Hong Kong - Love it!

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First stop on my much anticipated winter holiday was Hong Kong. The city was really amazing - it had the feel of a world-class metropolis while still offering nature, beaches and some peace.

To make the most of my short time there, I wanted to catch an early morning flight. My plane left Beijing at 7:45 am and arrived in Hong Kong just past 11am. What I hadn't properly thought out though, was how early I would have to get started to actually make that 7:45 am plane. My Hong Kong adventure started at 4 am Sunday morning, when I headed out to catch a cab, which luckily didn't take long.

On Sunday, my friend Josh met me at the train station and took me to my hotel. After dropping off my bag (which I had intended to be a carry-on but definitely didn't meet the weight requirements and had to be checked) we walked around some shopping areas, went to see the light-lazer show, grabbed dinner and checked out the Temple Street night market. Our dinner was fresh seafood, which was amazingly delicious, served at a little sidewalk cafe, and the best thing I've eaten in a long time. I didn't buy anything at the market because it was all very similar (exactly the same in fact) to the things I can find in Beijing.

Monday, Josh and I took the cable car up to see the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. It was nice to feel like we were so far outside the city, when really we were only a 25 minute subway ride away. After the Big Buddha, we headed over to Victoria Peak to get a panoramic view of the city at night. Totally breath-taking. Hong Kong is so modern and compact!

Monday night we also went to the midlands. Here you can travel up the world's longest escalator. No one ever mentions how hilly Hong Kong is, but let me tell you there are some killer San Francisco-esque hills to be found. Luckily, they've put in elevators to help you get around the restaurants and bars.

Tuesday, I checked out Avenue of the Stars, rode the Star Ferry and shopped around Causeway Bay. Causeway Bay was so overwhelming! It was packed with people, even on a Tuesday afternoon, and I walked through Hong Kong's Times Square. Riding the Star Ferry was cute, even though it's really just an 8 minute ride across the harbor.

Next stop - Koh Phi Phi in Thailand!

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