Like a lot of my blogs, I start and then finish it months later… this was started just after the October break but now as Hong Kong has become a regular Tuesday evening and Sunday morning destination, this blog has taken on a new life!

Neto, the owner of a Mexican restaurant in Shekou, Tequila Coyote (I have trouble saying it even without a margarita!) said this on finding out we were new to Shenzhen. I knew at that moment (irrespective of whether it is true or not) that it would be the title of a blog.

Since arriving in Shenzhen in August, Martin has been multiple times but I am waiting. (I am not sure for what!) We were actually all supposed to go the weekend of the 16th September with Martin but Eleanor and I had a date booked on 17th with 4 Irish men in the form of Westlife so thought we would take the weekend easy.

From our apartment we can see the region that is Hong Kong. When someone thinks of Hong Kong, they think of the bright lights, sky scrapers and the harbour view, but Hong Kong is so much more than that. With lush, green hills and sandy beaches there is much to explore beyond the metropolis. Something that we haven’t yet done, but friends have and some say the beaches rival Thailand’s!

With there being a myriad of transport options to get to Hong Kong from Shenzhen, I think between us we have done them all. Back in December 2014 we crossed the border on foot having taken a MTR in Hong Kong and took the metro in Shenzhen. Back then our passports were stamped four times within the space of two weeks. Now though, the advent of e-channel means that having our passports stamped in and out of China is a thing of the past – which is lucky because if we were doing the trip our passports would soon be full – and Martin and I have 48 page passports because echannel really wasn’t a thing a couple of years ago!

In December I went to Hong Kong for brunch and Christmas shopping with Lady G. This was the first time I had gone across leaving Martin and Eleanor behind. (I had gone to HK Airport in September but that doesn’t count) Erin and I took a Didi (Chinese Uber) to Shenzhen Bay crossing -and I used the e-channel for the first time. We came out of Hong Kong immigration (a smallish line) and followed the signs for the taxi rank. Erin and I walked past all the buses having no idea where they go and hopped into a red taxi. Erin told him where we were going – in English – and excitingly he understood and we got to where we wanted to go. Erin paid in cash. As foreigners we can’t use the Chinese paying apps, Alipay and Wechat outside the mainland. This is frustrating to say the least, but I now have an Octopus card, which is a travel card and payment card too – though as we are finding – not all taxis accept Octopus! The card is in my “wallet” on my phone but I still have an actual wallet with cards and cash in too and is now called the Hong Kong wallet.

No self respecting day visitor to Hong Kong from the mainland or indeed vice versa it seems travels without a small wheely suitcase for supplies and while I was under strict instructions not to buy too much (Australia at Christmas). This was incredibly difficult at c!ty’super at the ifc Mall but I watched Erin buy and I succumbed to a yard long packet of twix for Eleanor’s stocking. (It didn’t fit in the suitcase obviously but I managed to get it in and zipped up either side so I didn’t take anyone out with it.

We then progressed to the main event of the day – brunch at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental. We walked there, and while it didn’t seem so far, Erin and I got a bit confused coming in the back way but a number of helpful people assisted us and we found our way into SOMM, a darkened semi circular bar area with snugs and fabulous modern French cuisine. Oysters, divine raspberry jam on freshly baked flaky croissants, whipped butter, delicately poured Champagne, steak, and many other dishes that tempted and tickled our taste buds.

From SOMM we headed to Marks and Spencer. And having spent a lot on breaded products and biscuits and pork cocktail sausages and a few other things (including butter – Erin’s purchase not mine) we headed of for an ill advised post brunch and shopping wine. The place had to be “Call Me Al” – though please don’t- only a few people get to call me this. Peter had booked us a table in advance. Now Call Me Al has great music, and is close to an off-license so after a glass of wine Erin left me to and purchase a couple of top end bottles to make a Christmas Negroni kit.

