Ah, Hong Kong you're a heartbreaker, and yes you have officially become my favourite city (sorry, New York, no offense intended!). I knew almost as soon as I landed that I would love Hong Kong. The expensive, but relentlessly efficient, Airport Express whisked me into Kowloon where I easily located the free shuttle bus, and a display saying it would leave in 9 mins. It did.
My shoebox hotel was exactly as anticipated. Though some online reviewers had complained about the shoeboxiness of the place (what do you expect in Hong Kong for $35 a night?) and surly staff, I found it exactly to my liking and the staff most helpful. The curtains were of the chicest available garbage bag material, effectively shutting out the light, if not the street noise. Slept deeply.
Hong Kong beckoned. No, too folksy. Hong Kong lured. Too suggestive. Well, I went for a walk and took care of some unfinished business. One such matter included the early-in-the-trip rip-off. This time it involved purchasing a camera. It appears upon later research that I overpaid. But at least I got a good exchange rate on the currency conversion (don't let it be said that I am a 100% sucker). One must find the silver lining in these things. If only I had bought the damn thing in Bangkok, I would have paid $200 less (and that was the opening price). Thai people are so honest.
So, took the Star Ferry, climbed the mid-level escalators (longest in the world), checked out Soho, and generally fell in love with that city's scale, detail, variety and ambiance. Urban design is fine-grained, yet still gritty. Climbed the Peak with some help from the tram (and my loaned Octopus card -thanks Bonnie. Basically, it's a swipe credit card for transportation, everywhere. Period. How easy it that?) and immediately found what every good Asian wants to see when s/he arrives at the top of a world-famous mountain with stunning views: a shopping mall. But they also had a very pleasant 3 km walk around the hill with commanding views.
But the best view, hands down, was my dinner at Aqua, one of Hong Kong's hippest restaurants. Imagine this tourist brochure photos of Hong Kong at night enhanced with Photoshop. Colour drips from the buildings, the buildings' exterior lights change to highlight their skyward reach, and then the laser light show begins. My date for the evening, Cecelia, pointed out the major buildings. We had a 65 degree egg cracked over the most flavourful tuna sashimi I've yet tasted, and soft shelled crab. Cecellia took me to a Lang Kwai Fong bar spot with another great view and superb ambiance. For some reason, gin and tonics taste better in Hong Kong and I'm not sure why. Perhaps $16 a pop makes you appreciate it more...
The next day I visited the anqtiue district, which consisted mostly of that form of Asian antiquity that I detest, but also some interesting, simple peices. Met a guy drawing nudes (from memory) on the sidewalk. I thought: this is why Hong Kong is better than Singapore.
Had a beautiful, delicious lunch of veggie dumplings (first cold ones, then hot ones in a ginger-vinegar dipping sauce). Tsing Dao on tap. I wondered if urban planners make good money in Hong Kong.
My shoebox hotel was exactly as anticipated. Though some online reviewers had complained about the shoeboxiness of the place (what do you expect in Hong Kong for $35 a night?) and surly staff, I found it exactly to my liking and the staff most helpful. The curtains were of the chicest available garbage bag material, effectively shutting out the light, if not the street noise. Slept deeply.
Hong Kong beckoned. No, too folksy. Hong Kong lured. Too suggestive. Well, I went for a walk and took care of some unfinished business. One such matter included the early-in-the-trip rip-off. This time it involved purchasing a camera. It appears upon later research that I overpaid. But at least I got a good exchange rate on the currency conversion (don't let it be said that I am a 100% sucker). One must find the silver lining in these things. If only I had bought the damn thing in Bangkok, I would have paid $200 less (and that was the opening price). Thai people are so honest.
So, took the Star Ferry, climbed the mid-level escalators (longest in the world), checked out Soho, and generally fell in love with that city's scale, detail, variety and ambiance. Urban design is fine-grained, yet still gritty. Climbed the Peak with some help from the tram (and my loaned Octopus card -thanks Bonnie. Basically, it's a swipe credit card for transportation, everywhere. Period. How easy it that?) and immediately found what every good Asian wants to see when s/he arrives at the top of a world-famous mountain with stunning views: a shopping mall. But they also had a very pleasant 3 km walk around the hill with commanding views.
But the best view, hands down, was my dinner at Aqua, one of Hong Kong's hippest restaurants. Imagine this tourist brochure photos of Hong Kong at night enhanced with Photoshop. Colour drips from the buildings, the buildings' exterior lights change to highlight their skyward reach, and then the laser light show begins. My date for the evening, Cecelia, pointed out the major buildings. We had a 65 degree egg cracked over the most flavourful tuna sashimi I've yet tasted, and soft shelled crab. Cecellia took me to a Lang Kwai Fong bar spot with another great view and superb ambiance. For some reason, gin and tonics taste better in Hong Kong and I'm not sure why. Perhaps $16 a pop makes you appreciate it more...
The next day I visited the anqtiue district, which consisted mostly of that form of Asian antiquity that I detest, but also some interesting, simple peices. Met a guy drawing nudes (from memory) on the sidewalk. I thought: this is why Hong Kong is better than Singapore.
Had a beautiful, delicious lunch of veggie dumplings (first cold ones, then hot ones in a ginger-vinegar dipping sauce). Tsing Dao on tap. I wondered if urban planners make good money in Hong Kong.
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