﻿<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><ttl>60</ttl><title>Real Travel Hong Kong</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com</link><lastBuildDate>Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:23:52 GMT</lastBuildDate><pubDate>Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:23:52 GMT</pubDate><language>en</language><copyright /><itunes:subtitle> </itunes:subtitle><itunes:author /><itunes:summary /><description /><itunes:owner><itunes:name /><itunes:email>daisann@realtravelhongkong.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:category text="Arts" /><item><title>Spring 2010 Newsletter: Hot off the Press</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/04/23/spring-2010-newsletter-hot-off-the-press.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"&gt;A few days ago we emailed &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://eepurl.com/tps7"&gt;our Spring newsletter&lt;/a&gt;  out to all our Little Adventures in Hong Kong friends. It features, in text and (kind of gorgeous, we think) photos, the highlights of our fabulous first season of privately hosted walking and food tours of Hong Kong.&lt;br /&gt;
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Like this one:&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" style="border: 0px solid ;" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/starferryskyline2.jpg?a=18" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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We're quite excited about some of the new tours that we'll be offering. We're also announcing a special tour discount--and a great new destination, too. Find out more in the Spring 2010 newsletter.&lt;br /&gt;
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What, you didn't get a copy in your email yet? Maybe you're not on our list. &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://eepurl.com/tyb3"&gt;Just send us your email&lt;/a&gt;, and we'll be happy to send you a copy toot sweet.&lt;br /&gt;
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(By the way, if you sign up, we promise not to add to your mailbox clutter. We're quite busy with our tours and with our on the ground research of Hong Kong's best food and most fascinating hidden neighborhoods. So the Little Adventures in Hong Kong newsletter will appear sporadically, occasionally, intermittantly and every once in a blue moon. Translation: 2 or three times a year.)&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/04/23/spring-2010-newsletter-hot-off-the-press.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">b0a5f3c7-34b9-4ade-ac39-0a6e9d92e3af</guid><pubDate>Fri, 23 Apr 2010 06:26:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Hong Kong: Expect the Unexpected</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/04/12/hong-kong-expect-the-unexpected.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;span style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"&gt;Here at &lt;span style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/LittleAdventuresInHongKong?ref=nf" target="_blank"&gt;Little Adventures in Hong Kong&lt;/a&gt;, we love to surprise the guests who come on our private walking and food tours, by taking them to parts of Hong Kong they never imagined existed. You might wonder: How do &lt;em&gt;we&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: verdana;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 16px;"&gt;find these places? Answer: we hit the road.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;/span&gt;&lt;img alt="" style="border: 0px solid ;" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/patsingleng.jpg?a=53" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"&gt;Well, okay, we don't always climb all the way to the top of the famous New Territories mountain ridge &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Sin_Leng" target="_blank"&gt;Pat Sin Leng&lt;/a&gt; in search of new Little Adventures in Hong Kong. Sometimes we just take an unexpected turn down the stone steps of a neighborhood alley. But in any case, we're always on the lookout for new places, so we can treat and delight the guests who come along with us on our personalized walking tours of Hong Kong.&lt;br /&gt;
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What can you expect on a Little Adventures in Hong Kong tour? Expect the unexpected. Hong Kong is a dynamic, ever-changing unpredictable place. That's what keeps our tours interesting. We don't follow any scripts. We custom-design every walk to your interests, whether it be food, architecture, history, or a bit of everything. The one thing we do guarantee is that after you've walked with us, you'll feel like you've really experienced a slice of Hong Kong life. And tasted it too!&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" style="border: 0px solid ;" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/roastgoose.jpg?a=47" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Yum! This weekend, after hiking on the trail, we grabbed a bite to eat at the famous roast goose restaurant, Dai Lok, in Tai Po. This is a place that's become well-known since Anthony Bourdain featured it on one of his programs. I've long been curious to check it out, and finally I got a chance to do that.&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" style="border: 0px solid ;" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/dailokroastmeat.jpg?a=16" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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As you can see from the plate, we ordered a combo--roast goose (siu ngo) on the bottom, and suckling pig on top. Both were pretty darn tasty--the goose was the standout. It's juicy, and the crust is crispy but not dry, and not too sweet either. But is it better than its famed rival, Hong Kong island's Yung Kee restaurant?&lt;br /&gt;
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Well, when you come to Hong Kong, you can decide for yourself--we can take you on a whirlwind Little Adventures in Hong Kong "Roast Meat" tour that takes in both places, with some walking in between, of course. &lt;br /&gt;
