Update 19 - Hong Kong our 1st New Year

Arriving back in Hong Kong from Guilin with Carlo and Vee we were picked up at the airport by my brother in the family car and it was nice to get home. The following day, it just so happened that my Aunty Pearl (who was on a 'trip of a lifetime' cruising around the globe on the Queen Mary), was in Hong Kong for 12th/13th February. The 13th was Chinese New Year's Eve. We mistakenly thought that all the festivities would take place that night and so checked into the Intercontinental Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Additionally, it was both Carlo and Vee’s, and our wedding anniversary celebrations on the 14th.
We met Pearl and Graham at the Star Ferry terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui and walked to the recently opened 1881 Heritage centre and restaurants and had a good lunch and catch-up at the Stable Restaurant. They left to board the boat for Shanghai at 3pm, so we met back up with Carlo and Vee and checked in at the hotel.

 Pearl, me, Graham and Stef at the Stable Restaurant

The preparations for the New Year's festivities were in full flow for the carnival and firework displays on the 14^th and 15^th Feb.

 

   

Steve, Olivia, Ben and Isabella met us at the hotel and after some cake and drinks we got the star ferry over to Central.

 

 All aboard the Star Ferry

 

Olivia, Steve and Ben

We planned to have a drink in Lan Kwai Fong and then eat dinner in ‘Rat Alley’ one of our favourite locations for excellent Indian, Malaysian and Thai food.

Isabella enjoys a drink and some crisps at the Insomnia bar 

Lan Kwai Fong was quieter than we thought for New Years Eve..

After our aperitif at Insomnia we went to the Ice Bar -20c

The Ice Bar is at The Balalaika restaurant

Afterwards we thawed out in the bar area

One of Rat Alley's many outdoor restaurants

 

The food is excellent and reasonably priced

Isabella playing games

Ben

Isabella

 

Vee

Stef

Steve

Isabella and me

A heavily pregnant Olivia

Hong Kong was cold with a low fog

Vee back at the Intercontinental bar

The next day, New year's day, we had a lazy start with an outdoor jacuzzi on the hotels 4^th floor, before walking to the 1881 Heritage restaurants again. This time we went for the gastronomic French restaurant on the 1^st floor to celebrate our 10^th anniversary and Carlo and Vee’s 11^th.

 The French restaurant at the heritage

1881 Heritage

1881 Heritage centre

 Then we took the star ferry back to the Central piers and boat back to Mui Wo

 

Stef crosses our local bridge to Luk Tei Tong with New Year's flags flying

Last time we'll need the cases for a few weeks..

The following day, Carlo and Vee had booked to see Avatar 3D at the Imax where we’d been a few weeks earlier. Steve and family came along with us to Central and we got the Star Ferry again to Kowloon.

Back on board the Star Ferry

 

We had a buffet lunch at The Quarterdeck Restaurant in TST

Then we took the bus to Sham Shui Po and the Golden Shopping Centre (computers/DVD etc..)

 

Whilst Carlo & Vee watched the film we went to the Ocean Terminal Centre. After the film we met up again and went to the Temple Street night market. Finishing at the market we took a taxi to the Star Ferry in TST, once again and managed to catch a ferry whilst the 8pm light show was taking place in Victoria Harbor (every night of the year there is a laser light show from 8-8:13pm).

The harbour lights up from Central HK side

The harbour lights up from the Kowloon side

On Carlo and Vee's last night of their 18 day trip to Asia, my brother and family invited us all downstairs to their flat for a 'hot pot' dinner. You may remember we had one in Xian - boiling hot soup in which you dip anything from lettuce, pak choi, mushrooms, to dim sums, pork, beef, lamb and best of all udon noodles. What a great night!

Before the action started

Lovely jubbly!

 

And that's it for the New Years celebrations, as with the China trips we certainly packed it all in and next year we'll check the calendar of festivities in HK before booking anywhere ;o) My excuse is Iwas too busy enjoying myself.