Yim Tin Tsai - the deserted island

Some of my ex-collegues are in HK for business.
As they mostly know HK as a busy, crowded town; I wanted to show them the contryside and the beautiful islands.

So we went by boat to a small island in front of Sai Kung.

The name of the island is YIM TIN TSAI.


We found the Yim Tin Tsai village, but it seemed the inhabitants left long time ago. The doors where open, windows broken and silence everywhere.

What happend to the people? Why they left and not even took their personaly belongings?

They even forgot their shoes! So... where where the inhabitants of Yim Tin Tsai and why tey left this beautiful place?????

On the top of the hill we found some answers....

Later in the forest we noticed this big trap.
But what they expected to catch???
We heared stranged sounds from the forest. It seemed we where surrounded by big animals but the only animals we saw, where gigant spiders.

Suddenly we saw this bride in front of this old house.
Was she real or a ghost???

It became scary and luckily our boat arrived to bring us back to the save mainland.

For those, who are interested in the "official" story of Yim Tin Tsai, have a look here ;)

http://www.exploresaikung.com/places/YimTinTsai.html

Street food at the night market

It might look kind of dirty, but the food at the temple street is good and its funny to eat at the middle of the market and see the shocked faces of some tourists when they pass by :)

One week HK for 333 HK$ (ca. 29 Euro)

Not to bother you all the time with shopping and party; I want to do a little experiment.

How much money I need in HK wile I still have fun and go out?

This week I try to spend not more than 333 HK$.
My weekly fixed expenses are: 2.5 HK$ for the shuttle bus X 12 = 30HK$
4.9 HK$ for the train X12 = 58.8HK$
Saturday I want to go to the salsa club. Entry (including 2 drinks) = 130 HK$

Total: 218.8 HK$

Not so much left for food, water and others.
But in the company I get free water, coffee and lunch.
Actually it should be enough money left to survive and have fun.

But it also means: No 1. Class train, no taxi, no coffee at Starbucks….
Going to be a hard week for me, I will write a daily report :)

Day 1:
First of all, I went shopping after work :)
Just needed to by something to eat and some water.
So... this it what I got for 26.70 HK$



Later I just went out to walk around and watch the moon

Day1: 2.5 HK$ Shuttlebus
4.9 HK$ Train to work
4.9 HK$ Train home
I saved the money for the shuttle bus home and walked
26.70 HK$ food

Left: 294 HK$

Day 2

...was very cheap.
2.5 HK$ Shuttlebus
4.9 HK$ Train to work
4.9 HK$ Train home
2.5 HK$ shuttle bus home

at home I continued working; also a good way to prevent spending money :)

Left: 279.2 HK$

Day 3

I had an appointment with Jo
to go out for "Ladies night" in Wanchai.
After work I took the train to Tsim Sha Tsui,
had dinner in one of the shopping center
(japanese bento box)

Then I took the ferry to Wanchai.
I love the ferry by night with the great
view to HK island and all the lights.
And here you see the lights: ;-)

Then we had fun in Wanchai. Remember; at "Ladies night" in some bars the drinks are free!!
This time I took a bus home instead of taxi. There is a night bus from 0.45-5.00 every 15 min which stops close to my house. Very convenient and cheap.

2.5 HK$Shuttlebus
4.9 HK$ Train to work
5.5 HK$ Train to Tsim Sha Tsui
2.2 HK$ Ferry
13.6 HK$ bus home
30.00 HK$ dinner

Left: 238.5 HK$

Friday probably I have to stay at home, because NURI is arriving.
This is NURI:

Day 4

Because of the comming typhoon I couldn't go out in the evening. Was just at the public pool close to my place. During Olympics its for free :)

2.5 HK$ Shuttlebus
4.9 HK$ Train to work
4.9 HK$ Train home
2.5 HK$ Shuttlebus
12.00 HK$ dinner at MC Donalds

Left: 211.7 HK$

Day 5 Typhoonday

Typhoon NURI hit HK directly on friday.
Signal 9 was set; the first time since 2003.
When the signal is 8 or higher, the people in most of the companies dont have to work.

At 1.00 pm I went to a close supermarket to buy something to eat. The wind was already strong and my umbrella crashed after 2 min.
Around 4.00 pm I went out for a walk at the harbor. Many people where out, it was quiet and dizzling. Guess we where somehow in the center of the typhoon.
Later in the evening the wind and rain where so strong that it was too dangerous to go out.

So... I stayed at home, reading, watching a movie, working on the new collection...
I spent only 16.5 HK$ for food.

Left: 195.2 HK$


Day 6

After work I went to the temple of 10 000 Buddahs in Shatin. As it turnt out it was also the temple of 10 000 steps (good exercise; specially with 38 degrees) and 10 000 mosquitos.
But it was worth to go there....



Left: the only sign I could find on the way to the temple
Middle: next to the temple was a cemetery
Right: seems like the decedents are still hungry



The temple is located on the top of a hill...



... guarded by wild animals

In the evening I went for dancing to the Salsaclub.
Fortunatly later I got free entry into Dragon-I wile the doorman didn't pay attention.
http://www.dragon-i.com.hk/
Barbara Tucker played that evening, good music for dancing.

2.5 HK$ Shuttlebus
4.9 HK$ Train to work
5.5 HK$ Train home
2.5 HK$ Shuttlebus
34.00 HK$ dinner
9.3 HK$ bus to lang kwai fong
130 HK$ entry incl. 2 drinks
15.3 HK$ bus home

Left: NOTHING!!!!! I spent 8.8HK$ too much.

Thats why:

NO day 7

Its really hard to spend almost no money AND have fun but at least I could live almost 6 days with 333 HK$.
I missed only the taxi, its so easy to become lazy in HK.

So... the experiment is over.
Next time I try to spend as much money as possible in one week.
I m still looking for a sponsor for this project ;)


At the end... also this is HK

Shopping, Sales, Discount, Membercards....

It’s very easy to spend money in HK.
Everywhere you go, you see SALES / DISCOUNT / BY TWO GET THREE…
And you can get membership cards to get a discount when you come the next time (and to make sure, you come again).

One example:
Yesterday I was at “Bodyshop” to by a crème.
The shop assistant asks me:
“Do you have a membership card?”
“No.”
“If you apply for the membership card today, you pay 75 HK$ but you get a discount of 20%. With this you still save money today and the next time you get 10% discount.You want to get a membership card?”
“Hm…, OK” (If I can save money…)
“Only today you get a discount of 20% on all items you by. You want to have a look if you find some more?”
” OK, maybe I find something else…” (20% discount is a lot…)
I looked around and of course I found some more things I “need”.
Finally back at the cashier the shop assistant said:
“You by now for more than 500 HK$, you can choose something else for 50 HK$.”
“What? I get something free for 50 HK$????”

So… I looked again around and found something. It costs more than 50 HK$ but I just needed to pay the difference.
In the end I got my membership card and another voucher over 50HK$ to make sure, I come back in the next month.
Meanwhile I have already 6 membership cards from different shops.
Soon I have to by a new wallet for all these cards but I m sure I will find one on discount.

Shopping at Lane Crawford in Causeway Bay......

or at the street market.

Barbara's birthday dinner @ korean restaurant

Last monday we had a nice korean dinner for Barbara's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBARA!!!!!!!!!!!!!