Hong Kong Skyline

Twenty-four years after visiting Hong Kong with my family, I wondered how things may have changed. I was a teenager then, and had been living in Japan as an exchange student. My family had come for a visit, and took the opportunity to see Hong Kong as well. It was the late 80s, and Hong Kong was riding high on a strong, free market economy, rising real estate prices and a reputation for entertainment and fun. Earlier in the decade, the announcement of the handover from Great Britain to the PRC in 1997 had been made, and a sizeable number of those opposed had begun to emigrate. Deng Xiaoping advocated the One Country, Two Systems policy. They were also times Hong Kong cinema and pop culture were being recognized, while big franchises were opening branches here, years of Jackie Chan and Hello Kitty. I remember the markets, their vendors showing their wares and telling why we shouldn’t take another step without taking a look. They were loud and aggressive, and after the subtle, quiet ways of Japan it was all a bit overwhelming. I remembered floating around the harbor in a sanpan boat, eating lots of dumplings and the ever-present, lofty, green backdrop of Victoria Peak.

This time, the visit was after spending the previous month in mainland China, and with lots more general life and travel experience under my belt. I guess there’s no real way to account for what of Hong Kong has actually changed versus my own perspective, but the city seemed much more modern, orderly and civilized than I remembered. Unlike the mainland, people generally respect a queue and know how to form one. There is a noticible lack of spitting and littering. Another handy aspect is that the city functions quite well in English. It was exceedingly easy to get around (the subway was great), eat, sightsee, ask questions, etc. It was also quite expensive.

Bird Market

We couldn’t find a hostel for under $60 or so, and had heard nightmares about the infamous Chungking Mansions flophouses, so we took our chances with a hostel in Causeway Bay, across the water from the craziness of Nathan Road and Tsim Sha Tsui. It’s a big shopping, restaurant and business area, central to many of the spots we wanted to see. Hong Kong Hostel was in a residential building, and though there were posters about the illegality of using any of the apartments for commercial purposes, there were no issues while we were there.

The cablecar to the top of landmark Victoria Peak was super crowded and touristy, but the city and harbor views from the top (554 meters/1800 feet) were well worth it. Other highlights were a long walk around the peak, a great, quiet, leafy, jungly park (Pok Fu Lam Country Park) where we rested.

HK Junk

We devoted one day to the south side of the island, Stanley Market, Aberdeen, the sanpans, Deepwater and Repulse Bays. Another day we took the iconic Star Ferry across Victoria Harbor and wandered from themed market street to market street in Kowloon. There was Yuen Po bird street, flower street, goldfish street, ladies’ street (mostly clothing and purses), electronics avenue, and so on and on. We did make one purchase, an external hard drive, to store the way-more-than-estimated number of photos we’ve taken.

Of course food was another Hong Kong delight, and we had our fill from an endless variety of diverse cuisine: dumplings and dimsum to Japanese sushi, Indian curry, street food, mooncakes and sweets.

Shenzen Scene

It was a bit sad to leave, but our budget was relieved. Our land crossing back into mainland China was smooth and uneventful. After reading less than glowing reviews, Shenzhen was a very pleasant surprise. We almost wished we had left more time to explore. They seem to have been gearing up for the Universiade international sporting event, and the city was sparkling. There were dedicated lanes, volunteers and buses at the border crossing from Hong Kong. Subways were pristine and ran like clockwork. Topiaries and flower sculptures lined the avenues, and colorful welcoming signs were everywhere. Our impression was probably colored as well by our accommodations: we cashed in some points for a stay at the JW Marriott. What a luxury. After a leisurely soak in a hot bath, everything does seem especially rosy. We were even able to get all of our China photos uploaded using the Executive Lounge computer.

Overnight Bus

Our departure the next evening was by bus. This was our first experience on an overnight bus in China, and we were a bit nervous. No matter how many South American buscamas we’ve braved, travel in China has been a whole new ballgame. Our first step onto the bus was a good sign. The driver handed us a plastic bag and asked us to remove our shoes! Nice! Behind the driver, the entire bus was filled with bunk beds. There were three rows across for a grand total of 36 beds total. Anyone under about 5’7″ could lay comfortably with legs totally stretched out. A warm blanket and pillow were provided, and both seemed to be pretty clean. It was wonderful. We boarded at 7:30 pm, and by 4 in the next morning, much earlier than expected, we had arrived in Guilin. Arriving in a new city in the dark at such an hour was quite an adventure but that is a story for another day…

To view photos, click HERE.