I HOPE ..

MAKE NO MISTAKE .. I FULLY REALIZE HOW BLESSED AND HOW LUCKY AND HOW FORTUNATE I AM TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AS I DO. THE ENTIRE POINT OF MY WEBSITE HERE IS TO REALIZE MY DESIRE THAT .. IN SOME SMALL WAY .. ONE OF MY POSTS OR ONE OF MY PHOTOGRAPHS WILL MAKE ONE PERSON'S DAY JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

TO FEEL GOOD .. DO GOOD !

I HOPE THAT SOMEONE VISITING MY WEBSITE WILL SEE SOMETHING ON IT THAT THEY WILL NOT EVER BE ABLE TO SEE OR TO DO OTHERWISE .. AND THAT THIS EXPERIENCE WILL MAKE THEIR DAY OR THEIR LIFE JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER !


IF YOU HAVE YOUR HEALTH AND ADEQUATE MONEY TO FOLLOW-YOUR-DREAM .. WITH DISCERNMENT .. FIND THE COURAGE AND HAVE THE GUTS TO DO WHAT GOD IS CALLING YOU TO DO!


TRULY THIS IS MY DOXOLOGY .. MY PRAISE TO GOD!

YOU CAN ALSO VISIT .. http://babakaps.net .. TO SEE MY OTHER WEBSITE.

Wednesday 21 January 2015

JAN 21, 15 .. HONG KONG .. MONG KOK ..

Technically .. to be letter perfect correct .. the title should read as I show below ..

JAN 21, 15 .. KOWLOON .. MONG KOK ..

Mong Kok is a District within the greater Kowloon Metro Area.

But I do have an 'escape loophole'. Hong Kong (as I am using it in the title) means the Greater Hong Kong Metropolitan Area .. NOT just the City of Hong Kong. As such the Greater Hong Kong Metro Area includes everything within a large radius from Hong Kong's central business district including the City of Kowloon and all of its districts .. one of them being Mong Kok.

Wikipedia enlightens us as follows:

Mong Kok (also spelled Mongkok) is an area in the Yau Tsim Mong District, on the western part of the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The Prince Edward area occupies the northern part of Mong Kok.

The area is characterized by a mixture of old and new multi-story buildings, with shops and restaurants at street level and commercial or residential units above. Major industries in Mong Kok are retail, restaurants (including fast food) and entertainment. It has been described[1] and portrayed in films as an area in which triads run bars, nightclubs, and massage parlors.

GET THE FOLLOWING: 

With its extremely high population density of 130,000 people/km2 or 340,000 people per square mile, Mong Kok was described as the busiest district in the world by the Guinness World Records.

To go to Mong Kok I use either the Hong Kong MTR ..


Do you all see Mong Kok on the below MTR route map? I am living in Sheung Wan (Shen Wan) located at the EXTREME lower left corner of the below route map to the left of Central on the Blue Line.



The crowd is still intense even though I took a break to insert the above MTR route map!



I love .. I love .. I LOVE HONG KONG!



If I am in a hurry and my time is short .. because I am living in the Sheung Wan (Shen Wan) District of Hong Kong across Victoria Harbor from Kowloon .. I will use the MTR because the MTR is MUCH FASTER.

If I ride the MTR this is my station!



All other things being equal I much prefer to ride the bus.

The 1A bus originates from the Star Ferry Bus Terminus.

The Star Ferry Bus Terminus is where I like to board the bus because it is empty and I can get a seat front and center in the upper deck. I call it my cat-bird seat!



Mong Kok here we come!



I love the Hong Kong buses! They are magnificent!



It seems odd-to-me that I never have to fight to get one of the front seats in the upper deck.

Looking forward from the lower deck of the bus the stairs to the upper deck are visible on the right below.



Below is our 'circular stairway-to-heaven' .. the upper deck.



And around and around we wind to the upper deck.


The below photo faces towards the back of the bus. The circular stairway is on the left below.



I can NOT ever recall seeing people standing in the upper deck. For some reason the upper deck is seldom crowded.


Here is what I seek! MY cat-bird-seat in the front row of the upper deck.



As you can see in these photos .. in general .. the Hong Kong buses are immaculate and spotless!

We are underway with some photographs from the 1A bus on the way out to Mong Kok.

All buses leaving the Star Ferry Bus Terminus pass the Salisbury Road YMCA where I have stayed for many years. The YMCA is ahead on the left.


I have many happy memories within the Kowloon YMCA!




Passing the YMCA we turn left and 
start up Nathan Road ..


A scant few blocks after we turn up Nathan Road we pass my friend the CHUNGKING MANSIONS where I have spent several pleasant nights.



A tad-tight BUT my rooms were spotless in the CHUNGKING MANSIONS. A wall-to-wall bed!



The 'greenery' in this enormous Metro Area absolutely amazes me!


Below is a close-up view of the above greenery.


Amazing! Well .. I think it is amazing! Here we go up Nathan Road on the way to Mong Kok.





Below is the street scene as I pan-down from the above photo. 











We have arrived into the Mong Kok District!












Chinese New Year is coming to China!




It is amazing when I 'click' with someone! 

