Adventures in Guangzhou!

After our easy train ride back to Hong Kong, we checked into the Langham Hotel, probably the nicest hotel that I have ever been in. Well, after the Peninsula Hotel with its excellent bar and view. But anyway, after going from room to room, Ari and I settled in and then the whole family ran to the deli in the hotel. It was like we had never seen food before, or maybe it was more that Ari was acting like a little kid who had just been let loose in a candy store. [Ed. note- ...or deli store, as the case may be.] Matzah ball soup? Yes, please. Knish stuffed with pastrami? Yes, please. Dr. Brown's black cherry soda? Uh huh. Plate of pickles? Definitely! I'll take 5. We again stuffed ourselves silly and then headed out to explore Mong Kok on Kowloon Island.

We hit the bird market, flower market, goldfish market, jade market, and ladies market all within a few hours. Despite the sight of gigantic crickets, beautiful orchids, and enormous fish, the best part of the day might have been the most excellent purchase of the Bruce Lee cellphone charm that I never bought last year. Now Ari is fully protected from pickpockets, burglars, and even ninjas (although I'm not sure there are too many of them in China) with the constant presence of The Bruce. [Ed. note- it's true. Bruce is currently dangling from my cell phone and all shall fear him. He looks fierce.]

Before dinner the Wolfe family made sure to check out the fireworks show along the Hong Kong Harbor. We made our way along the Avenue of the Stars and had time to do some singing and dancing with some energetic old folks before the light show. After the fireworks, we trekked over to Hong Kong Island for dinner in the SoHo district. While our Mexican meal was excellent, the highlight might have been riding on the world's longest escalator to get to the restaurant. Escalator, you might be asking? Yes, an escalator. It's tons of fun and a brilliant idea for the hills of Hong Kong. [Ed. note- we also chatted with a very interesting young married couple who had just finished a year of living and working in Bangalore, one of India's up and coming metropolises. Comparing India and China is always food for a very interesting conversation. It made me really want to get over there before I leave Asia.]

Unfortunately, our fun was coming to an end, and day 9 meant our last full day in Hong Kong, the last day with Ari for a while, and New Years Eve. To go out with a bang, we decided to go out to Cheung Chao Island and do a little exploring. There weren't any more monkeys in sight, but we saw amazing views of the harbor, a magical tree, rock carvings, and even crawled through a Pirate Cave. [Ed. note- seriously. Supposedly Cheung Po Tsai, a notorious 18th c. pirate, camped out here before preying on passing ships. Cool!] Our hiking did not slow us down a bit, and after a quick catnap we went out for a farewell/New Years dinner at a Thai restaurant. The views were good, food was great, and company even better. Next year in Hong Kong? If only . . .

Last New Years Eve was fun, but this year topped it. A balcony on the 28th floor of a building in the mid-levels overlooking the harbor, "some" beer, and PIA/Yale-China Kids. Excellent. After ringing in the New Year in style, we made our way to the "Flying Pan" for some late night dinner food to wash down the evening's beverages. By the time Ari and I made it back to the Langham, I had about 3 short hours of sleep before I boarded a plane back to New York.

Looking Back and Forward:
It was a quick vacation this year, but well worth the +40 hours roundtrip that we spent in the air to travel east. This year's vacation was very different from last year's. Last year I saw the China of my school textbooks; a China of pagodas, dragons, and an extensive history. This year's vacation was less of a cultural tour. This year we saw China as Ari sees it; full of after-school/work hangouts, excitement over the new subway line, and old friends. We again saw that Ari is living it up in GZ and has made an excellent life for himself, and this year he helped us feel less like tourists and more like "regulars." This year, for instance, I could concentrate on learning to count to 10 instead of being shocked and surprised by everything that I saw (except for the Shenzhen dog incident).

We also felt less sadness because Ari's excellent adventure in coming to a close. He will surely have a difficult time leaving the fascinating country that he has called home for almost 2 years, but we will all be happy to have him back. Luckily, the Wolfe family was able to get (two) quick glances at the city that Ari now calls home and the experience of exploring Hong Kong. Thanks to Ari for being an excellent tour guide and host. If only I knew how to say that in Mandarin . . . .

[Ed. note- for pics of the Wolfe extravaganza, check my flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/awolfe03/sets/72157594464266836/
Special shout-out to the World's Greatest Hoody...]