The Peak and Macau

I had a lot of extra time during Lingnan's two week finals period, and I used it to visit some of the most famous places in and around Hong Kong. First I went to Victoria Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong. My friend and I took a tram to the top and saw an amazing view of the city!

I also visited the island of Macau, just a 30 minute ferry ride from Hong Kong. Previously a Portuguese colony, Macau is another special administrative region of China (just like Hong Kong) and it is famous for its casinos and its unique cultural history. I got to see several beautiful historical sites while I was there, as well as look around in one of Macau's largest casinos, the Venetian. It was all really impressive and I would definitely recommend a visit to Macau for anyone traveling to Hong Kong in the future!

The lighthouse and chapel at Macau's Guia Fortress, built in the 1600s to protect the Portuguese from invaders

Largo do Senado (Senado Square) - this central site of Macau had lots of shops and beautiful buildings

Ruins of St. Paul's Church, built in the early 1600s

The Venetian

Part of the shopping center inside the Venetian (this was all indoors!)

Food!

Hong Kong is a mix of many different cultures and traditions, and that is definitely reflected in the local cuisine! I've had so much great food in Hong Kong and I wanted to share some pictures of my favorites. I had a lot of different kinds of noodles and tea, and got pretty good at using chopsticks! But my favorite was definitely the mango dessert and the food from the street vendors by Lingnan. Here's some of what I tried:

  

pork noodles and tofu

the seafood was great too!

mango seaweed roll with a mango sago drink

lemon tea and spicy noodles

mango and strawberry desserts

mango aloe drinks

I ate a baby octopus!!

tofu, mushrooms, and noodles

sweet tofu dessert

These kind of egg tart cakes are really popular, and they make a great breakfast!

Chinese tea

flower tea

Dim sum is a famous Cantonese dish made up of small dishes served in steamer baskets like this. These are shrimp dumplings and egg buns.

mango coconut jello cake

pork and soup with a special kind of preserved egg called "century egg"                                   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/13/century-eggs_n_2672216.html

This is a "hot pot." You get some boiling soup and raw ingredients and can cook and eat as you go. We made spicy tofu, fungus, mushrooms, fish, and pork.

hostel room picnic :)