Marci and Steve Go Back to Europe

I swore I wouldn't blog because we are on a fast paced trip, tiring on our bodies, minds, legs and feet. And Steve has done an admirable job of posting but he is no Hemingway, just a cute old guy who loves to travel and snap good pix. And I am going to let him keep posting his short daily blogs but once a stop, I will take some time to sit down and pen. We decided to make Hong Kong our first stop simply and only because we could get frequent flier business class seats on American. But let's not fool ourselves, American is long gone and USAir simply usurped their name for lots of money hoping we would all forget how lousy they are. Although we paid all the miles for biz class, we had to go coach PHL to LAX, which I admit we knew from the start. The Admirals lounge in PHL was maybe the best service of the entire flight. Their food vendor for LA to HK had listeria in their  kitchen and so up until boarding it was questionable what, or if, we would have any food. We had a 2 1/2 h...

We are staying on Hong Kong Island, in a quieter part called Sheung Wan. Marci wanted me to experience the full HK deal, so we hoped the Star Ferry to go across the harbor to Kowloon. Much busier, noisier, and just as dirty, if not more so. I found nothing special about this area....lots & lots of shopping & eating...and not too much else. I've seen fancy stores before, and the low end outdoor markets are just full of crap. Marci did find time to duck into a few boutiques that had unusual items..... We both agree that Hong Kong lacks much cultural interest and I'm happy to just consider this a way station on the way to the rest of the trip....we will rest up from the journey here, eat some great Chinese  food, and prepare for Thailand. Above is Man Mo Temple , built in 1840, full of sandalwood incense smoke.

Now in: HONG KONG After the usual brutal 30 hours of travel, we have arrived in Asia. Marci & I walked around for a few hours at 8:00 AM, as our room wasn't ready until after noon. We broke the ice at a typical Hong Kong Dim Sum restaurant- we were almost the only people in here at 11:30....... But here's what it looked like at 12:30 - At least 500 people piled in, nonstop, starting at noon..... We had dinner at a "foodie " destination, that we just stumbled upon - Kau Kee. It is  a Hong Kong institution, although it is admittedly an underwhelming looking joint..... BUT : They were once offered millions of dollars for the recipe of the only dish here - Beef Brisket Noodles. This place is a pilgrimage for food experience seekers. Here is what it's all about:   I thought it was good, but not great.....the broth is delicious, the brisket is not what we are used to as good brisket. This place is loud,...