Retail therapy

I usually do some shopping at the tail end of a trip. It's the logical time; it would be silly to lug purchases on a trip. Also I usually need to replace sneakers and clothes by then.


Most of the delay was waiting for the carousel to regurgitate my backpack. The airport train took 24 minutes to reach Central, as promised. I changed to the Island Line for Wanchai. There were many people around even at that late hour. It was 0015 when I checked in at Mingle By The Park, a boutique hotel I had stayed at last time and liked, but I had notified them that I would be late. The room was very small. I could touch both walls if I stretched my arms, and it was only as long as a bed plus a shower cubicle. But it was spotless and had all the mod cons: sink and shower, aircon, TV, Internet connection (wired and wireless). For a pied-à-terre for a couple of days it was handy and a bargain in space-scarce HK. This time I was on the 5th floor and there is no lift. So I had to be sure I had everything for an expedition on leaving; no fun going back if I forgot something.

First order of business in the morning was to toss the used jeans and shirt in a clothes recycling bin whose location I had found from the Web. Then a breakfast of congee at an eatery I had spotted on Johnston Street on the way in. It was quite good, as expected. Eateries that don't serve decent food in competitive HK just don't survive.

I caught the MRT to Sham Shui Po, well-known for the Golden Shopping Centre for computers and accessories. It was around 1100 and was only starting up; most traffic is in the evenings. After a few rounds I found the external disk drive I wanted. I paid the RRP; there wasn't room for reduction. It's already cheap anyway when you correctly choose where to buy.

I was going to buy shirts and jeans at Ladies' Street (why is there no Gents' Street, we like shopping too) in Mong Kok but I found them sold in the street market outside the centre so I bought them there.

The sneakers I had to get in Mong Kok though. But first a lunch of wonton noodles at an eatery chosen at second glance after I failed to find the one I had eaten at last time. It was good too; you can't go wrong when you see lots of satisfied customers in the joint. On the way I went through what must be Pet Street, judging from the shops with fish tanks, puppies and kittens in display cases, etc.


The shoe store is run very efficiently. They have a stockroom upstairs and rectangular openings in the ceiling to drop boxes through. The girl assistant would yell Drop! to the stock clerk upstairs and seconds later catch the falling box with one hand. Impressive.


At this point I had my hands full of shopping so it was time to take the loot back. But first a visit to a natural food cafe reputed to have yak cheesecake. Unfortunately it was past mealtime and seemed to be serving main meals only now. Scratch that.


I had a siesta before going for the sound and light show at Tsim Sha Tsui which will be in the next blog entry.