31 December 2016: NYE dinner at the Peak

31 December 2016: Being fleeced

We're wandering through the jade market, an enclosed space, filled with rows and rows of identical shops. These stalls all contain exactly the same wares, with exactly the same shop keepers. Sometimes one shop keeper controls multiple stalls, rushing from one to the other muttering high-speed Cantonese

Contrary to popular belief, the real skill in market-going is not actually the haggling itself. It's actually being able to look at stalls without being accosted by hopeful sellers. Those without any experience will peruse around shops cheerfully, but will soon find themselves caught in a trap of scary Chinese accents, anxious sellers and "the best jade the world has to offer".

Those who have learnt from this experience will cast quick glances at stalls, before briskly walking out of the clutches of the stall holder before they are aware of a potential customer. Even more timid tourists will only survey from afar, and will take several lasp around the market to actually see anything in detail. Whilst Dad and I had got this method down pat, Christopher and Mum became the first few victims to the jade sellers. We mourn their loss, and wish to see them in a better place.

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Rachel

Star Ferry on a sunny New Year's Eve

En route to Tsim Sha Tsui for a dim sum lunch with the Ohmans.

31 December 2016: sunrise over the Hong Kong skyline

30 December 2016: dinner with Rebecca and Yan

Delicious dinner in Lan Kwai Fong, and a lovely chance to catch up with Rebecca and Yan. A toast of caramelised grilled pineapple!

29th December 2016: Wake up and smell the incense!

The first morning starts with the smell of incense wafting through the flat, filling the air with the sweet tangy smell. Well, that's romanticising it a little, as the day ACTUALLY started with my dear brother slamming on the lights at 6 AM. (He couldn't sleep, so cheerfully executed the decision that we shouldn't either). It didn't help that I had flung off my eye mask half way through the night, so there was no shelter from the rude awakening.

After a suitable amount of groggy complaining, I commenced the best part of every morning - breakfast. However, to my horror, "cereal" is not on an average Chinese vocabulary, so I was forced to forgo my usual ritual of seven-and-a-half bowls of cornflakes in favour of a fruit salad. I know, the ordeals I have to face on a daily basis....

So, on that first morning, I was decidedly not ready to face the day, but did so anyway, an epitome for bravery in the face of extreme suffering. That said, as soon as I flung open the doors to the crisp air outside, I was captivated. The delicious scent of street food sat on the breeze, incense swirled lazily into the sky and the day was fresh for exploration. My previous memories of Hong Kong flooded back, and my tastes for Chinese cuisine were whetted. I was anxious to start the day! Perhaps it wasn't such a bad start after all?

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Rachel

28 December 2016: a long journey to Hong Kong!

It all started well.. we left sunny Hertfordshire after lunch on 27 December, and within a few hours we were enjoying a stopover at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. A thoroughly civilised place .. PS4 on tap, great retail therapy and a delicious dinner in a nice restaurant.

So we boarded the Air France A380 for Hong Kong in a jolly frame of mind. That didn't last long. Boarding complete, the plane sat on the tarmac for an hour while it was de-iced (err, maybe that could have been done in parallel with boarding?). The big old bird finally took off, and the 500 souls on board then enjoyed a dinner that didn't have much in common with the finer aspects of French cuisine .. oh well. Twelve hours and five movies later, we landed at Chek Lap Kok. A short while later, we noticed that Teenage Son was using the Airport Express train to start his battle with jet lag. Who wins? Read on ..