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Our walking tours are usually three hours long, but we can customize a program to fit your needs. Do you want to walk, then go for some of Hong Kong's best dim sum? Do you want to photograph traditional markets and old fishing villages? Do you want to immerse yourself in Hong Kong places that haven't changed for 50 years? We can take you there.&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;a href="mailto:realtravelhongkong@gmail.com?subject=Interested%20in%20Walking%20tour"&gt;Email us today&lt;/a&gt; to learn more about how we can maximize your travel experience in Hong Kong. We look forward to hearing from you--and to steering you in the right direction!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" style="border: 0px solid ;" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/trailmarker.jpg?a=14" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/04/12/hong-kong-expect-the-unexpected.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">0c27cd6b-8d16-4a8e-8dda-cb5e5214b2ac</guid><pubDate>Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:50:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>On Tour With Little Adventures in Hong Kong!</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/03/13/on-tour-with-little-adventures-in-hong-kong.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: verdana;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
We haven't been posting so much recently--sorry! It's only because we've been so busy showing lots of you around Hong Kong on our personally hosted walking and food tours. &lt;br /&gt;
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We're having a blast. Each walking tour holds new surprises, because our privately guided custom tours are a bit different every time. At Little Adventures in Hong Kong, we take our cue from Hong Kong's best food stalls--you know how each one specializes in a single great dish, be it congee or fish ball noodles or wonton noodles? Well, we specialize, too--in serving up a Hong Kong experience that's made to order, just for you.&lt;br /&gt;
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Speaking of congee, here are a couple of bowls we shared recently with Steven and his friends from Adelaide:&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/eatingtour2.jpg?a=84" /&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
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Mmm. Yue pin juk. Fish fillet congee. This is Little Adventure's "secret place" in Sai Ying Pun, and we're never disappointed here: it really serves up some of the best congee in Hong Kong, creamy and full of fresh ginger slices. The yauh tiu--fried dough sticks--at this neighborhood place are particularly delectable, especially when you tear them up into little pieces and mix them into the congee.&lt;br /&gt;
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Steven only had one day in Hong Kong before he had to catch the Air Asia flight back home, so he asked us to give him a full on, great food experience in Hong Kong. We aim to please. From congee, we wandered down into Sheung Wan to sample some Chiu Chow oyster and rice soup, and of course, the famous Chiu Chow "lo seui" marinated goose. In this particular eatery, the broth for the "lo seui" has been bubbling continuously for 60 years!&lt;br /&gt;
(It's kind of like sourdough in San Francisco. Every day, the restaurant saves the previous days broth to start the next day's).&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/eatingtour3.jpg?a=64" /&gt;
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&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
After a short recovery break, we met up with Steven again in Wan Chai's Bowrington Market, one of our favorite "wet markets" in Hong Kong. The fish from these vendors is so fresh and frisky they practically jump into your shopping bag!&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/eatingtour4.jpg?a=36" /&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
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We sampled some barbecued pork at one place, and then off to another noodle shop for some seui gau--"water dumpling"--which Steven pronounced "fantastic". &lt;br /&gt;
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(We thought it was fantastic that Steven was still ready for more Hong Kong tastes at the end of our second meal! This is what we live for here at Little Adventures!!!)&lt;br /&gt;
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One final stop: dessert! No visit to Hong Kong is complete without a stop at the &lt;a href="http://daisann.com/2007/01/29/more-sign-language.aspx"&gt;Yee Shun Milk Company.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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This may be the most sublime food memory you can take away from Hong Kong: delicately steamed fresh milk, warm and quivering, and laced with a pungently sweet fresh ginger syrup. Move over Proust! This packs more punch than any madeleine possibly could!&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/yeeshunmilk1.jpg?a=34" /&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
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We hope our new friend Steven, now back home in Adelaide, has a moment or two of sweet Hong Kong deja vu from time to time.&lt;br /&gt;
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And we look forward to launching some memorable Hong Kong food expeditions for some of you, too!&lt;br /&gt;
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Get started on your delicious adventure today. Email us at:&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:realtravelhongkong@gmail.com" class="VlogPodText"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RealTravelHongKong (at) gmail.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
(By the way, we completely understand if Hong Kong food is not at the top of your must-do list. That's why we keep a file with dozens of different Hong Kong adventures in our back pocket. So if you want to explore cool old neighborhoods, ride a tram to the end of the line, slip into the smoky back room of an old Chinese temple, or shop for things you can only buy in Hong Kong, don't hesitate to give us a shout.)&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;/span&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/03/13/on-tour-with-little-adventures-in-hong-kong.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">bfbda1cb-6ec6-4d23-becd-f036c5be6c77</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:22:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Help for the Hungry Traveler in Hong Kong</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/02/03/help-for-the-hungry-traveler-in-hong-kong.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: verdana;"&gt;What's the biggest obstacle faced by a food loving traveler in Hong Kong?&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/chinesemenu.jpg?a=38" /&gt;
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Ah, the mysteries of the Chinese language menu. You go into a restaurant that smells good. The food on everyone's table looks fantastic. Using the finger pointing "I'll have what they're having" method, you manage to get yourself a tasty meal. Yet...&lt;br /&gt;
