HKG017: Causeway Bay, Bus 19, and NEW DIGS!!!

we had a suuuppeeer busy day today. the kids and i putzed around the closet for a while, and then headed out to catch bus 19 to head into causeway bay to do some shopping at one of the street markets. we didn't start out gang busters. bus 19 came to the stop a minute or so after we got to the stop, and before we got on and went somewhere we didn't plan to, i asked the driver if the bus went to causeway bay. he told me "no." so, that bus took off, and i took time to regroup, starting with the double checking the bus sign (had researched bus routes online last night, too). yep, bus 19 goes to causeway bay on it's way to it's final stop, which is north point ferry (and this is what the lighted ticker at the front of the bus said (north point ferry) and why i asked to be sure it also went to causeway bay.)

so, we waited. the kids really did do a super job, but quinn is just spring loaded and trying to keep him on the sidewalk and out of the street is an olympic event. eventually, we boarded bus 19 (same bus and driver that told me no 20 minutes before!) and were on our way. we got to the general area i wanted to be in and wandered around for a while. we found a fun toy store (thomas stuff for q and toy story stuff for the bug), and then we headed into another market to look for a new bag for me...found one...it's small, but fits all my stuff, and i can wear it over my shoulder. it was a whopping 7 bucks u.s. (it's not pretty or frou frou at all...in fact, i think it might be water resistant). we looked around a while longer, and then headed back for the bus stop we'd gotten off at.

we got on bus 19 and were trucking along nicely until i see that the bus is pulling into a big bus parking lot. and we're the only ones on it. i ask the driver if the bus will be going to happy valley (on the number 19 route), and it is, but will be out of commission for 20 minutes. off we go in search of lunch (specifically mcdonald's). nope, we didn't find it, but we did miss the 19 leaving by less than 2 minutes. so, we waited 20 minutes for the next 19 to leave. we finally got back to happy valley, procured some mcd's, and then headed home to eat lunch and get a nap before heading out to meet up with josh and get the keys to our new place.

for the first time in about a week, quinn fell asleep for his nap without protest, and i had to wake him to meet josh. we had no issues getting the bus to meet up with josh (except that we JUST missed it and had to wait 20 minutes for the next one). we all rode another bus together to the mid-levels, got the keys, and had a great time looking around the apartment.

we aren't quite a go on the apartment yet...we have keys, but the stove has to be replaced b/c of a safety issue (gas stove), and the apartment has to be cleaned. i'm not the neatest person on the block, and i am far from a clean freak, but even i was appalled at the state of the apartment...it is FILTHY. it is in the same or worse condition as it was when we looked at it almost 2 weeks ago after the previous tenant had moved. the floors have been refinished, and that is the cause of some of the dirt, but there is still junk and trash left around. i guess it's good that we won't have any furniture or our stuff for a bit...easier for me to clean!

without futher ado, here are our pics from today!

HKG017: Causeway Bay, Bus 19, and New Digs