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First impressions are supposed to be very important, so I wanted to share with you my first impression of Asia, which has been limited so far to an evening ride through Hong Kong from the airport to my friend's apartment.
I stepped off the high-speed Airport Express train and into a
sultry humid night, where through that surreal haze of jet-lag I saw a taxi door magically open itself for me without driver intervention (I actually had to look a couple of times because I thought I had imagined it). We sped through town, which was a jungle of lights that went up up up, and as we climbed around the Peak I could catch glimpses of red-and-gold
fireworks jumping from the water nearby. We passed 7-Eleven and McDonald's and KFC, but we also passed the squiggles and hieroglyphs of Cantonese restaurants and convenience stores. Distant
islands loomed out over the water, which was lit up with city-glow; beautiful hills that I had seen from the plane window as we flew in.
When we arrived at my friend's apartment complex, I have to say that my
jaw actually dropped a little. Things in Hong Kong, it seems, are on a very grand scale; and the sheer height and enormity of his complex in Cyberport was stunning for a little ole' central Texas girl like me. Think Manhattan, but taller, and all built on the hillsides.
So here I am, 24 hours after waking up in Seattle, looking out of the water from the 29th floor. Not a bad first impression at all!
A couple of notes about the journey here.
• The travel gods have forgiven me, it seems; or maybe they just really prefer Air Canada. Either way, I highly recommend them, both for the comfort of their new Boeing 777-300EW jets, and the promptness of service.
• If anyone is scared of travel to strange places, Hong Kong would be a great place to start. Arrival is very nearly idiot-proof, so even the clueless and jet-lagged would have no trouble finding their way into town. There is a tourist information desk immediately past customs, where with the help of a very nice woman I was able to book a free feng shui class and a free Chinese cake-making class. She also sent me home with about a bag-ful of tourist literature. The train into town is easy, everything is in English as well as Cantonese, and it is absolutely un-intimidating.
• I would especially like to thank my friend Travis for his hospitality (and trust!) in letting me crash at his great apartment. It will make the transition, the culture shock, and the jet lag nightmare MUCH easier to endure. Thanks, Trav! (P.S. and where do you keep your vodka?)
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Jill
non-member comment
Cool!
Sounds great so far! Please include as many pictures as you can! Glad you are on solid ground now - if not high in the air too.