Our rendezvous in Hong Kong is over and I’m enjoying a Starbucks Green Tea Latte on our flight to Guilin (we’re heading back to mainland China for the last leg of our trip). I spent two marvellous days in Hong Kong. My general impression is that it is very clean. I encountered no squatters when using the restrooms facilities. Escalator signs informed users that sanitizer regularly disinfected the handrail (now that is smart). After a day of touring, I returned to our hostel at 1 am, passing street cleaners pressure washing the sidewalks. All this cleanliness was a wonder to my eye after the mainland China experience.
The weather was hot but not humid. However, we arrived just after a typhoon that cooled things off as locals report it is incredibly hot and humid. Prices are a lot higher in Hong Kong when compared to mainland China but still affordable by Canadian standards. The demographic is much more multicultural than all the places we have been so far. The awesome threesome got looks but not as intense or numerous as during our previous travels. Still no “hold my baby” photo. I thought for sure Preet would receive such a request by now.
As in most major Chinese cities, the subway was efficient and easy to navigate. The food is delicious anywhere you go: upper scale restaurants or local mom-and-pop shops. Also, any North American product or brand is readily available.
On a side note, ladies, it is extremely difficult, actually impossible thus far, to find tampons, a diffuser or curly hair styling products in places like Qingdao.
I guess what made the biggest impression on me is how crowded Hong Kong is. There are people everywhere, all the time. Subways seems very busy by my Torontonian standards when it is actually a slow period. Sidewalks are always full of pedestrians as is the street with cars, taxis and public transit. And, yes, there is a lot of pushing; I’d say much more than mainland China. Now, this is a challenge for me as I am reserved and feel absolutely out of place pushing myself everywhere: entering/exiting the subway, sidewalks, tourist attraction lineups, etc.
The final observation I made is the ease of money transactions in Hong Kong. (Another side note: Hong Kong has it’s own unique currency creatively called the Hong Kong dollar). Anyhow, what I want to say is bank machines for foreigners to withdraw money are readily available everywhere and credit cards are accepted everywhere. Another small, yet much appreciated convenience often not found on the mainland.
Lantau – The Big Buddha
We took a 20 minute cable car ride to see a giant Buddha on top of a mountain. The car had a glass floor so it was pretty neat. For this leg of the trip, we met up with two Canadian teachers from our Qingdao program: Kevin and Wilma. They were our tour guide. Before arriving at the base of the giant Buddha, we had to walk up “a lot” of steps. The statue was very impressive, as were the surrounding statues and view from the mountain top.
Mong Fok
Our next stop was Mong Fok, a market district. It was very busy and crowded and I got disoriented in seconds. Luckily, Yee, Claudia’s friend, was there to guide us and assist in bartering with vendors.
Victoria Peak
We took a tram up the side of a mountain to see a breath-taking view of Hong Kong at night. The skyline is much busier than that of Shanghai. I prefer Shanghai’s skyline only because each sky scrapper is so unique in design.
Hostel Life
In Hong Kong, there was a mix-up with our hostel booking and, instead of a private room for the awesome threesome, we ended up in a shared room with a total of nine guests. At least it was nine women. However, sharing one bathroom with so many women is no easy task, especially when living out of a suitcase. Initially, the experience left me thinking I’m really too old for this but I eventually adjusted. We’ve booked hostels throughout our entire trip and I was pleasantly surprised that people of all walks of life and ages frequent them. I have seen young and middle-aged people, singles, and couples. It really is an economical way to travel and you meet a lot of people in the process. The nine person room was an experience but I do recommend private rooms whenever possible.
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