“I suspect having the confidence to muddle through things looks a lot like the confidence to succeed from the outside.” – Old Sean
An Intro to Hong Kong
Ah, Hong Kong. Hong Kong is crazy.
Throw together the mix and match of every Earthly culture, don’t let any of the white people speak a single Latin-based language, and have every third person in a suit attempt to force-feed you a business card once he sees you’re walking with a backpack.
Afterwards, bolster everything with an awesome transportation system that includes buses, taxis, subways, chunnels, ferries, tunnels, speedboats and the Hong Kong equivalent of Uber.
Then, throw in some of the most spectacular window shopping in dark alleys and random building nooks.
Once that’s been accounted for, turn the entire concept into a massive, sprawling metropolitan mess with several other Chinese-dominant mega-cities hemming in the island.
That more or less describes the two block radius I’ve thus far gotten to explore.
Impressions of Hong Kong
Truly, the city is an utter impossibility, but it’s not difficult to navigate. Every sign in Hong Kong has a smattering of grammatically correct English under all the Chinese lettering. Additionally, the local populace is well-versed in guiding helpless tourists. Most of them spoke English more fluently than me.
Despite the coziness of my hotel room (and I say that genuinely, as the host was the nicest, most accommodating individual I had met in over six months), I tried to get out and walk often.
I found most of my time in the city was going to be spent in a staggering whirlwind of wandering. I had exchanged my limited Chinese currency and I was trying to stretch it as far as I could.
And how far is that? Luckily, my funds covered two nights at random bars and dinner in some decidedly sketchy-looking but tasty restaurants. It also got me lunch on a few islands and breakfast near Victoria Harbour. I also saw an art show and used the metro and ferry to explore plenty of the region.
Finally, I had just enough left for a sandwich and massive cookie for the flight back to Chongqing.
Arrival in Hong Kong
When I landed in Hong Kong, our flight spent some time circling the air above. In the deep winter, Hong Kong is usually caked in cloud cover. So it took an extra half hour for our plane to descend. In the meantime, my window view showed me a brackish grey sea, rolls of green hills and the outlines of a supercity nearby.
When we finally landed, I quickly found out that currency would need to be exchanged. (Hong Kong uses a different currency than mainland China, though the values are similar.) I took a blind bus (I wasn’t sure I was on the right shuttle) into the city proper. I spent my first few minutes in Hong Kong getting hemmed in by people going about their business. The city is so densely packed and crammed with visual stimulus, it’s hard to immediately get bearings.
Visa Chores
My first stop in Hong Kong was also my least exciting. Namely, I needed to get my paperwork in order for my work Visa. That morning, I stopped by the embassy in town and turned in all my paperwork. I was assured by a musical-sounding accent that my paperwork would be ready the following day. I gave a cheerful nod, spent some time amongst the red flowers outside looking at my phone’s map.
In a sad oversight, I didn’t really plan much for Hong Kong. I had already been so enamored with getting to know Chongqing that I hadn’t adequately researched the supercity.
Instead of heading directly to any one location, I opted to wander around Tsim Sha Tsui, the densely populated peninsula area of the city. The coolest thing to see around here is the Kowloon Parks and neighborhoods.
I eventually stopped back at my hotel to drop off my unneeded paperwork. Afterwards, I wandered around the SoHo area for food and snacks. Most of my night was spent hanging around Victoria Harbor, trying to spot the red sails of the Chinese Junk Ship in the bay.
The following morning, I ended up getting an unholy amount of coffee (which Hong Kong does very well) before hopping on a ferry.
The Hong Kong Ferry
Luckily, the ferries in Hong Kong are cheap. I found several going to outer islands. Lamma Island, or Pok Liu, is a hilly little splash of land off the coast of Hong Kong. It’s accessible by a chugging ferry crammed with hiking enthusiasts. People haphazardly dangled their cell-phones over a churning bay in the hopes of photographing a hazy skyline.
Granted, I’m one of those people, so I shouldn’t judge.
Anyway, Lamma merits its own paragraph of praise. I was happy to escape the press and crowds of Hong Kong, so Lamma Island was a beautiful retreat.
Lamma Island (Pok Liu)
I stepped off the fairy to a small, concrete bay. Within moments, I had rallied, picked a random direction and began exploring.
Incenses and tiny shrines dot all the hiking trails, which climb steadily higher away from idyllic beaches. Before climbing, I visited the various cluttered shops nestled along the lowest portions of the island for snacks.
A refreshing mist coated the entire scene while I was there, blurring the smattering of brightly colored buildings. Thick vegetation covered the distant hills, only broken up by small painted towns.
The towns themselves were closely packed and demanded winding streets. Bikes pumped past storefront restaurants. I could smell people cooking the bejesus out of meat and fish. Whenever I walked to the shoreline, the scent of fish always grew stronger and more delicious.
The tiny bay area had dozens of bright boats bobbing in the center, all facing the arcing line of shopping centers.
Overall, I hiked a lot, went off the wandered on goat trails, took a few pictures, ate way more food than necessary. Finally, listened to some live music in a beach shack before dusk began to fall.
Overall, I judge Lamma a damn fine place.
An Idiot on an Island
Unfortunately, I had a small panic attack while Lamma. I had nearly made it back to the ferry port when I checked my pocket. At some point, my passport slipped free of it’s case, which I kept hidden under my shirt.
Anxious, I ended up sprinting back up the island hills in diminishing light, glancing at the ground as I tore through a low underbrush, praying I was on the right trail.
Fortune shines on me more than it ought to. I spotted my passport, safe and dry in a Ziploc bag, dangling on some craggy branches.
Relieved, I slumped back to the ferry terminal with just enough time to catch the last ship returning to port. I fell into a restless sleep, glad that my luck was holding.
Day Two in Hong Kong
The next morning, I picked up my paperwork and dropped it off at my hotel. After another quick breakfast, I skimmed through my phone in the hopes of finding something interesting to do.
I had so much enjoyment from my first island visit, I decided to spend my next day meandering to the next island, Lantau Island. The island has the bonus of being attached to the Hong Kong International Airport, making my exploration practical as well as recreational, but I digress.
Lantau Island
Lantau has tons of mountains cresting out of the ocean, arcing ever upward until the clouds above obscure them completely.
I got to hike along the beach, while playing with an energetic Yorkie named Tim. Next, I wandered along a bunch of well-paved tropical roads, visited two separate temples before being invited to watch a small match at a martial art school. Afterwards, I visited a decommissioned silver mine, ate rice pies (which are like, compressed, flavored rice jell-noodles about as thick as my pinkie. They were good, but disarming).
Anyway, Lantau Island has tons of windy mountains I steadily wander through until reaching a massive Buddha statue. It was the enormous, seated bronze form of Tian Tan Buddha. The statue is utterly huge. It was exhausting to reach but worth every step.
I took a nap on the beach, which means I’ll be finding sand in my clothes for the next few months. After my brief rest, it was getting late and I caught the last ferry back to Hong Kong.
Leaving Hong Kong
Overall, I had a splendid time in Hong Kong. I highly recommend it to anyone dedicated to smushing their face against a whirlwind of disarming, jubilantly clashing experiences
Currently, I’m en route back to Chongqing, where I hope (not realistically) for eight hours of sleep. For the moment, I’m seated in the airport awaiting my flight (which has been delayed one hour). Because I have a bit of spare time, I’m making a short list of things I’d like to do during my next Hong Kong visit.
In the meantime, I’ve bought a cookie as large as my face to munch on.
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written January 15th, 2017
For recommendations and interesting things to do while visiting Hong Kong, click here
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