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Published: April 8th 2010
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Most people make Hong Kong one of their first destinations after moving to China. Somehow, it ended up being one of my last. There were a few things I really wanted to see in Hong Kong, and I was really glad I got the chance to see them with Enis the Kurdish carpet dealer, at first. Once I realized how expensive Hong Kong is, and that I was expected, as usual, to pay for everything, my enthusiasm withered somewhat. We got up early and after figuring out we needed to be at the brand new Terminal 2 of Hong Qiao Airport instead of Terminal 1, we were finally on our flight and on our way. Terminal 2, by the way, is nowhere near Terminal 1. Don't be fooled into thinking you can walk. They may as well be two completely different airports, but Terminal 2 is nice, I must say. We took the free shuttle bus there not realizing that it is pretty far away, and by the time we got there, our check in was already closed so we explained that no one sent me a text telling me the flight had been changed to Terminal 2 and within 30
seconds we had our boarding passes and were on our way.
We actually flew to Shenzhen and then took a VIP bus across the border for 90 RMB. This was really easy, but don't forget to fill out your departure and arrival cards. We did and ended up taking a lot longer to get through customs than we should have. The bus took us straight to Kowloon and dropped us off about a block from Chungking Mansions where we were staying in Block E Floor 12 at the Maple Leaf Guesthouse. Enis had a very heavy suitcase, full of Chinese silk carpets he purchased to take back to Turkey to sell as genuine Turkish silk carpets (they were beautiful and well-made, but I was so disappointed in his decision to sell carpets made in China in his shop in Selcuk, Turkey). So he got quite irritated that I had to actually stop and look at a map to figure out which way to go. He had to carry the bag up a flight of stairs and wasn't too happy about it. Oh well. When we arrived at Chungking Mansions, I was immediately put off by all the dodgy looking
Racecourse and Skyline
Happy Valley Racecourse is on Hong Kong Island and is really easy to find from the pier or the metro. There are signs everywhere. We didn't even use a map. people hanging out downstairs, but I'd already been warned. They didn't hassle us and we made it upstairs to meet John, the most helpful owner of Maple Leaf Guesthouse. Our room was very small, had a Barbie size bathroom, but was neat and very clean and newly remodeled I think. The air conditioner worked great as did the water heater and shower. I paid about 35 USD a night and while Chungking Mansions downstairs was a bit of a pain, no one ever hassled me even when I was alone, and I would recommend Maple Leaf. They were very helpful, changed the towels and linens everyday, and they have a water dispenser so you don't have to buy bottled water all the time.
After we checked in we needed something to eat, and I spotted a TGIF's as soon as we walked outside. Since neither of us is crazy about Chinese food, I didn't feel guilty about indulging in a bit of American food. It was good, but a bit disappointing. It is never as good as it is at home.
After we ate we headed to the Happy Valley Racecourse to exchange money (they don't take any
commission) and watch the races. My friend David told me this was the best place to exchange money, and he was right! The racecourse is quite nice and watching the races is good fun. We don't know anything about betting, so we didn't. It was exciting to watch a few races and then we decided to head back to Kowloon and check out Temple Night Market. It was pretty standard Chinese stuff, but interestingly enough, they also sold a lot of sex toys. What's that about? We were tired, so we headed back to Chungking Mansions and off to bed to rest up for a visit to Victoria Peak.
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