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You wonder what else is on the menu. What are the specialties of the house? What am I eating, anyway? And perhaps you wonder about the history of the restaurant, the characteristics and flavors of the various Chinese cuisines. You want to do more than just point and chow--you want to be a connoisseur.&lt;br /&gt;
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Well, you've come to the right place. Little Adventures in Hong Kong now offers personalized eating tours, custom designed for you. We will help you sample all the tastes our great food city has on offer. We know where to find the best congee, fish ball or wonton noodles, the tastiest &lt;em&gt;do fu fa. &lt;/em&gt;And we know how to read the specials on the wall, so you can be sure you won't miss anything.&lt;br /&gt;
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Hong Kong food, of course, is more than just noodles and snacks. We have the world's highest concentration of top flight Chinese restaurants. But we know that even with an English menu translation, many of these restaurants are difficult for the non-Chinese traveler to navigate. &lt;br /&gt;
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That's why we've launched our new &lt;strong&gt;Eating Concierge Service&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
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It works like this. You tell us when you are coming to Hong Kong, how many people are coming with you, and what you would like to eat. We consult with you to find a great Chinese restaurant that fits your taste and budget. Then we go to the restaurant, meet with the manager, and design a well-balanced Chinese multi-course meal, the way that a local Hong Kong person would. We scope out the restaurant's specialties, find out what's in season and what's not, and take care to order any dishes that need advance requests.&lt;br /&gt;
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Our &lt;strong&gt;Eating Concierge Service&lt;/strong&gt; doesn't end there. If you'd like, we can also come to dinner with you and your group, and be your personal resource. We'll explain each dish, give you the lowdown on the culture of Hong Kong's Chinese restaurants, and answer any other questions you might have about Hong Kong, too. (And, after dinner, if you'd like, we might take you on a little walk to grab some &lt;em&gt;tong seui.) &lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;/em&gt;Want to find out more about our Hong Kong Eating Concierge Service? Email us today:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href="mailto:realtravelhongkong@gmail.com?subject=Little%20Adventures%20in%20Hong%20Kong%20tours" class="ApplyClass"&gt;realtravelhongkong@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;/span&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/02/03/help-for-the-hungry-traveler-in-hong-kong.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">fbaafbf8-1ac5-4e91-b3ee-9db75cb138b2</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:29:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>We've Got Mail!</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/01/26/weve-got-mail.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: verdana;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img alt="" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/letters.jpg?a=47" /&gt;
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This past two months at Little Adventures in Hong Kong we've been very busy! We've made lots of new friends who've come with us on our personally hosted walking and food tours of Hong Kong. And a few of them have sent us letters that, to be sure, are making us blush!:&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;strong&gt;"&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: verdana;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 10px;"&gt;I am back at home at my desk, and thinking about my marvelous trip to Hong Kong.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Certainly the highlight of this trip was our walking tour with you, and seeing things that I had missed in past&amp;nbsp; visits--usually just around the corner from a place I have been many times.&amp;nbsp; That is part of your talent--walking around with your eyes open.&amp;nbsp; Plus, I give you an A for being not just an informed and interesting guide, but a thoroughly professional one.&amp;nbsp; That day was just a complete pleasure. ....It was such a delight to discover so many new and interesting things&amp;nbsp; last week--thanks to you!"-&lt;em&gt;-Ann, USA, January 2010&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: verdana;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 10px;"&gt;"We will hold our memories with you as a highlight of our many travels.&amp;nbsp; You have a unique ability to personalize professionalism in a manner that ensures the kind of connection that makes experiences meaningful and rewarding.&lt;br /&gt;
You are a rare gift to the traveler and to the many cultures that seek to understand each other.&amp;nbsp; Thank you for sharing that gift with us."--&lt;em&gt;Marlene, USA, December 2009&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;span style="font-size: 10px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;"We sincerely had a great time with you on both of our little tours. You know HK and we will spread the good word if you don’t mind."--Steve, USA, December 2009&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 10px;"&gt;"Thanks for my best night in Hong Kong—ever (and that comprises two visits and about eight days!). The place came to life in your hands and what seemed to my unfocused eye a tough, commercial engine rather than a three-dimensional city began to bounce to your beat....." --&lt;em&gt;Marty, New York City, July 2009&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Thanks, everyone, for your compliments and support. We hope to see all of you in Hong Kong again, soon.&lt;br /&gt;
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And for those of you who are planning a trip to Hong Kong, we hope you'll choose to spend some of your time here walking and eating and getting to know the city's culture, life, and "beat" with us.&lt;br /&gt;
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Email us today for more information about our private, individually-designed tours:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href="mailto:realtravelhongkong@gmail.com?subject=Little%20Adventures%20in%20Hong%20Kong%20tour" class="ApplyClass"&gt;realtravelhongkong (at) gmail.com &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;img alt="" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/letters2.jpg?a=12" /&gt;
