HONG KONG

Hong Kong. A wonderful place to be a tourist.

 

It seems so long ago, our first stop on our way to see the world. 

Nine hours in the air. A small patch of blue fills the porthole of the plane, reminding us of the sunny skies we were leaving behind. We sat tight in our cramped economy seats, wishing that we had been able to turn left instead of right when we boarded the aircraft. Still, we couldn't help but feel excited - it was our first adventure together, the first time we had visited a foreign place, lodged in a hotel, walked unfamiliar streets. Home was suddenly far away.

It was a different view from the train window, riding into Kowloon that night. A blaze of red and shady lights, bright amid the thick night sky.

The floor of the glass elevator at the W Hotel screamed "Good Evening" to us in colored lights under our feet.

A room of our own

Our room. Up 38 floors. The last time we were up 38 floors was at the dentist...

We opened our door, and stared in awe at our room, while desperately searching for way to turn on the lights. (Why didn't anyone tell us you have to use the swipe key...?)

A window fills one wall; the view, slightly distorted by the night and the haze, overlooks Hong Kong Harbor, the uneven suspension bridge and a cluster of cargo ships randomly anchored below, on the docks, glimmering red, yellow, blue and green.

The bath lays under a plasma TV, the shower jets water from the ceiling. And the bed is out of this world. King-size, and like sleeping on the clouds.

We slept like angels amid the fog.

It was 6:30AM when we woke. Wide awake, admiring our view horizontally, in the polluted daylight. The weather was humid and sticky. Still, somewhere, well smothered by murk and fume, was a warm, pale yellow sun.

76 floors up, a pool and a sauna. And no one around. Careful, don't swim off the edge...

Swim, sauna, shower. Coffee. The lift says "Good Morning" under our feet.

Adventures in Mong Kok...

The Goldfish Markets. Streets lined with bubbles of shiny, clear plastic bags, knotted tight at their tip, full of water, and little golden fish swimming in circles, inside.

A few streets north, the Flower Markets. Its best and brightest in the morning, the beautiful, vibrant colors of the roses, orchids and other exotic blossoms which line the length of Flower Market Road.

Around another corner, the Bird Garden. An elegant courtyard full of old Chinese men in white singlets, and all manner of songbirds chirping incessantly from behind the bars of their beautiful, hand-carved, wooden cages.

A u-turn, and we disappear into the chaos that is the "ladies markets" - the name seems unbecoming, as the markets offer more than just women's clothing. Knick knacks galore, shoes, clothes, toys, paintings, watches, jewelry, fruit, sugar cane juice, junk... We bought some apples.

And the best custard tarts in the world, hot, straight out of the oven...

People everywhere. We escaped onto Nathan Road.

Soon, we found shoes. Shop after shop of Nikes, Adidas, Puma... in every color, shape and size, so many in every passing window that you don't know where to stop. Then, another street, another mall, the same again, only watches, and cameras and electrical goods. Endless. Some hustling, some bargains. And some things, not so different.

We stumbled along a few more gems...

The small, covered Jade Market was slightly disappointing. Full of cheap trinkets.

But not far away, we happened upon a street of shops all selling kitchenware; pots, pans, knives, baking trays, cutlery...

A chef's dream...

Luckily, our suitcases were already too full, mostly of shoes. So, we pushed on...

As we reached Jordan Road, the rain came. The sun followed, shortly after. Evening was approaching.

And a Symphony of Light.

We boarded a Star Ferry, to sail across Victoria Harbor. Star Ferries have plied between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island since 1888, and the portly green and white relics from the 1950's are still used by commuters, despite the faster trains and road tunnels which run under the harbor.

Dinner on Hong Kong Island. And suddenly it was late. Time to say goodbye. Soon, we would be somewhere else.

Hong Kong is a strange mix of frenetic financial capital and cultural fusion, all ablaze of lights and color. A place where everybody stops for a day, passes through, and moves on.