I'm not sure if this is the first full day since we have been away that we have not had something on the schedule or not - but it sure feels that way. We knew from the start that the pace would be steady, and it was that. Of course there were days where we travelled, and had a half day to ourselves, but those were few and far between. But today was a completely unscheduled day. We had two things that we NEED to do and those were to pick up my shirts and to pack. Other than that - we could do what we wanted.
Laureen woke me up at about 7:30 AM this morning, so that we could make the most of the time that we had. Before getting all ready to go and have breakfast, we had a short video call with our granddaughter and her parents. That was the highlight of the morning. She had lots of things to show Grandpa (and Oma too… but mostly Grandpa, laughing). We are looking forward to seeing them (both the grandkids and all our kids) when we get back.
We made our way to Cafe M for breakfast. Once again, we were seated in the IHG members area and enjoyed a fantastic buffet breakfast. I'm pretty sure we're coming back heavier than when we left (and I'm not referring to our luggage). Didn't have a bad meal anywhere. Did have a mediocre one though (last night), so today, whatever we do, we don't want a repeat. We finished breakfast with a cappuccino and a latte. As well, as a lady came around and offered a special milk/tea drink that I tried. It was pretty good. A quick trip to the restroom and we headed down to the lobby.
I opened the Uber app and set up a ride from the hotel to the the famous Hong Kong Flower Market. We didn't make the trip yesterday just because we were a little tired at the end of the afternoon, so we decided that we would check it out today. Tucked away in the bustling Mong Kok district, the Hong Kong Flower Market is a kaleidoscope of colour and calm amid the city's intensity. As we wandered through the narrow lanes lined with stalls, the air was rich with the sweet scent of jasmine, orchids, and roses, each bloom carefully arranged like intricate works of art. Mostly locals (likely because we were there just as they were opening) moved from shop to shop, some seeking the perfect arrangement for a celebration, others simply soaking in the vibrant atmosphere. There’s a peaceful rhythm to the market—vendors chatting, boxes of flowers being opened, petals rustling in the breeze, the occasional birdcall from a nearby shop. It’s more than just a place to buy flowers; it’s a moment of serenity, a glimpse into the city’s quieter, more poetic side.
I wanted to get a picture of us and the road sign that showed we were on Flower Market Road. But it took a few attempts to get the sign AND Laureen into the shot. Eventually I just crouched down to make it work.
I don't think I've ever seen so many orchid plants and with so many blooms on them. A number of the shops had signs that asked that you do not take photo's and we respected that. This was definitely worth taking the time to come down to.
Just a short stroll from the Flower Market, we found ourselves in the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden—a charming pocket of tradition that feels like stepping into another time. Elderly men sat on benches with beautifully crafted bamboo cages beside them, whistling gently to their feathered companions or chatting quietly under the shade of trees. Songbirds of all kinds chirped and trilled, creating a gentle chorus that echoed through the garden. Stalls offered everything from hand-carved perches to bags of crickets, a reminder of the care and ritual that goes into this beloved pastime. There was something deeply peaceful and oddly moving about the place—an enduring connection between people and birds (but hopefully no bird flu), carried on in the heart of this modern city.
We saw a beautiful Parrot, and Laureen said "Hello" to it, and it responded "Hello" back. So I turned on the camera to see if he would do it again. Must have been a little camera shy.
Laureen took a short clip to show what it sounded like in one area of the Bird Market.
When we were done with the Bird Market, there was also a public washroom nearby, so, in keeping with the old adage, "Never miss an opportunity to empty the bladder", we both ventured in. Laureen decided to take a picture of the mixed West/East stalls in the women's side. Guess which one she used?
When I came out of the restroom, I saw Laureen talking to a lady. It seems they struck up a conversation and as it turns out, the lady’s sister was arriving from Canada today. The item that really got them talking was that the lady was watching a balcony across the street that had turtles walking around on it. One of them was HUGE.
The lady was very friendly, and after chatting with her, we made our way down the stairs and over to another open market on the street. This was different than the ladies market we went to yesterday which contained all kinds of touristy things. This market seemed to be more like a market for the locals, with local items. A note for future reference, a good time to go to an open market like this is right before or at the time they open. The reason being is that the vendors are busy setting up, and don't have as much time to try and drag you in their store.
