Everyone has been telling us that Halloween is quite something in Hong Kong. Two days away and already the rumors have proven to be true. On Saturday night we joined up with Janet and Catie to take a tour of Lan Kwai Fong on the evening of the Halloween Parade.
To get there from our apartment you merely go down the stairs next to our building and then down the stairs by the LKF Hotel. Since it is all downhill, it takes about two minutes or so. Not last night. As soon as we started down the stairs we could see the crowds milling (and that was at the halfway point). By the time we reached the second set of stairs we were already wall to wall.
About the only thing you could do was head into the fray and enjoy the scenery. There certainly was lots to see. We mingled with the young...
and the old.
There were the creepy...
...and the funny.
Some looked vaguely familiar.
There were real cops...
... and faux ones, ...
... and interesting sights wherever you turned.
We decided to stop at our favorite watering hole, Cochrane's, for a painkiller and some fun with friends.
(Please note the small pumpkin headband - I am the only one in costume.)
As our evening was winding down and Lan Kwai Fong was still heating up, we headed for home. The streets were still jammed.
And on our way up Arbuthnot hill we saw perhaps the most creative of costumes.
I'll leave it up to your imagination to figure it out.
And by late this afternoon most of the revelers were still home recovering except for three little ones who just loved posing for the camera.
We went for a Thai lunch in Kuala Lumpur and enjoyed a very interesting first course. This plate comes with betel leaves which you wrap into a cone shape. There is a sauce which you put into the cone followed by peanuts, dried shrimp, coconut, ginger, onion, chili peppers & lime.
When your cone is prepared, you put the whole thing in your mouth at once for a burst of flavor unlike any other. This dish (I can't remember the name) is said to contain all seven types of taste that the tongue can distinguish (salty, hot, sweet, etc.) It is completely true. And despite the odd sound of the combo, we all had seconds (and thirds).
After our morning in the clouds we were ready for a little relaxation Malay style. We went in search of a restaurant called The Cliff. It was a bit hard to find but well worth the effort.
The food was great with our favorite being the fried rice with deep fried soft shell crab. Believe it or not, that was a side dish. We had way too much food, but with a refreshing cocktail we managed to put a dent in it.
The views from our over-the-water table were great. Lots of water fun at Cenang.
One more day and I think I could have talked Ken into parasailing.
Following our leisurely lunch we went for an authentic Malaysian foot massage. Ken had a great time joking with his masseuse. We especially liked the powder puff treatment.
After a short rest back at the apartment, we returned to Cenang Beach to watch the sunset. There is something so awe inspiring about a sunset over the water. Even with some clouds hanging around, it is a beautiful sight.
There is lots of activity on the beach at sunset including some live music suited to the setting.
We took advantage of this beautiful place to get some memory-shots, the kind that can bring back all of the memories as soon as you see them.
We watched till the last of the sun cast its rays across the water and the purple of night came creeping in.
A Chinese dinner featuring butter crusted prawn and mantis prawn (we love prawn) was next on the agenda.
The evening ended at our favorite spot, Babylon Mat Bar, relaxing on the beach and savoring our last evening in Langkawi.