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&lt;/span&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/01/26/weve-got-mail.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">7f88238a-25cd-48ce-952e-0fd4deb56349</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:16:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Hong Kong, 2010</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/01/08/hong-kong-2010.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;br&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;May 2010 be the year you have your Little Adventure in Hong Kong!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/smallifc_com.jpg?a=45"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;And whatever brings you to Hong Kong this year, be it work, love, or wanderlust (or all of the above!) we hope you will drop us a line and arrange to take one of our private, hosted walking tours.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;We'll watch priests sing to the ancestor spirits at a hidden neighborhood temple.&lt;br&gt;We'll hop on a sampan and take a spin around Victoria Harbour.&lt;br&gt;We'll wander through a tiny lost-in-time fishing village at the edge of the sea&lt;br&gt;We'll shop for shiny woks, gorgeous handmade cheongsams, fine oolong tea&lt;br&gt;We'll dig into the world's best noodle soups.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Make the resolution to do this in 2010. Give yourself a little adventure in Hong Kong. Email us now:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;realtravelhongkong (at) gmail.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;and in the meantime, join us at our &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/LittleAdventuresInHongKong"&gt;Facebook page&lt;/a&gt; where we post a new Little Adventure in Hong Kong every day!&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2010/01/08/hong-kong-2010.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">390bc675-dee7-4b44-9f9b-acaf5d1f4375</guid><pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:07:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>A Hong Kong Christmas</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/12/19/a-hong-kong-christmas.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;&lt;br&gt;It's a great time of year to be walking in Hong Kong. We do Christmas here in a big way. Trees, lights, tinsel. Choirs sing carols in the malls. The supermarket muzak in Park &amp;amp; Shop has got "Jingle Bells" on continuous loop. My building's door lady has taken to wearing a pair of antlers. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;And down on Ladder Street, the vendors are cleaning up with the Santa suits.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/santasuits.jpg?a=70"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;Our snow may be fake, but our warmth is &lt;em&gt;jan-jing&lt;/em&gt;-- that's Cantonese for the real deal. We're even roasting chestnuts--not over an open fire, but in huge black woks on streetcorners. (We're roasting purple yams on the street, too--that's not exactly traditional Christmas fare, but, hey, they're really tasty!)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Perhaps you are running around now, elbowing through the Christmas crowds, fretting about the gift you need to choose for a certain special--but picky-- someone.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;May we make a suggestion? Why not give Hong Kong for Christmas.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;That is to say, why not give that hard-to-please person a Little Adventure in Hong Kong? We will be happy to wrap up one of our special, personally-hosted 3 hour walking, food and cultural tours in a bright red bow for you. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;And if you book now, we'll throw in a bag of those wonderful Hong Kong roasted chestnuts, too.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;email us today:&lt;br&gt;realtravelhongkong (at) gmail.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Happy holidays from Hong Kong!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/xmashksmall.jpg?a=86"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/12/19/a-hong-kong-christmas.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">3b4b2a09-af7e-44db-9e3d-eeb685c52c90</guid><pubDate>Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:27:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Only in Hong Kong</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/12/03/only-in-hong-kong.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;font size="2" face="Verdana"&gt;Yesterday, 1:30pm, on Lyndhurst Terrace I see a guy pushing a cart. On the cart are two huge roast suckling pigs.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/IMG0001.jpg?a=68"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;He's holding the cart steady with one hand, waving his other arm out in the air at the passing traffic.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;"You mean you're going to take the pigs in the taxi"? I said to the guy in Cantonese, a little shocked.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;He shrugs, like this is something he does every day, and says, "Haih la." That's right.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;A taxi whizzes by, ignoring him. "Hmm," I say, "Looks like nobody wants to ride with roast pigs."&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The man scowls and mutters. Then he lifts his hand to the next
oncoming taxi, holding two fingers in the air. It's a signal: "I'm offering him 20
dollars extra!"&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The next taxi swerves over and pulls up to the curb. stops. I wait and watched as
the guy loads the two greasy, fat-dripping red be-ribboned and cellophane-blanketed pigs into
the grimy trunk, heads facing out. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/IMG0002.jpg?a=95"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;He slams the trunk lid down, hops
into the back, and they're off.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Just another lunch hour little adventure in Hong Kong.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I may never eat roast pig again.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;*****&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I can't promise that you'll meet a couple of roast pigs dolled up for a party when you come on one of our &lt;strong&gt;Little Adventures in Hong Kong &lt;/strong&gt;walking tours.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;But here's one thing I know: in this city, you never know who--or what--you might bump into on the taxi queue.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Email us to start your adventure:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;realtravelhongkong (at) gmail.com&lt;/font&gt; &lt;script&gt;&lt;!--