I took pictures on both sides of the market. Notice the housing in the buildings above and all of the air conditioners and clothing/laundry hanging on the outside drying.
We picked up a couple more things (the suitcases are going to be mad at us), and then decided to have stop for a cold drink. After a nice cold lemon iced tea, we hailed an Uber and made our way back to the hotel.
Given that the weather was warm and there were only a few clouds in the sky, we decided to change into our cozzi's (Margaret would be proud of me), and make our way to the rooftop pool. We spent a couple of hours there in the water and relaxing on the lounge chairs. Pretty sure someone had a bit of nap too. At about 3:00, we made our way back to the room, got dressed and then headed out to pick up my shirts, which were to be ready any time after 3:00 PM today. Once we had the items, we decided we would come back and do some packing to see how things would work out.
We arrived and the owner and his wife were there and they greeted us. They were just working with another customer as well, so they asked us to have a seat. In a few minutes, he brought out the shirts and set them on the counter. He asked me to try one on, so I stood up to do so and noticed that there were only four of the six shirts on the counter. He said he would explain, but wanted me to try on the shirt first. I put one on and it fit as well as I expected it to. I had worn out my stripped shirts that were made by Maxwell's (a tailor from Hong Kong who does regular visits to Canada. He sizes people up, people place orders, he returns to Hong Kong to get the items made and then sends the orders back to Canada by post.) I’ve wore my shirts so many times that I have a hole in the elbow of one and the collar of the other shirt was beginning to fray. They did seem a tad bit lighter than the shirts from Maxwell's, but that should work out fine.
Then he explained to me why there were only four shirts. In the fabric swatch book that I picked the three different colour striped shirts from, all of the stripes were a narrow width. As it turns out, one of the fabrics had changed, and the stripes were wider apart than what the fabric swatch showed. He did not want to make the shirts without showing me the difference in the pattern first, to make sure I was OK with the wider gap between the stripes. I said it would be fine (that wider one was closer to what I had at home anyway), so he said he would have the shirts made, and then ship them to me at his cost. It would take a few weeks to come all the way from Hong Kong.
After making those final arrangements, we walked out of the store and made our way back to some of the jewellery stores we had passed by the first time we were there. Laureen was hoping to find a thin jade ring that she could purchase from Hong Kong. All of the ones that we had seen previously were too thick. As it turns out, what she is looking for just doesn't exist. That's not such a bad thing as we are already over our limit for purchases. We might be paying some duty when we cross back into Canada. I guess we will soon see.
We came back to the hotel and started to pack. We got my suitcase to just under 50 pounds. I was surprised how many things we got in there, although I did have to open the expansion zipper for the first time since I've owned this one (which was purchased for Africa in 2023). Everything else should fit nicely into Laureen's suitcase and it should be under our weight restriction. We will know for sure tomorrow.
With that out of the way, I made a few updates to the tracking spreadsheet we used for our purchases, so that Laureen could put a category beside them and then have dollar values for things like clothing, souvenirs, etc., so that when we arrive back in Canada, we can provide some high level numbers and categories. I've always found that being prepared like this makes it easier to get through customs. Once that was done we decided to go out for our last dinner in Hong Kong - and we picked a recognizable spot.
I know, I know. Why would anyone got to McD's when they were in a place like Hong Kong? Well, I guess we were just looking for something predictable. And predictable it was.
For dessert, we went back to the same place as last evening, only this time I ordered the Egg Puff with Ice Cream. Yikes. This was good. Laureen took a photo of me waiting to pick up the fancy dessert, to also show the mediocre place we went for dinner the night before (see the second floor - green, white and red logo).
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| Egg Puff & Ice Cream - YIKES! |
We sat out on a bench nearby and managed to share the thing without spilling any ice cream on ourselves. That in itself is a bit of a miracle. Very tasty! When it was done, we made our way back to the hotel for our last night in Hong Kong. It has been an adventure for sure and I'm glad we had a chance to visit here.
Curt and Laureen's last night in Hong Kong
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