While it was hard to bid farewell to Hong Kong so quickly, the short trip there was totally worth every second. It was just shy of a five hour flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong, and with our arrival midday Friday and departure late Sunday afternoon, we had to get down to business. My maniacal tourist tendencies came in handy, as I carefully constructed a jam-packed itinerary that would enable us to take in most of the major sights. Google is a tremendous help when one needs to take on travel agent duties...
After settling into our hotel on Hong Kong Island, we immediately headed to a Michelin-rated dim sum place called Tim Ho Wan. Apparently there are locations in NYC, Vegas, Irvine, Houston and Waikiki too. I had never eaten dim sum before and it did not disappoint!
After lunch, we spent the rest of the day exploring the island's neighborhoods, street markets, and stores. The topography of the island is very interesting. It's flat in some areas, very hilly in others, and then there are mountains spread across parts of it. Honestly, it reminded us of Pittsburgh (in an exotic sort of way). The island is home to about 7.5 million residents. Given its size and the constraints that the mountains and sea present, the only way to accommodate that many people is to build up (in the air that is). Therefore, the skyline is an endless panorama of enormous, unusual skyscrapers all squished together. It makes for jaw-dropping views at almost every turn.
First we checked out the Mid-Levels Escalators, the world's longest outdoor, covered escalator system. It's comprised of one-way escalators and moving walkways that allow you to watch locals and take pictures from an elevated position. It also helps commuters navigate up the steep roads in one of the busiest parts of the city.
Then we explored the area called Sheung Wan, visited Man Mo Temple with it's cool coiled incense offerings, and strolled through the exhibits in the historic Victoria Prison which is a part of the newly restored Tai Kwun Art & Heritage Centre. Our last stop before returning to the hotel to get ready for dinner was Causeway Bay. Shopping is an art form in Hong Kong - and this area is dedicated to it. The streets are lined with local shops and there are huge shopping malls seemingly on every corner.
Paul really loves Peking Duck (maybe it's PC to call it Beijing Duck now?), so we went to an authentic Chinese restaurant close to our hotel for dinner. And when I say authentic, I mean it. The menu featured all sorts of strange stuff (yes, even Bird's Nest Soup). That, coupled with the fact we were the only non-Chinese people in the joint, made for a unique evening. Paul got his duck (which I tried and didn't love) and I ordered this beef, onion and ginger dish that was pretty lousy. It was certainly not one of our best meals, but it was an experience nevertheless.
Saturday we focused on meandering around Kowloon, the northern part of Hong Kong on the mainland, across Victoria Harbor. We began our day with a strange breakfast at Tsui Wah restaurant - a classic Hong Kong-style cafe that blends food from the East with the West. Paul and I shared a table with an elderly local man - which was unusual enough. Our meal consisted of scrambled eggs, sausage, egg salad on a croissant, fried fish, a hashbrown patty, and a green salad. To be honest, it was just okay. The real treat was at the bakery next door where we enjoyed a Hong Kong favorite - pineapple buns. Yum!
Next we strolled through several street markets that were just starting to set up for the day at 11 a.m. Things get started pretty late in Hong Kong. Most stores don't open until then as well - even on Saturdays! Paul used his negotiating skills to haggle with the street vendors who we later learned (the hard way) are not entirely honest. We bought a Dyson-style blow dryer for just $25 USD which we were assured would work in Japan. It does not.🙃 We then ventured to Langham Place - a 12-story mall with the world's scariest and steepest escalators. After riding them up, we opted to take the elevator down. LOL
Our next stop was Kowloon Park, a HUGE green space in the middle of the city's business district, that features a public pool, sculpture walk, fountains, aviary, soccer field, fitness trail, public plaza, maze garden and playground. It even has a lake with Flamingos!
After the park, we slowly made our way to the harbor area where we spent a couple hours relaxing and taking in the astonishing scenery. Along the harbor's walkway is the Avenue of the Stars - Hong Kong's version of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. I was impressed with how many Asian movie stars Paul knew. He easily recognized many more actors than I did (of all the plaques we saw, I only knew Bruce Lee, Michele Yeoh, and Jackie Chan). Anyway, we enjoyed a beer and some French fries before making our way to 1881 Heritage which used to be Hong Kong's Marine Police Headquarters, but is now - you guessed it - an upscale shopping area (with really cool architecture).
We grabbed a quick bowl of spaghetti bolognese before lining up for our evening cruise on an original Chinese junk boat to see the Symphony of Lights - a synchronized music and light show that happens every night at 8 p.m. It was amazing!
We had just enough time on Sunday for one last bakery visit to savor another pineapple bun (this time with butter - even better!) and egg & cheese custard tarts. After breakfast we road the Peak Tram, one of the world's oldest funicular railways, to Victoria Peak - the highest point of Hong Kong Island.
The Iron City came to mind again, as the tram felt very similar to the Duquesne Incline which crawls up Pittsburgh's Mount Washington. After taking in the phenomenal skyline one last time, we returned to the hotel, caught a bus to the airport, and made our way back to Tokyo.
I have always wanted to visit Hong Kong, never dreaming I'd actually get the opportunity. The pictures here don't do it justice. The skyline is like no other. I'm so fortunate to have been able to see it in person. If you ever have the chance to travel to Hong Kong, DEFINITELY DO IT! You won't be sorry.
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