Don’t Believe Everything You Hear

Apparently, I passed out last night. Not surprising since I hadn’t had a full night’s sleep since I left. I felt totally rested this morning and ready to take on the day,

In the café, we met Renée and Bill, a couple from Comox, B.C. and compared insights from the previous evening’s Wine and Dine Festival. We agreed it didn’t live up to our expectations. They returned early to the hotel, as we had.

After a terrific breakfast at the hotel which was equivalent to 45 $CDN, we decided to head to the Nan Lian Garden. Designed in the Tang dynasty style, this beautiful and serene garden (8.6 acres) has hills, water features, trees, rocks, and wooden structures. It is steps away from the Diamond Hill MTR with the entrance situated below a concrete underpass. This is a must-see visit although you will only need 1-hour or so to see it.

Arriving, we enter under the beautiful wooden-carved archway we wound our way past banyan trees with huge roots. Elements of water, foliage and air enveloped us with a blissful feeling. People are snapping pictures, and quietly enjoying this peaceful locale.

We study an exhibit of pagoda architecture which was so interesting. Ancient pagodas, to this day, are still standing and withstanding monsoon weather as the structures sway in the heavy winds. Continuing along the pathway we enter a building with antique music boxes. My favourite was the magician that hid fruit under cones that disappeared and reappeared. I conjure up images of adults and children alike smiling, giggling and clapping with glee. I’m certain it would have entertained many back in the day.

Our next stop is Sneaker Street and the Mong Kok Women’s Market. Navigating the MTR was so simple. We wanted to grab a pair of the QC sneakers Mia was referring to. It turns out that the Women‘s Market is also close to Sneaker Street. We could knock off two destinations very quickly. This area of town is very authentic. It is reminiscent of Spadina or Dundas Street in Chinatown, Toronto, Ontario. Vendors on the street, lots of hustle and bustle, noise and roasted meats hanging in the storefront windows.

There are massage parlours, foot reflexology and fortune tellers everywhere and if you are looking for inexpensive souvenirs, this is where to go.

Sneaker Street was an unfortunate bust. Prices were similar to Canada and perhaps compared to Croatia where Mia is from, they were a good deal, The selection of the QC brand was also poor. If you wanted Adidas, Nike, and New Balance you had a broad selection. I guess we can’t believe everything we hear, but glad we checked it out.

Yordie was looking for a Chinese fan and found one in the Mong Kok Women’s Market. As she was about to pay, the female vendor refused to accept cash and began leading her down an alleyway where she could pay by credit card. It was a little sketchy, and she was smart to listen to her gut, refuse and walk away. We’ll stick to the high-end malls.

The decision was to head back to the hotel to check out the rooftop pool. We were hot and in need of some down time.

The pool was under repair and in dire need of repair. Still, the water was refreshing and giggled with glee as we flopped our bodies on a cabana for a rest. There isn’t a lot of down time on this trip, so a dip away from the crowds was a treat. It would have been nice to have a walk-in to the pool from the shallow end but I’m being picky. The 1.0-1.5 meters depth was sufficient to cool us off.

Bo Innovation

We had a few hours to rest before our dinner at Bo Innovation. I was looking forward to it and meeting Masterchef Canada judge, Chef Alvin Leung. The van dropped us off at the base of a wonky climb of stone stairs in the Central District. Accessibility is not really considered here. We are a quick right turn into an office building, took an elevator up to the entrance to Bo Innovation.

Many of the restaurants in Hong Kong are in office towers and the real estate is ridiculously expensive. Shopping is huge in Hong Kong. If you need shopping therapy, this is the place to be! Times Square, K11 and International Financial (IFC), and Harbour Square some of the major centres. High-end stores such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, etc. line many streets and shopping can be 12 stories high. Gold is featured also. Crazy expensive but beautifully displayed. My pocketbook would have been lighter, for sure.

A giant banana greeted us in the bar lobby at Bo Innovation and immediately I knew this experience was going to be fun. There is a tasting menu with wine pairings. No a la carte is served here. The fun began with a smoking box that emitted a glorious fragrance that we washed our hands in. My hands were so soft afterwards. The food presentation was so much fun. Elements of traditional Cantonese life such as mahjong and street food was spun with fun and fancy is how I would describe it. There was spinning, smoke, molecular foam and such a fun way to eat. There was a cutlery drawer at each place setting.

Chef Alvin dropped by our table for a few minutes. Yordie and Alvin bantered about Atlantic cod and lobster. We would see him tomorrow and will have more time with him over the next couple of days. Can’t wait!