For once I was actually able to get off the ship on the first day we arrived in port. I went out with a group of Officers and spent the evening in the city. I did not have any goal or specific place in mind when I left so I just walked around and explored the city with my friends. We did want to get away from the pier and bar scene so we figured out how to use the trains first. They are actually easier to use than the train system in Japan.
After dinner, we ended up at a night market. These markets are established in a couple of streets where people congregate to bargain for popular items like clothing, leather, jewelry and electronics. The electronics in Hong Kong are somewhat suspect and jewelry is usually fake if bought at these markets so I stayed away from those items. The black market is huge and many of the items are knock offs of pricier American commodities.
I was looking for a couple of interesting presents since it was coming up on Christmas and I knew I would be going back to the states to spend it with family. I did end up with a nice leather wallet for myself and an interesting picture of the Great Wall. I also had a chance to test my bargaining skills again. After an hour spent listening to live music in one of the bars, it was curfew time. It was nice to be able to relax for an evening.
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