Chinatown Downpour

Oh, my purse feels so heavy. I think I'll take out the umbrella and leave it behind today. It's such a nice sunny day -- I won't need it. I think you can see where this story is headed.

Chinatown was my destination today and not that far from where we are staying. I took the subway only a couple of stops and came up on Pagoda Street. It is part of the Chinatown Street Market -- my guidebook calls it souvenir heaven. I am ashamed to say that I spent quite a bit of time on this street and couldn't resist buying a few items. I didn't take many pictures today. I was too busy browsing. I discovered that prices are not really firm, but I am not that good at bartering. And that the tailors are quite persistent and irritating, trying to entice you in for custom made clothes.


In Chinatown you come upon a lot of "Medical Halls". They appear to be shops selling all kinds of strange things that I can't identify, mostly sold in bulk. I think they are dried herbs and things used for medicinal purposes. I went in to one more modern medical Hall that is famous for its bottled Bird's Nest, a potion that will cure all. I would have bought some, but who knew bird's nests were so expensive.


This is a more typical open medical hall selling traditional Chinese medicines.

I tried bak kwa, a Chinese snack, and it was yummy. It is a sweet BBQ'd pork strip -- think Chinese beef jerky, only better. And I also tried another recommended treat, the egg tart. It was yummy, too--think butter tart, only with a sweet yellow filling. It was while I was eating the tart sitting at an outside table that I was surprised to find that it started to rain. Oh,oh!

Taxis are everywhere until it rains, then you can't find one. I had to find my way back to the subway stop, and it was quite a downpour. At one point a lady saw me looking bedraggled and spontaneously gave me a piece of cardboard to hold over my head. See, people are nice! (There will be no photo accompanying this part of the tale.)