There has been a lot going on over here on this side of the world. The final countdown has begun. I believe I have about 11 days left and I can already smell the Christmas dinner. Hong Kong was amazing. Our hostel was right downtown. Hong Kong is like New York, divided into neighborhoods, each with their own distinct vibe and feel. Causeway Bay, where our hostel was located, has the Times Square, bright lights, throngs of people, bright lights, restaurants and shopping. Although not one of the main bar streets, the night life in our area is still around. We began our first day in a small with with two double beds. Apparently, even though Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region ruled by the British for 99 years, the Chinese stuff still leaks through at times. Our room had been booked, but they promised a new room for the last three nights. Jim, John, and I walked around the city exploring what it had to offer. Victoria Park was not too far away and the streets were crowded with foreigners. There were families and business people, Indians and Chinese, Americans and Europeans. We all nearly got killed corssing the streets (remember 99 years of British rule), but we managad to survive after a few brushes with double decker buses. A walk along the waterfront aveneue took us by the car dealerships: Ferrari, Mazerati, Lambourgini, Lotus, Lexus, BMW, Aston Martin, Mercedes, and the rest. The wealth here is incredible. It's amazing what 99 years of Western influence can do to China. Hong Kong has no hacking, no spitting, no haze, and get this: no squatters! Walking down the roads, we felt like we were once again flung into a futuristic city. Some of the intersections downtown were raised roads with flyover exits and lightrail trains running down the center. The cars whizzed around us as the people weaved through the sidewalks. It was like being in a blender of Chinese and Western cultures, literally.
We went out to Wan Chai the first night and although expensive, we had a good time out. It was really night to see Christmas lights and the fact that everyone spoke English was a real convenience. In Hong Kong, the local Chinese speak Cantonese, not Mandarin, which means that even if I wanted to speak Chinese, I probably couldn't get around on my own. I couldn't even read the characters because they used traditional and not simplified characters.
The second day we got up, ate, moved rooms and headed to Victoria Peak. As an island, Hong Kong is built a lot like Honolulu, Hawaii. There isn't much room, and the mountains give little level ground to build on. The only solution to this is to build up. One of the best ways to view the city skyscrapers is to go to the top of Victoria's Peak, directly behind Central (the district). The tram takes you up and up and the scene was beautiful. Victoria Harbor (everything is Victoria, it's British), which separates Hong Kong island from Kowloon (on the mainland China, but still part of the Hong Kong territory). The water was beautiful, the weather was great and all was good. After the peak, we went down to the Mid-Levels to see the residential area. The Mid-Levels are comparible to the Upper "Sides" of Manhattan. The richest of the rich live here in Hong Kong. We rode the Mid-Level Central Escalators, which are the longest series of outdoor escalators in the world. Along the way, we saw some great places to live and a fantastic neighborhood to eat, drink, and relax.
We walked around Central for a bit before going back home to change for the night. We ate a decent dinner and went out to Lan Kuai Fong bar street. This district was great. Besides the fact that I felt young amid the late 20s/early 30s crowd; and felt a bit plain without a jacket (many of the patrons had probably headed out for some after work cocktails and were dressed in business clothes); I enjoyed myself throughly.
The next day, we headed across the Harbor to Kowloon to explore what the other side had to offer. This was the first time I saw a line outside of Gucci and there were more high-end stores than 7-11s (and Hong Kong has 7-11s like Manhattan has Starbucks). We ate a quick lunch and hopped on a river tour. The river tour took us around the Harbor. I was amazed by the skyline. Just like most of Asia, 10 years ago this skyline barely existed. When the boat returned, we went out for a nice dinner before heading to the waterfront to watch the nightly light show. The light show was one of my favorite things about Hong Kong. Unique to Hong Kong, this is the longest running permanent light show in the world. Laser beams, spotlights, and some 60 skyscrapers involved, the light show was mesmerizing and impressive. We headed back to Lan Kuai Fong to top the night off and call it a great day.
The final day was a day that we all got separated. Jim and John went to Macau to gamble, but John forgot his passport in the room. By the time he came to the room, I had already left to see the giant sitting buddha on a nearby island. John ended up spending the day exploring more of the city, Jim won $300 USD gambling in Macau, and I enjoyed the bronze Buddha. All the activities took all day, but we all had a great time none-the-less.
To top the night off, we went out to a fantastic Mexican restaurant. It was pretty much a fiesta in my stomach because not only have I not seen Mexican food since I came to China, but this was actually decently good Mexican too! We walked around Wan Chai after dinner and spent out last night at a low key bar nearby.
Upon returning to Beijing, we were greeted with the Siberian winds from the Arctic and a haze so bad you couldn't see across the street. Typical Beijing. Other than that, my head is exploding with all the homework I have to do. I leave once again on Thursday for Tokyo, and I'll still be counting down the days until Grandma's home cooking. I can't wait to show everyone the cool things I've picked up along my travels. Remember those days when I was blogging about the Olympics? Seems like another lifetime ago! Anyway, here are the pictures. See you soon.
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| Hong Kong by John |
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| Hong Kong by Regis |
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