D(["mb","\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe shrugged, like this is something he does every day, and said, \u0026quot;haih la.\u0026quot;\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA taxi whizzed by, ignoring him. \u0026quot;Hmm,\u0026quot; I said, \u0026quot;He doesn\u0026#39;t want to ride with the pigs.\u0026quot;\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eThe man scowled and muttered. Then he lifted his hand to the next oncoming taxi, holding two fingers in the air. \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m offering him 20 dollars extra!\u0026quot;\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe next taxi stopped. I waited and watched as the guy loaded the two greasy, fat-dripping red be-ribboned pigs into the grimy trunk, heads facing out. He slammed the trunk down, jumped into the back, and the taxi whizzed away.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eI may never eat roast pig again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan class\u003d\"gmail_quote\"\u003eOn 12/3/09, \u003cb class\u003d\"gmail_sendername\"\u003eCatherine Karnow\u003c/b\u003e \u0026lt;\u003ca rel\u003d\"nofollow\" href\u003d\"http://mc/compose?to\u003dcatherinekarnow@yahoo.com\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\u003ecatherinekarnow@yahoo.com\u003c/a\u003e\u0026gt; wrote:\u003c/span\u003e\u003cblockquote class\u003d\"gmail_quote\" style\u003d\"border-left:1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex\"\u003e\n\u003ctable border\u003d\"0\" cellpadding\u003d\"0\" cellspacing\u003d\"0\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd style\u003d\"font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;font-size-adjust:inherit;font-stretch:inherit\" valign\u003d\"top\"\u003e\nDaisann,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThank you for the nice words about the images! I fell in love with the plastic bowls in the congee joint. I want a whole set of all the colors in my house. You know, we could open up the perfect boutique in HK, with all sorts of fun, funky, maybe retro, \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style:italic\"\u003ereal\u003c/span\u003e stuff: high and low. It would be a huge hit. \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eShucks on the FCC; but a good reason to return there. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI will send you more images soon!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBest,\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCatherine Karnow\u003cbr\u003e\nPhotographer\u003cbr\u003e\n737 Alta Vista Road\u003cbr\u003e\nMill Valley, CA 94941\u003cbr\u003e\nTel. 415-928-3232\u003cbr\u003e\nMobile 415-305-8181\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e--- On \u003cb\u003eThu, 12/3/09, daisann mclane \u003ci\u003e\u0026lt;\u003ca rel\u003d\"nofollow\" href\u003d\"http://mc/compose?to\u003ddaisann@gmail.com\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\u003e",1]
);

//--&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/12/03/only-in-hong-kong.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">ea7f5c21-3db6-47e6-b847-bcc786ff5ce4</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:27:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Hong Kong Snapshots</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/12/01/hong-kong-snapshots.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;Snapshots. Unexpected moments. A door opens, and suddenly you find yourself immersed in someone else's life. For an instant, you're floating in a different world, inhabiting a different skin, wondering how you could have lived so long without understanding, feeling, thinking...like this. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This is the pot of gold at the end of every traveler's rainbow. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;And it's why we love Hong Kong.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/nightcook.jpg?a=27"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;At Little Adventures in Hong Kong we like to think of ourselves not just as guides or hosts, but as cultural facilitators. Every traveler faces the problem of how to get past the hype, the guidebook cliches, the "official" tourism board attractions. How to make sense of an overload of information, languages, smells and sights. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;That's what we're here for. We help you find these moments. We give the doors a little push. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;We give you our city, so you can make it yours.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;For more information on our food, cultural and walking tours of Hong Kong, email us now at:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;realtravelhongkong (at) gmail.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/12/01/hong-kong-snapshots.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">c64e71e4-46c8-4ea6-aef5-be7af6b80d7d</guid><pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:14:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Get Your Free Little Adventure in Hong Kong Every Day</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/11/24/get-your-free-little-adventure-in-hong-kong-every-day.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;h1&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;&lt;br&gt;We don't like to brag, but we are quite tickled by the warm response to our new&lt;strong&gt; Facebook&lt;/strong&gt; page, &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/LittleAdventuresInHongKong"&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;Little Adventures in Hong Kong.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Every day, day after day, we're posting a tiny story and photo on Facebook, a snapshot in miniature of life in Asia's greatest city. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;It's a notebook of Hong Kong moments that we think are special. Moments and experiences which, of course, we incorporate into our personally hosted &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/09/20/the-hong-kong-you-want-to-see.aspx"&gt;food and walking tours.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Check it out today. Oh, and if you prefer getting your daily bites of Hong Kong on &lt;strong&gt;Twitter&lt;/strong&gt; instead of Facebook, you can &lt;a href="http://https://twitter.com/hongkongwalks"&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;follow us there too.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Start planning your little adventure in Hong Kong today. Email us now and we'll tell you all about our special walking and food tours:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;realtravelhongkong (at) gmail.