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All That Glitters
Hong Kong as seen from the harbor What a relief to be in Hong Kong! Our grand plan had been to take the train all the way from Xining to Guangzhou, possibly stopping in between. We initially chose this option not because it was cheaper, but because it would allow us to see more of the countryside, and to be honest neither one of us is a fan of air travel. Thankfully, we had both managed to remain in relatively good health in spite of Tibet’s altitude and somewhat questionably sanitary dining experience. However, when we pulled into the train station in Xining, Qinghai Province, I woke up to find my stomach in knots. Rather than brave another 48+hours on the train we checked into a hotel out of desperation.
I had actually been to Xining before while en route to Western China during our study abroad trip and had quite a good time. However, being there in good health with a group of friends in the fall and being there as sick as could be in the deep freeze of winter were two entirely different experiences. Gazing out of the window of our drab hotel room and staring at the bleak, freezing, smog-filled city was definitely
Glitz and Glitter
One of Hong Kong's many ritzy shopping centers the low-point of the trip, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so sick.
To make a long story short, I didn’t think I could make it on the train and staying another night in the armpit of the earth was definitely not an option. So we bought some incredibly cheap plane tickets from a booth in our hotel. It seemed like a sketchy operation, not only were the fares amazingly low, but the girls selling the tickets only accepted cash. In addition we negotiated the whole ordeal in Chinese, and my listening comprehension doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.
Despite said issues the ticket miraculously turned out to be legitimate and we made it to Guangzhou by sunset. After Xining, Guangzhou felt like the Garden of Eden. The air was warm, the landscape was lush and green, and palm trees swayed in the gentle breeze.
We found an wonderful, clean, cheap hotel with a balcony looking out over the city.
Guangzhou is a great place. Even though we only spent a short amount of time there I was really impressed by its diversity, laid-back environment, and many great dining options. We took a bus to Hong
Kong the following day, south from Guangzhou through the endlessly sprawling smoggy mass of the Shenzhen special economic zone.
The first thing I noticed about Hong Kong Island was that it sparkled. Not just the gleaming skyscrapers and famed city lights, but even the pavement. It was just so clean. Everywhere signs prohibited littering, spitting, and other unsanitary behavior. Fancy, modern shopping centers with trendy stores like “Gucci” and “Prada” fought for elbow room along the streets. Coming from northern China, where the daily chorus of hacking, spitting, and loogey hocking is all too familiar, Hong Kong was a welcome respite.
We stayed at a great hostel in Causeway Bay and spent our days wandering around various parks in the city, eating, and generally relaxing. We bought "Octopus” cards, used on all of Hong Kong's public transit and one of our favorite activities was to hop on one of the rickety, narrow trams and ride to a mystery destination. In addition to the trams there were many reminders of the former British occupation, the street names, the racecourse, the double-decker buses, and overall organization of the city.
Part of the charm of Hong Kong is the
mixture of the glamorous and the traditional. Even in a city full of pricey restaurants and designer boutiques one can still wander down a narrow alley and find noodle stalls, traditional medicine shops, and dead chickens strung up by their toenails. Just a stone's throw from the gleaming international airport and Hong Kong Disneyland are fishing villages and towns with sleepy, palm-fringed alleys. Some of my favorite memories of Hong Kong have been of our random wanderings on Lamma and Lantau islands.
Historically and culturally Hong Kong is an endlessly fascinating place and in all our exploring I feel as though we barely scraped the surface. But I’m sure we’ll be back.
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