Imagine a bowl of Asian noodles tossed on the pavement. That’s the layout of the skinny minny alleys that comprise the Stanley Market. This place is amazing, even if you’re not out to purchase. Found the exact same pashmina and silk shawls I picked up in New York a couple of months ago, 3 for $100 HK (ie, roughly $12 US). It’s a riot listening to the vendors talk about how theirs are “the real thing” even though the packing and labeling is identical on all of them.The people watching is, by far, the best part. If you go someday, take the #40 shuttle bus from Central; the drive whips you around blind curves all the way along Repulse Bay. Don’t let the name fool you; this is big bucks real estate and the longest stretch of beach in Hong Kong.
P.S. to those taking bets on when I’d get lost for the first time: Whoever holds the ticket for the end of day one wins. Translated, never let a bus driver tell you that even though the stop doesn’t look familiar, it is. It wasn’t. Lucky I’m wired with a good internal compass and travelers’ gut instinct.
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