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;</description><category>facebook</category><category>walking tours</category><category>hong kong walks</category><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/11/24/get-your-free-little-adventure-in-hong-kong-every-day.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">9d52917a-b6ee-400c-9a02-d784dfa9607d</guid><pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:58:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Raise the Red Lampshade!</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/11/19/raise-the-red-lampshade.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;font size="1"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;&lt;br&gt;In our endless quest to discover the most interesting, unsung attractions of our favorite city for our &lt;a href="http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/09/20/the-hong-kong-you-want-to-see.aspx"&gt;personally hosted&lt;/a&gt; Hong Kong walking &lt;a href="http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/09/20/the-hong-kong-you-want-to-see.aspx"&gt;tours&lt;/a&gt;, we often find ourselves pausing to admire the vast landscape of consumable commodities which surrounds, indeed threatens to devour us, with its variety and plentitude.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Yeah, we like to go shopping. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Not just any shopping, though. I am always on the alert for things to buy that have local flavor, that are Made in Hong Kong. Things that have some connection to this place, and this culture.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Even though Hong Kong is a much touted "Shoppers Paradise", that's not always easy. Hong Kong is awash in designer brands and luxury items, but the everyday local treasures aren't always visible at first glance. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;That's why I've compiled my own lists of shops and stores that "think locally." When you come along on one of our guided walks at Little Adventures in Hong Kong, I'll introduce them to you.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Some you may already have heard of, like the terrific hip housewares and lifestyle store &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.god.com.hk/index.php"&gt;G.O.D.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/god.jpg?a=24"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;These guys have a terrific eye for Hong Kong design, and a great sense of humor too (their store name is even a Cantonese pun--&lt;em&gt;jyu ho di&lt;/em&gt; means "Live a little better"). I love their notebooks and stationery decorated with photos of Hong Kong building facades.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I also like to introduce our Little Adventures in Hong Kong travelers to the stores and shops where Hong Kong folks buy their life's necessities. Everyday household items like a handmade toilet brush, or a woven straw carrying basket ring with authentic beauty. In hardware stores, you will also find classics like the famous Hong Kong red plastic lampshade. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Yes, it's the same one you see hanging over the fruits and veggies in all the open air markets. It makes a great souvenir of the Hong Kong streets, and it only costs about $3.50 USD in any hardware store.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/redlamp.jpg?a=28"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;span style="text-decoration: underline;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;(The lamps are 100% made and designed in Hong Kong by the Red-A Star Industrial Company).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This is the kind of Hong Kong item that really appeals to my inner shopper. (I also love the cheap and cheerful "rice grain" china, the beautifully labelled sauces by local purveyor Pat Chun, and the wonderous range of Chinese and Japanese cookware sold in the basement of the marvellous &lt;a href="http://globespotters.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/wing-on-hong-kongs-great-department-store/"&gt;Wing On department store&lt;/a&gt;.) &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;These are the things we love to put in our shopping bags here at Little Adventures in Hong Kong (and of course we are carrying our own cloth bags now that the government has levied an environmental tax on those nasty plastic ones!)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Of course, if you want to move on from red lampshades and soy sauce to more (ahem) serious shopping--jade, designer wear, discount outlets, china, handmade cheongsams and shoes--we can help you do that, too.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Email us for more information:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;realtravelhongkong (at) gmail.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description><category>shopping in Hong Kong</category><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/11/19/raise-the-red-lampshade.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">3369763a-1b91-4e81-b84a-69bc39af46ac</guid><pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:51:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Fish Ball Noodles and Salt Sea Air</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/11/09/fish-ball-noodles-and-salt-sea-air.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px;"&gt;The Hong Kong weather right now is clear and breezy--perfect for a &lt;strong&gt;Little Adventure from Shau Kei Wan to Shek O&lt;/strong&gt;. We start in the terrific Shau Kei Wan market, and explore the small shops and 100 year old temples along the main street. The road leads right to the old typhoon shelter on the waterfront--where pirates once hid out.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img alt="" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/shaukeiwanpier2a.jpg?a=48" /&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Next time we go I'm going to see about hitching a ride home on one of these local boats!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The best&lt;em&gt; yu daan ho fan&lt;/em&gt; I have ever tasted is made right here in Shau Kei Wan. Yesterday, we tried it garnished with some crunchy and delicious fried fish skin (&lt;em&gt;ja yu pei&lt;/em&gt;) on top--super yummy!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Yvonne and Mike, from London, were terrific companions for the afternoon. We hopped on a red minibus from Shau Kei Wan to Big Wave Bay, a cool little village that is also the home to Hong Kong's weekend surfer dudes. We climbed up the path to a terrific view of rocks and the bay at sunset, then prowled around the little village.