Erin came back and after a final glass of wine, we collected our multiple shopping bags and 2 wheely suitcases from the back area (our Marks and Spencer haul didn’t quite fit into the wheely suitcases). On reflection neither Erin nor I made it to the back to get our own bags – the staff brought it out, and as our Uber (yes we had used the Uber app to call the taxi) was waiting we got the bags and bundled ourselves into the taxi and whizzed away back to the border.

At some point Erin and I realised we didn’t have all our bags. Sadly most of it was Erin’s (think butter and cheese) together with my loaf of Tiger bread. A bag that I knew was on top of beer kegs because we had put it there to keep the bread from being squashed. Erin messaged Peter who messaged the staff at Call Me Al, and they put it in the fridge. Now ordinarily, we could have waved goodbye to our purchases, but not Peter – any excuse- on the Monday after work, Peter took one for the team and went to Hong Kong to retrieve the purchases (oh and have a couple of cheeky cocktails while he was there).

Since December, I have been over with Jill in January and learnt a valuable lesson – Apple Maps do not necessarily take you the best way… we decided to go to Feather and Bone, a restaurant on the mid-levels. There are others. The map took us a very interesting way – up some very steep roads. Hong Kong is NOT flat! Martin had told me about the escalator… but what Jill and I were not prepared for was that having schlepped our way up the roads, the restaurant would be at the escalator intersection. The dawn of realisation can test friendships.

Crossing the border for sport

Since February Hong Kong has become a destination for Eleanor every Tuesday night and Sunday morning. Sundays she has been accompanied by both Martin and I, and on a Tuesday either by Martin or I and latterly Eleanor has crossed the border by herself!!!

Eleanor has found a love of netball. It started in her old school in Suzhou but in Northern Ireland she played both at the school and then for Larne. Disappointed it isn’t played at Harrow Shenzhen, I started it as an after school activity which Eleanor effectively leads. She also plays with a group of ladies in Futian after school on a Wednesday, but since going to Hong Kong each week, Futian is not really a destination for now. Eleanor took it upon herself to find out about netball teams in HK, sadly the nearest team to the border said there was no room, but Hong Kong Cricket Club took her on and she is playing either Goal Defence of Goalkeeper at the Sunday matches. The Phoenixes have made the semi finals in April!

With the matches on Sunday it would be so easy to stop in Hong Kong and go for brunch but none of us have the money to do that. However, we have done it twice – once in February because while I have done a brunch with Lady G in Hong Kong we haven’t done it with the families. So in February we met at Cantina, an Italian restaurant at Tai Kwun where the Police Headquarters once occupied.

Martin can follow a map and so we went up on the escalators. So much easier than trekking up the hills. After brunch we did an obligatory Marks and Spencer trip and then straight into a car that with dual number plates took us direct from Central Hong Kong right back to Shekou, Shenzhen.

Our final brunch of this blog was at Zuma, featuring contemporary Japanese cuisine first seen in London. All of these dining choices are from PG and as it was Peter’s birthday on St Patrick’s weekend they made a weekend of it, and we joined after netball. I am not exactly a fan of sushi or sashimi but there is more to Japanese fare than this- and pair it with Champagne- then why wouldn’t you? I also trust Peter’s choice of restaurant. He hasn’t once let us down, and while I have a film list to get through – he has his own Hong Kong food and drink place list to sample and why wouldn’t we join for as much as possible…

So… is the best thing about Shenzhen, Hong Kong – no. Shenzhen is a vibrant, buzzing city, our local – Tequila Coyote brings South American chefs working in Hong Kong on a Sunday each month and when we aren’t there we are exploring other restaurants in other areas. We are having a great time in both cities, but just as we go to Hong Kong for a day trip, so too are Hong Kongers coming to Shenzhen for food, cheaper items and apparently better service.

My next blog won’t be so long in coming! Though be warned it will be Hong Kong based again – and do I eat and drink all the time? Possibly – but the food is soo good!