before we head to the light show that happens at 8pm every night on the skyline of Hong Kong. We'll watch from Kowloon across the harbor and then we're coming back to have dinner with my friend Liz's cousin. He's here working at Fidelity in Hong Kong and has been nice enough to offer to take us to dinner. Should be a fun night... and then I'm taking the train back to Guangzhou tomorrow morning to get back to work while Colette enjoys one more day in HK!