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Last stop was Shek O, at the end of the peninsula, where a wide, sandy beach attracts the Sunday crowds for--what else?--BBQ parties (in Hong Kong, eating is always more popular than swimming!). But we didn't linger on the beach. Instead we followed the secret path behind the Art Deco Shek O bus station, wound our way past the basketball courts and through the hole-in-the-wall to emerge at the best bar in Hong Kong: the Back Beach Bar.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And guess what they're serving at Back Beach Bar these days...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img alt="" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/brooklynbeer.jpg?a=53" /&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px;"&gt;That's right--Brooklyn Beer, manufactured about a mile away from my "other" home town in the USA.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I must say, it is even more tasty 8,000 miles from its origin! Or maybe it's just the great ocean views and breezes at Shek O that make it taste so good.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thanks to Yvonne and Mike for joining me on this mellow Sunday afternoon of little adventures. (And good luck to you in your studies of Gwong-Dung-Wah!). &lt;em&gt;Juk neih deih sing gung!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Are you planning a trip to Hong Kong? There are lots of little adventures waiting for you here in the Big Lychee.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
email me now and start planning one of your own!:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href="mailto:realtravelhongkong@gmail.com" class="ApplyClass"&gt;realtravelhongkong (at) gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;</description><category>Shau Kei Wan</category><category>Shek O</category><category>beach walks</category><category>fish ball noodles</category><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/11/09/fish-ball-noodles-and-salt-sea-air.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">dca45320-4078-43c9-b763-a90ef1342819</guid><pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:04:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Presenting...the Won Ton-a-Thon!</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/10/23/presentingthe-won-tonathon.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;&lt;br&gt;By popular demand, &lt;strong&gt;Little Adventures in Hong Kong &lt;/strong&gt;has created a unique new food and walking tour:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Won Ton-a-Thon!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/single_wonton.jpg?a=42"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;What is a &lt;strong&gt;Won Ton-a-thon&lt;/strong&gt;? It's the most unique food tour in Hong Kong: a marathon, epic foodie quest to eat the best won ton noodles in Hong Kong! And it's only at &lt;strong&gt;Little Adventures in Hong Kong.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/mihnsign.jpg?a=6"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;In three hours you'll experience up to eight of Hong Kong island's most beloved noodle shops, from Shau Kei Wan to Sheung Wan. You'll visit the classics, like Mak's Noodles and Wing Wah. But you'll also slip into local off-the-map favorites and slurp elbow to elbow with Hong Kongers at some of the last remaining outdoor dai pai dongs in Central Hong Kong.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/daipaidong.jpg?a=13"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;And just for variety, we'll also sample some of Hong Kong's most beloved beef brisket noodles, and fish ball/fish cake noodles. It's up to you! The &lt;strong&gt;Won Ton-a- Thon, &lt;/strong&gt;like all of our &lt;strong&gt;Little Adventures In Hong Kong&lt;/strong&gt; tours, is custom-tailored to your interests.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Noodles are to Hong Kong what pizza is to New York: the signature dish at the heart of a great metropolitan city. When you finish your Won Ton-a-Thon you'll really feel like you've been to Hong Kong.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Come hungry! Contact us now to book your Hong Kong &lt;strong&gt;Won Ton-a-Thon&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;realtravelhongkong@gmail.com&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/campbellswonton.jpg?a=58"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description><category>won ton noodles</category><category>food tours</category><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/10/23/presentingthe-won-tonathon.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">40c700a4-42de-4319-9539-0d75650db14b</guid><pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:14:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>The Hong Kong You Want To See</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/09/20/the-hong-kong-you-want-to-see.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Verdana"&gt;You've been thinking about going to Hong Kong for ages. But you don't want to see the same Hong Kong that everybody else does. You want to prowl the back streets without getting lost, smell the weird and wonderful things in the marketplace and find out what they actually are, eat the best won ton noodle soup and roast goose. You want to eat, explore, feel Hong Kong like a local.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Give me three hours, and I'll give you that Hong Kong.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/realtravelhkpicture.jpg?a=98"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;Contact me now for more info about the walking tours I give in Hong Kong. They're designed just for you. You can come by yourself, or with a maximum of three friends. We eat, shop, walk, explore Hong Kong. It's like having a really savvy local friend, on the ground, to guide you straight to the things you'd really like to see.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Coming to HK on business again? Instead of wandering around aimlessly during your one free morning or afternoon, spend it with me. We'll go to corners of Hong Kong you never imagined existed. Like this one.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/smallvillage.jpg?a=42"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt;Start planning your little adventure in Hong Kong now. Email me for more details: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;realtravelhongkong (at) gmail.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/09/20/the-hong-kong-you-want-to-see.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">ef635ca6-0789-4616-9532-56973f79d391</guid><pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:26:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Let Me Show You My Hong Kong (and my Macau, too)</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/01/06/let-me-show-you-my-hong-kong.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;h1&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;h1&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;Walking Tours of Hong Kong (and Macau)--With An Expert Guide&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;Hong Kong gets 29.5 million tourists a year. They wait in long lines to take the tram up to The Peak, ride to
