Weekend: Lounge VIPs, Beachcombers, Art Enthusiasts, Tourists, City Slickers & Chowhounds

Friday night we went to the opening (and thus, the open bar) of Otto Lounge in Lan Kwai Fong – the trendy bar area for ex-pats in Hong Kong. We were on the list and were able to sit on a VIP couch even though we didn’t order bottle service…almost felt like back home in Los Angeles. We mildly abused our open-bar privileges, danced to techno-music and canto-pop, and then obviously ended the night with street food: grilled octopus skewers (your humble narrator may or may not have sustained a mouth injury from the pokey-end of the skewer). Saturday morning we all, by necessity, slept in late and then had big greasy breakfasts at the next-door You Me You Me Diner, an A’berg favorite.

Saturday afternoon we departed for Stanley, a popular beach town on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, approximately an hour trip by city bus. The bus ride to Stanley was very scenic, and a treat in itself. We wove first through the bustling city streets, and then over the steep and winding mountains, to finally emerge in the southern seas and bay beaches. Stanley is famous for its large marketplace, so that’s the first place we went to. It was a good mix of brand-name items, local crafts, and ticky-tacky souvenirs. I bought some small gifts for friends and a traditional tea set for myself. We then strolled along the waterfront promenade and had dim sum before heading back to our part of the island. We got back to North Point around 8pm and grabbed dinner from a nearby Dai Pai Dong (street stall): curry fish balls and brown noodles…greasy, spicy, dirty, delicious.

Stanley, southern HK Island

Fun with hats at Stanley Market - Kevin and Francesca

Awkward family photo on the rocks - Irma, Francesca, Dominic, Adriana, CJ, Melinda

Stanley Beach

Sunday’s scorching heat dictated the day’s activities. Dominic, Adriana, Melinda and I went to the Hong Kong Museum of Art where there was air conditioning, and a new exhibit: “Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation.” The exhibit was pretty interesting; artists such as Takashi Murakami, Stephen Sprouse, and Richard Prince have designed patterns and pieces for the Louis Vuitton brand over the years, and these items as well as other works by several artists and vintage LV pieces were on display. The exhibit space was designed by famous US architect Frank Gehry. The rest of the museum had Chinese art and antiquities, which were also nice to view. My least favorite exhibit was the “emerging artists” exhibit which had things like giant pictures of Chinese action figures, photocopied and framed blank pages of library books, iron window grates and stuffed geese. Sometimes “art” just goes over my head. (Queen JBS would have something to say about this)

The HK Museum of Art is located on the Kowloon waterfront promenade and Avenue of the Stars (the HK version of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame) and offers great views of Hong Kong Island across Victoria Harbour. We spent some time wandering around here, taking photos and being tourists and then spent the rest of the day just being in the city and enjoying its rhythm and flavor. We went to Mong Kok in Kowloon, a neighborhood with a lot of character, where we window shopped and got lost for an hour or so in a 12-story shopping mall.

View of HK Island from Kowloon, across Victoria Harbour

Adriana, Me, Melinda on Avenue of the Stars/Waterfront Promenade

Bruce Lee

Dominic, inspired by Ave. of Stars

Mong Kok street scenes...everything I love about HK

We headed back to our side of HK for dinner with the rest of the group to enjoy a popular, local dish: spicy typhoon shelter crab. The chef bakes the crab under a mountain of garlic and chilies and ginger and – although I am partial to the Maryland Blue Crab – it is a taste sensation, really something special.

Another fantastic weekend of pure, unadulterated indulgence and enjoyment in Hong Kong...brilliant.