One Night in Mongkok (Markets, Food Stalls, and Huge Crowds)

Market on Flower Garden Street (Video, click!)

(I'd like to apologize ahead of time for the cheesy title...couldn't help it, it practically BEGGED for it!)

I was in search of adventure after spending the latter half of last week stuck on campus, feeling a bit under the weather. Plus, one of my Swedish friends was a little homesick and in need of some bed covers, so we went to the Ikea in Sha Tin (I have yet to feel homesick for American culture/food and go to MacDonald's or Pizza Hut). The Ikea is pretty close to Mong Kok, so we thought, 'What the heck,' and decided to hit it up.

What makes Mong Kok special is that it has preserved its street markets, which are must-sees on every tourist's list here. It was an experience to not only explore the markets, but to fight through the crowds in the city with the largest population density in the world...on a weekend!

Work your way through the more 'modern' streets with their movie billboards and shopping centers, then follow your nose to the source of the smells of shrimp dumplings, chili sauce and other unidentifiable but delicious meaty street snacks. I'm a bit iffy when it comes to street food because you never know about quality (and sanitary issues); so, when in doubt, go where the crowd is! This led to some absolutely delicious unidentifiable meat dumplings on a stick slathered with chili sauce. Later we went to a Taiwanese-style dessert restaurant and had THIS sugary delight: ice-shaved cream with jellies and marshmallows.
At the markets there's what appears to be miles and miles of purses, clothing, Chinese decorations, toys, accessories, books, shoes, fruit, and various electronic odds and ends. And you can tell this is some original, quality stuff; take, for example, the beautiful licensed Mickey Mouse T-shirt below!

Suuuure.......

Yeah, this CHILD'S shirt looks legit, too

I can't imagine EVER having a shopping experience like this one in the U.S. I can't imagine how anyone could EVER buy or use all of the stuff that has been crammed into the streets, or how all of these people can live and work in such crowded conditions, stacked in rooms on top of each other, let alone how anyone could sleep with a booming market below them, with salesmen with microphones selling the latest vacuum cleaner.

I'd write some more, but I'm exhausted, so enjoy some photos~

Don't even attempt to DRIVE here, geesh...