Kowloon on the Star Ferry, eat dim sum and won ton noodles at the same six or seven restaurants every guidebook recommends, and maybe stop off to buy some fake jade Buddhas at the market on Cat Street.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;But you want to be more than a tourist&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;You want to eat at the best Cantonese restaurants. Not the overhyped and pricey hotel restaurants in the new Michelin Guide, the ones that locals know. You want an on the ground insight into the history, architecture and politics of China, and Asia's most multi-cultural and cosmopolitan city.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;br&gt;You'd like to visit the authentic, local places that tourists haven't found, &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;meet interesting Hong Kongers in journalism, the arts and politics,&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt; get to know Hong Kong's modern architectural gems, and walk through ancient walled Chinese villages that remain standing among groves of urban high-rise apartments&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial"&gt;.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;br&gt;Maybe you just want to find out, for once and for all, what &lt;i&gt;are&lt;/i&gt; all those strange dried things laid out for sale in the market.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Tahoma"&gt;You've just found your local connection&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial"&gt;&lt;font face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;If you are coming to Hong Kong and want to have the kind of experience you'd only expect to have after living here for years, drop me an email:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;RealTravelHongKong@gmail.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I can teach you some cool Cantonese slang.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Take you to a politicial demonstration or a visit to the only courtrooms in China where the judges and barristers wear horsehair wigs.&lt;br&gt;Shop for Chinese porcelain dishes and ebony chopsticks in Hong Kong's oldest department store.&lt;br&gt;&lt;font face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;Explore Hong Kong's Street Food Paradise&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial"&gt;Hong Kong has an endless variety of amazing food that you'd have a hard time ordering on your own if you don't speak or read Chinese. Everything from braised goose webs (they are yummy!) to a cake made of a "thousand" delicate layers of tofu skin.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;&lt;font face="Arial"&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;There are secret trails, high
above Hong Kong's skyscrapers, cut by Chinese pirates in the 1800s who
would sit up there and watch the comings and goings of the boats in the
harbour. There are mountain paths leading to splendid Buddhist
temples. Little ferry boats that head off to tiny, off-the map islands.
Old coffee shops straight out of a Wong Kar-wai movie, and hidden
restaurants that sell the best borscht this side of Moscow.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;Start Planning your Little Adventure in Hong Kong&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial"&gt;If
you are planning a trip to Hong Kong, and want to go "off the map," pop me an email and let me know your dates of
travel, and what you're interested in--food, culture, language,
architecture, history, hiking.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Then we can talk or email and plan a
tailor-made itinerary for you, based on your interests and travel schedule.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;What does it cost?&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;font face="Arial"&gt;It's all up to you. My fee varies according to the
amount of time you would like to spend out and about (I have a 3 hour
minimum), and the number of people who are on board (four people at
once, max). &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Just tell me what you'd like to do in Hong Kong, and we will create a "Little Adventure" that fits your interests and budget.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;font size="3"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size="2"&gt;&lt;font face="Tahoma"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;font face="Arial"&gt;To start the ball rolling, email me:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 153);"&gt;RealTravelHongKong@gmail.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Look forward to hearing from you. See you in Hong Kong in 2009!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;P.S.: I can also show you the real Macau. But better hurry. The government and businessmen in this historic, 400 year old Portuguese city are determined to turn it into the "Las Vegas of the East." There's still time to catch this marvelous place before it folds. &lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description><category>personal tour hong kong</category><category>walking tours hong kong</category><category>food tours hong kong</category><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2009/01/06/let-me-show-you-my-hong-kong.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">e7aea51d-363c-431b-b34c-fa0a7b23aa7b</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:13:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Happy New Year From Hong Kong</title><link>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2008/12/31/happy-new-year-from-hong-kong.aspx?ref=rss</link><dc:creator>Hong Kong Without A Map</dc:creator><description>&lt;img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/0/1/6/2/4/151945-142610/happy_new_year_2009.jpg"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Verdana"&gt;&lt;br&gt;Happy new year...hope to meet you in Hong Kong in 2009!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;</description><comments>http://realtravelhongkong.com/2008/12/31/happy-new-year-from-hong-kong.aspx#Comments</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">b15b5d1c-14a4-4bb7-8728-98e6cf7b9c8d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:04:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>