Our Last Day in Honkers

This is our last morning in Asia, and our only day to wrap things up in Hong Kong. We each made a list on the airplane of things thatmust get done. I am also repsonding to a reader who asked for a Birkin, or two.

So first we went to Maylin which used to make the best Birkin this side of Hermes. No more, they are still making fine bags but none are in the style of the Hermes brand. I am not looking for a fake but a good quality inspiration. I thought $300 USD would do the trick (my reader's budget) but alas, everything I am pricing today is $500 for the 35 cm size and $580 for the 45 cm size. She also has a list of needs per color of hardware, length of straps, etc-- all which point to having a bag custom made.

I've already been to Shenzhen and cannot possibly get across the border and back in time to make my dinner rdv and she rally doesn't want anything shoddy or illegal. Ricco from the New World Centre, has great bags, but alas, they begin at $500USD. Ashneil has the best handbags in the world, but would have to make the bag to order. Sam Wo's quality is now so low he must be Low Wu.

And so we're off to try a few more sources before we give up and cry. The saddest part of all is that years ago, in the pharmacy inthe basement of The Pen, they had the best Birkin copies for $250. Alas, the pharmacy is now a jewelry store and Hong Kong keeps on moving.

We've been moving rather quickly ourselves-- we began the day with room service breakfast in our suite in The Peninsula, we ate overlooking the harbour and savoring our final day. Then we went first to The Jade Market where we needed to compare prices and quality with items we'd seen in China (favorable here in HKG!) and then on to New Fei Optical to get another pair of glasses made and to learn about the charade of the first pair, done totally in mime and Chinese in Shenzhen. Today's pair cost three times as much, but appear to be promising.

Then we hit the InterContinental Hotel-- we go there just about every day whether we are staying there or not-- and checked out the handbag sources per above. Lunch at McDonald's -- back on my diet tomorrow!-- and then a quick nap before heading out tolook at more Birkin wannabes and then hit the Fa Yuen Street market followed by the Ladies market.

The hot new item all over Fa Yuen is a visor gadget that snaps in place across your face (think Darth Vader) to serve as a pair of sunglasses. They cost about $3-5, depending on the vendor, the quantity you buy and your bargaining skills. We were tempted by someof the doggy squeak toys, but they were very expensive and settled instead for some very expensive Chinese silk sacs in which to nestle some of the gifts we bought on the trip. Alas, no silk sac is big enough for the Birkin.