Southern Hong Kong Island 5/29

5/30/2015

Stanley market

This charming village is full of history and culture dating back to the early 1900s. Stanley Market is the most famous market in HK due to it's beautiful beaches and coves surrounding the area. In the past few years, a new pier and a stone beach walk have been developed, which will help bring in more business. You will find a wide variety of restaurants ranging from French bistros to American taverns.

Stanley Market is similar to Mongkok's Ladies Market. However, the biggest difference between the two are the upscale restaurants and boardwalk.

The bay alongside Stanley Market.

Fishermens' boats in the bay.

The bay from above at Stanley Plaza.

A panoramic shot of the bay.

Stanley Market from the rocks in the bay.

The Market.

When in Hong Kong, McDonald's is a must try due to the unique flavors and quality of the food. I usually eat healthy, but McDonald's is one of the cheapest eateries around. I ended up ordering at Stanley Market. I thought I was ordering a normal burger and fries, but ending up getting this:

That's right, a black bun..

The burger had two patties, ketchup, mustard, ham and mashed potatoes. You read that right, mashed potatoes... I was a little worried the burger would be repulsive. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a tasty burger. The meal also came with fries, a bag and seasonings. The fries and seasoning are shaken up inside the bag. I ended up having seaweed flavored french fries. YUM.

Repulse Bay

After lunch, I took a bus to Repulse Bay to check out the beach. Repulse Bay, located in the southern part of Hong Kong island and near Stanley Park, is one of the most spectacular areas of Hong Kong. Its name comes from the 19th century battle of the British army fighting pirates on the beach of now, Repulse Bay. Today, the area is a luxurious residential space for dining, lounging and beach activites. Unfortunately, I picked the worst day to visit because of the scorching heat and cloudy cover. So, my experience wasn't as great as I would've expected.

Me on the beach at Repulse Bay.

Residential apartments on the beach.

More apartments.

Waterfall bay

After Repulse Bay I took another bus to Waterfall Bay in Aberdeen. This was my favorite part of the trip. I had heard there was a waterfall in the heart of the city that had some nice views overlooking the bay.

It took me about an hour to find the waterfall due to the locals giving me directions in broken English. There was a forest near the bus stop I had gotten off at early. Thinking that was where the waterfall resided, I took the stairs down through the overgrown jungle. I ended up in a make-shift shack village.

One of the shacks in the middle of the forest.

A small stream the locals use to water their crops.

A banana tree.

Expensive apartments overlooking the shack village.

I had guessed right. After walking through the village, I finally got to my destination. I was blown away by the character of the surrounding area.

Apartments overlooking the waterfall.

As I was checking out the waterfall, I noticed other parts of the inlet. To the right of the waterfall was an abandoned concrete lookout and house overlooking the bay.

Below are a few more photos from the same area as the waterfall and abandoned concrete structures.

The lone window of the abandoned building.

A local's dwelling.

A Chinese plate in the middle of the rocky beach.

Kennedy town fish market

As the day was winding down, I took the final bus to the MTR station in Kennedy Town. It had been 35 degrees celsius and 85% humidity that day, so I stopped for a cold beer at the 7/11 near the station. Across the street was a meat/fish shop. I decided to see how the meat in Hong Kong is prepared before being sold and cooked. I was a bit shocked by what I saw while there. U.S. companies don't allow customers to see how their meat is prepared. I was intrigued by how the locals in Hong Kong treated the meat of animals.

*Some of these photos may be a bit disturbing.