"Ruby .. Where can I get these two towels hemmed?"




Mentioning that "Ruby sent me!" inserted me right inside of the ACTION!





Can you all believe that .. here I was .. INSIDE of a real garment shop! I could smell their breath I was so close to them!



And you KNOW that back I went to Thank Ruby!

"Ruby .. Do they have any hobby shops here in Mong Kok?"





And back again I went to Thank Ruby!


"Ruby I need some carpet samples for my studio apartment."





"OH YES INDEED FOR SURE!  I WILL say Hello to Ruby for you!"



And back I went yet again to say THANK YOU RUBY .. YOU ARE ONE AMAZING LADY!

"Ah-h-h-h .. Um-m-m-m .. Ruby have they any lumber yards here in Mong Kok?"











"Ruby .. Ruby .. Ruby .. You are like a magician!"


"Ruby one Rabbit after another Rabbit you keep pulling them out of your magic hat!"

"THIS I DO NOT BELIEVE RUBY!"




In the below photo .. Ruby is on my cell phone IN Mong Kok and is TALKING TO PATTI in Anchorage!!



"Lord God what happened to our Captain?"

Rabbits in Mong Kok !!!

He said .. "IF I get any happier I will explode!"

And that was that for Captain! Poof and he was gone!

We think that our Captain was HIT HARD with a sudden recollection of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA !






Where was I ?  Got it ! MONG KOK ..













The time has come to wrap up this Post about Mong Kok.

Below are three photos of a small sort of off-beat out-of-the-way grocery store in Mong Kok.





At best this small shop is non-descript. The road on which it is located is on the very edge of Mong Kok and it certainly is not the most unique or interesting road in the area.



The name of this shop is the PrizeMart.




So what exactly is the big deal here? I have shown you many photos of Mong Kok and most are more interesting than this store.

In the United States we have a large chain of stores that go by the name of COSTCO.

COSTCO has a store-brand that it calls its KIRKLAND brand.

There are those in the U.S. that think that the name COSTCO stands for ..

Chinese Over Seas Trading COmpany.

It just happens that both Patti and I love COSTCO Almonds. Further .. I have been looking for something that I can snack on that I feel is healthy.

Can you all imagine what I felt like when I stumbled into this store instead of just walking past it and discovered the below?








I STRUCK WHAT IS CALLED THE 'MOTHER LODE' !

In Mong Kok !

WOW HUH ?

Time to call it a wrap and press Publish ..

SMILES FROM EAR-TO-EAR ..

Cap !

10 comments:

  1. Thanks for the trip on the 1A bus and the tour through Mong Kok. Ruby was a FIND who then helped you find a treasure-trove of stores you had only been dreaming about...starting with a place to get those towels hemmed (a desire of yours since early November)...and then each and every other specific store you had been hoping to find. THANK YOU Ruby for helping Cap. The Costco almonds being found in Mong Kok reminds me, I need to put that on my Costco list here in Alaska for the next time I am out! Love that you take us all on your travels!! Love and hugs. Patti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruby also helped me to find other stores .. a Hardware Store that had 150 grit sandpaper for one .. Much Joy .. You are 100% correct about me wanting those two towel halves hemmed since November! ..

      Delete
  2. That is a heck of a nut find. They look to be about as stocked as a gigantic Costco store.
    Chad

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So nice Chad to have you along for the trip! COSTCO does have its products slightly better organized and displayed on its shelves. Great to know you are following as your time permits Chad .. My best to you and to Cori .. To Luke and to Mary .. Cap ..

      Delete
  3. As you mention frequently when you visit my blog, a post of this magnitude is no easy task to complete. WOW! You accomplished your goal of taking all of us readers along with you as you visit the offerings of Hong Kong.

    I wish I had more time to comment. Work and this and that prevent me from giving you 100% of my thoughts.

    What I will close this comment with is this: Your enthusiasm comes through loud and clear. I salute you for your ability to put your joy in a blog via your words and photos.

    Smiling ear to ear,
    Shaddy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Shaddy for your comments .. I always appreciate them and understand you are busy. I enjoyed a short visit on the telephone with Lon after the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers game. At eight minutes to go in the game Patti was VERY DOWN on the game. I said to Patti with emphasis .. STAY TUNED THE GAME IS FAR FROM OVER .. Much Joy .. Cap ..

      Delete
  4. Thanks, and wishing you as always Cap sir, good time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THANK YOU SO MUCH RAJ! I am so sorry I missed your comment a few months ago. Smiles on March the 10th Rad ..

      Delete
  5. Hello Cap ! Reading this post 610pm Monday 1/26/15 2 Royal Oak Library. John is mending well , I am going out to see him/& family Tuesday.Spoke to Ben Barber today , he said hello. Saw Tom B./Myron/Brian S./John F. (basement ) Sunday afternoon @ 13 mile rd.-Crooks rd.Like the hot dog, if thats a sub-sandwich I m a brain surgeon ! Have fun, be safe! I am pulling for Seahawks Sunday.Tom ( Tiger)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here I am Tom .. months later .. the Super Bowl is history. Smiles Tom ..

      Delete

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