Hong Kong and Home

It was with some anticipation that we were awaiting our sojourn in Hong Kong. Home to the most skyscrapers in the world (over 2000) , ranked as the freest economic and competitive entity in the world, the worlds most popular international traveler destination – is it any wonder? Add to this the unusual fact that Hong Kong is actually a sovereign of China – operating under the principle of “one country, two systems” (Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China except in defense and foreign affairs) it couldn’t help but provoke our interest.

Like all major cities, Hong Kong is composed of various districts. Our hotel was situated in the Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) district, next door to Hong Kong’s largest shopping centre and connected by footbridge to Kowloon Park – home to Flamingos, exotic gardens and hundreds of turtles. We arrived at our hotel at midnight and it was only after stepping from our hotel the following morning and being hit totally and absolutely by the humidity that we knew that we were back in Asia.

With five days to fill, jet lag to overcome and stifling heat to endure we decided that we would just take things very easy – maybe book a tour but apart from that just eat, browse and window shop. Day one saw us walking the streets gazing in awe at the sheer number of high-rise buildings. Kong Hong has a 150 per day limit on the number of emigrants she will take, and its these high-rise buildings that accommodate these numbers. What makes them even more fascinating is that many of them look really old and dilapidated with most of them sprouting air-conditioning units hanging from their external walls. Its modern city juxtapositioned with relative poverty.

Day two saw us take on an ambitious nine-hour tour of the city. Riding the incredibly steep funicular railway up to Victoria Peak for the spectacular views, travelling under Hong Kong harbour by bus then back later by ferry, experiencing the longest outdoor escalator in the world, having a buffet dinner aboard a boat whilst gazing at the light show Hong Kong puts on every night, the day was exhausting but worthwhile. One of its highlights – viewing Hong Kong Happy Valley racecourse. Due to lack of land, the centre of this racecourse is filled with tennis courts, sporting facilities and buildings – no space is left undeveloped. That along with its location – tucked snugly amidst high-rise buildings, resulted in a racecourse unlike any we have ever seen.

The following days saw us viewing and navigating Hong Kong through a thick haze of factory spewing smog. Our room had harbour views but the thickness of the pollution prevented us from seeing much. To escape the smog and heat we mainly browsed the shopping centers, later in the evening hanging at Ferry Pier and visiting the Avenue of Stars before dining on some noodle dish. Unfortunately the nearby museum and cultural centre were undergoing renovations.
Our departure from Hong Kong was not without its dose of the unreal. Travelling back to the airport – this time by day enabled us to see just how much development is being undertaken here. Many many more high-rise buildings, huge multi level highways, incredible bridges spanning large gorges – its awe inspiring.

So that’s Hong Kong. Smoggy, hot and interesting. A city whose scaffold is still made  from Bamboo. In my opinion not quite on par with Singapore. Actually smaller than we were expecting but overall quite fascinating.

I’m writing this blog from Darma Travels headquarters back in beautiful Brunswick Heads. Our 2017 journey is complete. We are quietly assimilating back into everyday life. Fortunately the travel bug is still well and truly with us. For the time being its taken a breather but in the background other journeys are being planned. Until the next major adventure, smaller ones will be undertaken – these will be posted directly to our blog site (not via Facebook). So for those that are interested – pop back now and then.