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Published: March 10th 2007
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Bruce
I even bumped into my mate Bruce Lee along the waterfront and we hung out together for a bit. When I left Shaghai for Hong Kong I thought 'just another city' and if its like all the others in China so far, dirty, busy and smoggy I'm going to hate it. The moment I arrived at the airport it was an instant love affair, a relationship I knew I was going to enjoy. The airport was large, clean and had an instant air of calmness, walking through customs took moments as did retrieving my rucksack. A very polite and smiling girl at the information desk spoke clear english and gave me advice on how to reach Kowloon from the airport. Twenty minutes after steeping off my plane I was already on the fast train to Kowloon, fifteen minutes later I was on a free transfer bus that dropped me at my Hotel's front door. A further 20 minutes I was in my room having a shower, I nearly laughed hystericaly out loud at the simplicity of it all. Surely I was dreaming and would awake in some stuffy and packed customs hall in a long line at the back or grabbed and manhandled by some taxi driver wanting to rip another tourist off fresh from the plane. I pinched myself
Hong Kong
The stunning views as seen from Victoria Peak after taking the tram to the top. and it hurt I really was here in my hotel room and not dreaming, it was just too good to comprehend how simple my morning had been, this was travelling the way that celebrities do without incident or fuss. I phoned room service, "yes Mr Bennett your coffee will be with you in 10 minutes, would you like anything else", would I "goddam girl say that to me again, I just want to hear you say it that simply one more time" I thought. I was only in a standard 3 star hotel on Kowloon but this was 6 star as far as I was concerned compared to anywhere I had stayed recently in China.
I walked out onto the street and instantly felt what this city was all about. I have always said it takes about 48 hours of arriving in any city or country to get a 'feel' for it, within that time you know what kind of a trip you are going to have in that country. This city had taken a mere morning and a salad for lunch to establish what that feel was. The sky above was clear and blue, the temperature a more
Buddha
The giant 200ft Buddha on the hilltop of Lantana Island. than acceptable 58 degrees, people all around were busy, some in suits going for lunch, others tourists like myself just walking, hawkers selling cheap watches or bespoke tailor services. The main street along Nathan Road has almost any popular brand shop you see in any UK high street, but just walk behind and you walk into a world of cheap chinese takeaways, tea shops, bric brac and cheap fake brand clothe shops. I loved it, the energy, the smells, it was like the East blended with a sophisticated twist of the West, or delicate Asian spice served on Royal Doulton dinner sets. It really was a breath of freash air compared to the rest of China's cities, maybe I'm a city boy at heart, I don't think so. Stopping over or visiting cities on my journey is inevitable and many of the intresting sights on my journey are in or within city boundaries. What makes a city intresting apart from its history is the way in which it deals with the traveller either business or tourist in terms of transportation, communication, information and how its infrastructure is designed to deliver an experience. Surely that experience has to leave an impression
Staues
The statues that pay homage to Buddha and surround the statue in worship pose. of futre visits a definite and a recommendation to friends and collegues the same. Hong Kong is the only city in China I would say visit, Bejing is a must because of the Forbidden City etc (see my China journal) and leaving out Shanghai I can honestly say you could live with yourself easily for making that descision.
I walked down to the harbour and watched the Green Star passenger ferries zipping across the bay to Hong Kong Island, and in fact sat for sometime enjoying the harbour and views. In the 4 days I was there I never once tired of the views of the harbour or glass skyscrapers opposite or watching the boats, or all the tourists taking pictures along the water front. It had a feel to it that only few cities have, if you have visited Sydney then you will know exactly what that feeling is. That is of course if you like Sydney otherwise you will just have to take my word for it as I can't describe in words to you that feeling. Over the next two days I used only public transport to explore Hong Kong, buses, underground and ferries, all very
HK at night
As impressive as the day I never tired of the skyline which was lit magnificently at night. easy and all very cheap it would shame London Transport. Everyone spoke clear english and all menus were in english. I took a ferry to an outer Island and sat on my own on a beach then walked along the coastline in my shorts feet being lapped by the waves breaking on the shore. I visited a small fishing village built on stilts and a 200ft seated Buddha and Temple on a hilltop. I also took the tram to Victoria Peak and walked around the gardens of the old Governor's Walk that gave me an undisturbed 360 panoramic view of the whole outter Islands, followed by shopping at a night market and good chinese food from a street restaurant. I watched the city night show from a ferry, basically a laser show that lasts for 30 mins, lighting up all the building in various ways to classical music. This was the least impressive thing I did in Hong Kong but how many cities hold a light show each and every night of the year.
Hong Kong is a great city. Not because its famous for its colonial past or financial status and background, none of those things mean anything
Fishing Village
Fishing Village built entirely on stilts over the river estuary. to me. Its a city that is unique because it retains a charm and identity all its own, you can sit on an Island or beach all alone and you are still technically in a city. But here is the odd thing, when I left Shanghai my Chinese visa was taken from me and I had officially left China, when I arrived in Hong Kong I needed no visa as a UK citizen, but if I was Chinese I would have needed a special visa to enter. Hong Kong was given back to the Chinese but it is still classed as a satellite to China and I'm not sure why or could get anyone to explain it all to me. Honestly though I don't care, if you want my opinion the Chinese Government should take a lesson from Hong Kong and try and emulate the same for it's other cities. I met a couple of ex-pats working in Hong Kong and when I explained how I felt they simply said 'well what do you expect its been British owned and British influenced for years'. Of course that has something to do with it but it just shows yet again how
Sunset on Hong Kong
Just before sunset on my last day before I left for Vietnam. What a great city I would recommend it to anyone even as a stopover for 2 days before travelling on. much the Chinese have to learn, show them a car or a painting and they can copy it perfectly at a fraction of the originals cost. Ask them to be create something that needs depth and personality or requires their own natural creativity and I don't think they have a clue as yet.
Officially my China tour was over and I can honestly say it was a relief to be moving onto SE Asia and as easily as I had arrived in Hong Kong I left on the early morning train to the airport. My baggage was checked-in at the train station in Kowloon and arrived at the airport and I neither had to carry it or see it again until I arrived in Vietnam, it was that easy, and I flew into the blue yonder for Vietnam and my next journal entry.
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Foxy
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Hong Kong
Hey Baby Just read your latest work of art and loved it, as usual. The photos are stunning and the words just wonderful Foxy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx