Adventure 1: A trek to the New Territories of HK

First priority in HK: visit the grandparents! They live in the northwestern part of the new territories of Hong Kong in a town called Tin Shui Wai. About a 1.5 hour trek outside of Hong Kong Island (where I live!). Getting there requires switching to 3 different subway lines (also known as the MTR in HK) and a 5 minute light rail or shuttle bus ride once in the district.

Once a fishing pond area, I expected this relatively new town to look like a village but nope, there were condos galore! Even Li Ka Shing has built a hotel and a shopping mall there with no competitors.

After having dim sum with my grandparents at one of Li Ka Shing's hotels, they took me on a short tour around town while telling me little tidbits about the place; about how as a newly developed town via land reclamation (making new land from sea) by the HK government, that more space between buildings can be afforded making it easier to breath as the air is cleaner. I defintely noticed the difference when I stepped out of the train, the air smelt so clean!

Grandpa and grandma takes me on a walk to various parks close to their building where they do their daily exercise. I totally agree that pictures say more than words:

1. Looking out into Yuen Long (a major district on this side of the new territories) in the distance 2. looks like a nice jogging route. 3. or how about a real track 4. a playground for the elderly 5. a chinese garden 6. a goldfish pond inside the chinese garden 7. grandpa gives me a lesson in Tin Shui Wai wildlife, apparently, if you walk by that tree in the summer, it smells like vanilla. We picked up some vanilla orchid petals from the ground and it smells so good! 8. hong kong's national flower 9. this is a pebble footpath that you're supposed to walk on barefoot which is supposed to give you a nice massage and for good health. I bet it hurts! 10. a look inside their clubhouse: the Kingswood Country Club 11. the lobby of the clubhouse, it is HUGE 12. it even has a bowling alley!

Random fact: In addition to condos, ponds also co-exist in this town as well as marshes. Hong Kong's Wetland Park is located here (which I have not had the pleasure of visiting yet) which showcases Hong Kong's wetland ecosystem. It is home to Pui Pui the crocodile (remember that crocodile that was roaming a river in Hong Kong that could not be caught for the longest time?). She was apparently moved to her home in the park in 2006.