HONG KONG ... LAS VEGAS .... LORETO ...
You cannot escape the crowds of people
everywhere.
Most foriegners I met at the Hotel rarely strayed far from the safety
and tranquility of the hotel and areas.
This is a shame because there is a lot to experience. Hong Kong is as safe as any large city, and
there is no problem walking around at night.
There are very few hawkers on the street
trying to take me down an alley to buy a fake Rolex or Designer item. Now the stores are lined with so many
designers names, its hard to keep track of them.
I was in a very ordinary mall and there was a new shop just
opened with large bouquets of flowers to celebrate its Grand Opening Sale. There was a line up of 50 people waiting
patiently while the security guard let people into the store as others exited …
with at least 60 people in the store at any given time. What on earth could be so worthwhile to wait
for such bargains? I peered in the
window and saw designer purses … not the usual Prada, Coach, or Fendi, but
lesser name brands that I did not recognize.
These purses ranged from $12,000 to $20,000 HKD, which is about $1500 to
$3000+ USD each. They were on sale for
20% to 30% off … which in my opinion is still not a great deal for a cute bag you can
buy in the alley for 10% of this cost (less the designer label)! 
There are universal ways to gauge a city’s economy. One way is the price of a Big Mac at
McDonalds; and the second is how many people are carrying bags at shopping
malls. Everyone goes to the mall in
every city, but in Hong Kong everyone had bags and bags of new purchases. Many of the buyers were from China. Hong Kong is fascinating for its history and
its diversity and food choices require definite commitment to learn. An interesting place if you happen to be
there on business, or stopping on a cruise.
For big city travel … it would not make my top 10 favorites. 
Returning to the USA after a whirlwind 2 weeks in Asia, I
decided to stop in Vegas and visit with my favorite girls. Vegas is always surreal and a great place to
get over jet lag as time does not matter.
We spent more time in the casinos and most of the good hotels regulate
the smoking areas. There was not the
constant pinging of slot machines, nor the scanty clad waitresses serving
drinks. Vegas too is changing … for the
better and it was a great week! 
Now back in Loreto for a week, this is the first day I have
to relax and decompress all the sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences in the past month. After walking 15,000 steps a day and waking
up in 7 different hotels, it is good to be back home in the tranquility of
Loreto. What strikes me the most is
that there are good people everywhere, great fun and experiences if you look
for them, and there are also many people that fear the unknown. The unknown is simply a road you haven’t
gone down yet. Sometimes there is a
road map with paved streets, yet still surprise construction occurs with detours. Sometimes you need to make your own path but
have a clear imagine of your destination.
Most often it’s a bit of both.
Life is a journey and I am one that doesn’t want too much predictability. I definitely enjoy my creature comforts, but
in my mind it is important to always be open to new experiences and
opportunities. I am very happy to be
back in Loreto where I can be spontaneous and make new
friends each day! Life is good!
Gung Hay Fat Choy ... Wishing you a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year of the Pig!!
