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Hong Kong
The first thing you need to know about Hong Kong is regarding the weather - it's hot. AND VERY HUMID. When i stepped out of the airport, I felt like I just landed in a tropical jungle. If you have ever been to Florida then you know what humidity feels like. As someone who's been to Florida more times than I can count...the humidity in HK is far worse than anything I've ever experienced.
I stayed in a neighborhood called Wan Chai, which is supposedly the "real & gritty" district of Hong Kong. There you can find lots of ethnic restaurants, little dingy shops, flashing neon electric signs and high-rise tenement buildings - just what one would picture when you think of authentic Hong Kong. As I made my way to the hotel, I immediately noticed some other things. Double decker buses and tram cars, British pubs, jockey clubs, and a huge horse racing track near my hotel - it was like Britain had a baby with China...which they did, in a way. Here is the view from my room:
I immediately decided to do a couple well-known tourist stops in Hong Kong - the Star Ferry from HK Island to Kowloon, and the Victoria Peak. Hong Kong has a really weird setup - people like to think of it as an island, but it really is many islands along with a sprawling mainland area. The Star Ferry connects the main "Hong Kong Island" to "Kowloon" which is the mainland section of the city. This ride only cost me about 30 cents, and it was quite enjoyable. Here's a picture I took while on the boat:
I hiked my way to famous Victoria Peak cable car afterwards. This car takes you up to a high point on the island with fantastic views. It's a short ride, and a steep 45 degree climb up the hill. You can pay a little extra money to enter a "Sky Terrace," which is totally worth it. Check out a picture:
While up there, another American guy and I got to talking. His name was Ardi - he was another solo traveler just like myself. He was staying in a hostel and suggested that I meet up for beers later that night with some of his friends in the hostel. At first I was a little hesitant, but I took a chance and decided I would meet him. I'm really glad I did - I ended up making friends with a whole group of really fun people from all over the world. As we were hanging out in the hostel lounge, more people kept coming in and introducing themselves...before I knew it, we had a group of around 10 people that was ready to go to the bars. Here is some of us at a bar called Carnegie's in the Wan Chai district (Ardi is the guy on the right). Note that I'm wearing my dress shirt from Korea.
We had an absolute blast, and probably stayed out way later than is considered healthy. We ended up in a district called Lan Kwai Fong, which is apparently the big nightclub district. This place was totally overrun when we got there - check out all the people in the street:
The hostel group and I ended up going out the next night as well, and we ended up in Lan Kwai Fong yet again. Two nights in a row of going out took quite a toll on this 28 year-old blogger. Let's just say that my age is slowly catching up with me. I'm still recovering from a sinus infection that began towards the end of my trip in HK....the partying may have been slightly responsible for this.
I visited some more touristy locations while here in Hong Kong. There is a well known attraction called the Man Mo Temple, which was beautiful to see. I could smell the burning incense down the street as I approached, and the air was thick with smoke when I walked inside. Here is a picture:
I also visited Macau, which is a separate "Special Administrative Region" (SAR) of China. This place is a lot like Las Vegas - there are casinos and expensive jewelry stores everywhere. You have to take a jet ferry to get there, which is about a one hour ride, and then go through customs and everything. Americans can visit without any special visa requirements. This place was very strange - there is a huge Portuguese influence, since it used to be a colony of Portugal. People still speak the language there as well. The casinos were a big letdown for me, however. I was hoping to play some craps for a couple hours, only to find out they don't have any craps tables in Macau. The only games they seem to play are Baccarat and Sic Bo, neither of which I understand.
While boarding the jet ferry back to Hong Kong, I ran into a girl named Anna from the hostel group. She is also a consultant from Chicago - what a small world! We decided to meet up the next day and check out some sights. We visited an art museum, the Hong Kong walk of stars, and a seedy marketplace called Chungking Mansions. Here is a picture of the famous Bruce Lee statue in Kowloon:
While this post was long, I'll say it was a very watered down version of my experience in Hong Kong. It was a fantastic city that is truly difficult to describe. If it weren't for the brutal weather, I could easily see myself living in HK someday.
It's weird to be home now...the fantasy is over and I have to readjust to normal life. I'm no longer the only white guy walking down the street, and everybody here speaks perfect English. No more crazy hand gestures to describe what I'm trying to say. No more mental currency conversions to figure out what something costs in US Dollars. No more living out of a backpack. Thanks for reading the blog...maybe I've inspired you to take an adventure like this yourself. Hopefully I've proved that traveling solo is not only possible, it can still be an awesome time. Please let me know if you're planning a trip to this part of the world...I'd love to help in any way I can.
Thanks,
Ted
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