Hong Kong (and 45 minutes in Macau)

Although a proper tour of China wasn't on the itinerary, Hong Kong is one of Alexis's favorite cities, so we managed to squeeze in a few nights there before heading to Africa. A few highlights:

#1: It finally felt like Christmas!

Okay, well maybe more for Alexis than Mike, but coming from SE Asia, Hong Kong was relatively chilly (60s), a bit overcast, and the stores and cafes were playing Christmas carols. Though no match for a New England winter, it was the first time we could wrap our heads around the fact it was December.

#2: We actually had real plans (and real friends!)

In a nice change of pace, we had plans with two sets of friends currently living in Hong Kong. It's always great to catch up with friends, especially when so far from home. We met up with Alexis's friend Lauren, from the Cape, and her husband Tom in what turned out to be a pretty big night out.

We also met up with Lauren and Rick Estacio from Amherst on our last night for dim sum - a fitting send off from Hong Kong. Sadly we forgot to get a picture!

#3: It reminded us of home

As a result of highlights #1 and #2, Hong Kong marked our first time feeling a bit homesick. Being in a vibrant city and meeting up with friends made us miss New York and all our friends and family back home. Plus, Mike was able to mix himself a roadie on the way out to dinner...a first on the trip.

But seriously, it was really the size and pace of the city that hit so close to home:

NYC could also learn a lesson or two from Hong Kong:

#4: Dumplings, dumplings, and more dumplings

We couldn't get enough dim sum. Though we lived only a few blocks from Chinatown in NYC, we rarely took advantage of it and have been kicking ourselves since we left. We used this opportunity to make up for it and had all sorts of dim sum - from the famous Din Tai Fung with the Estacios, to this restaurant located in a subway station:

#5: Shortest "country" visit to date: Macau

Prior to our midnight flight to Johannesburg, we made a last minute decision to take the ferry to Macau for a little gambling. We thought we would have a few hours there, but after factoring in getting to the ferry, going through Hong Kong immigration, waiting for the ferry, the ferry ride itself, going through Macau immigration, and then the bus ride to the casinos (plus the return trip!), we ended up having about 45 minutes of free time there.

Most of that time was spent having lunch at an (admittedly excellent) food court and wandering through the throngs of people (mid-afternoon on a random Wednesday) packed at endless baccarat tables, seeking out one of five elusive blackjack tables...only to find the mininum bet was the equivalent of $60 USD, which isn't exactly in our current budget. But lousy planning aside, it was still cool to check out this famous area.

We made it back to Hong Kong and headed to the airport, concluding our amazing two months in Asia!