Last-min-unplanned trips are always the best for some reason. Spontaneity makes things just a tad bit more exciting. So when a friend invited me over to Hong Kong for a long weekend, I found it almost impossible to say no.
Flight ticket - check
Leave from work - check
Overpacked suitcase for the anticipated cold weather - check
I took the earliest flight out on a Friday morning, to ensure I'd get an extra full day.
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Apparently being seated next to parents with an infant gets you switched to your own row for some peace and quiet. Thank you kind Air Asia flight attendant!
Almost 4 hours later, I landed at Hong Kong International Airport. Customs and baggage claims were a breeze. Everything was pleasantly easy at the airport, from getting train tickets to a prepaid sim card. Made a quick stroll to the 7th Floor (Departure terminal) to the 1010 mobile shop and got myself a 7 day unlimited data plan from One2Free for $100 HKD - super cheap (4G connection the whole time too)! Passed them my phone and they set it up within a few mins. All set, I headed for the Airport Express to catch the train to the city. Got a roundtrip pass for $180 HKD. The ride was for about 25 mins and included awesome views of the bay and city.
Not the best of pics, probably because I was too distracted with what was going out outside most of the time to bother with my phone.
Forward to a few hours later of settling in, and we decided to stroll for a bit in the Sheung Wan neighbourhood, which was where my friend was staying at. This particular area is choc full of hipster artsy cafes, creative agencies, and swanky art galleries.
Feeling the need to nibble on something from all that walking, we headed to Nosh, a cafe that has a bar looking out onto the street (how cool is that!). We sat at the bar of course, because it anywhere else would just been meh. This pic was taken post-noms. We had a melon and ham salad with some fries.
Dinner time! Headed for some awesome ramen in Wellington Street at Butao Ramen. The servers were super fun and they even let you customize your bowl right down to the strength of the broth and spice level. What sold it for me was the broth (oh that porky goodness), so flavourful without being too dense.
After dinner, we wandered about to the Sodom & Gomorrah of Hong Kong Lan Kwai Fong where there were plenty of bars and pubs lined along the street. It was still early, and everyone seemed tamed (a much calmer atmosphere than what we would be seeing the next night).
Feeling thirsty, we went to this hidden Mexican bar in a dark alley (not as dodgy as it sounds, I promise) called Brickhouse and had some rather interesting cocktails. I've noticed that most of the servers in HK seem to be so genuinely outgoing, which adds a nice touch because it takes the dining experience to a whole new level. We were pretty tired from all that walking around, so we decided to call it a night - not before checking out the amazing view from the rooftop of the apartment we were staying at.
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