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Published: December 22nd 2009
Ida looked at me. I could tell that having known me for only 3 days, she wasn't sure if I was going to be down with her newest idea.
"I realize it is midnight and you have to catch a plane in nine hours...but what do you think about going to a Halloween all you can drink party right now?"
That defines
Hong Kong for you. Full on, all the time, wherever you go. And I loved it.
I decided to try my luck out at couchsurfing for the first time in
Hong Kong. If you are not aware of the phenomenon which has been going on for a good number of years now, it is about time that you learn. Couchsurfing.org is a site similar to facebook where you set up a profile and write a little about yourself, but where as Facebook's main goal is to bring old friends together *cough*bullshit*cough* more like waste hours of my precious life, couchsurfing is meant purely for travel and meeting new people. The general idea is when you travel, you request hosts to put you up and if you have a couch and aren't on the move, you offer
your services to others. As long as honesty prevails in the human race, this plan is flawless. But since it doesn't, couch surfing relies on cool people leaving other cool people recommendations, whist mean and nasty people getting outcast and hated like the mean and nasty people that they are. Obama would do well in couchsurfing, Jack the Ripper would not.
A girl named Ida turned out to be my first ever couchsurfing host and Hong Kong would never be the same for me. The fact that somebody who you have never met allows you to stay in their home, cooks AND takes the time to show you around is a quality which I wish every human being would have. Now that I am back home, I cannot wait to have my own apartment to show others around my brutally exciting state of New Hampshire...look! we have trees, and beavers and..well, yeah thats about it. (I might make fun, but
New Hampshire has wonders beyond your imagination...just think of Avatar, but with
more illumination)
Back to Hong Kong. It's packed full of the largest diversity of human beings I have ever seen, maybe only marginally behind
London and
New York. I have always been a fan of bustling cities, and HK puts this into overdrive. The Canton language with its seven tones sounds more like a song than regular chatter, and the amount of high flying Western business men almost made me miss work...almost. Walking around the vegetable, jade, goldfish, electronics, whateveryouwantunderthesun markets, to the disgusting wealth of Gucci and Gabbana stores all under the magic of the Hong Kong lights puts you in a trace. This city is alive. The food variety puts anything you crave at your fingertips, as long as you have enough money for it. Don't want expensive? Thats fine. Just eat the countless varieties of noodles off the street for no more than a few dollars.
Just like
Beijing, it would take years to explore Hong Kong, the island, Kowloon, the many small character-filled villages that are just a boat ride away from the hustle and bustle. I only had 4 days, and they were spent trying to take it all in. All the while making some new friends. I climbed up to a rather large Buddha and drank my way through a few too many mango riceball shakes..mmmmmmm, mango riceball shakes.
I would come back any day for another opportunity to learn about this city, but till that day...
And from one of the most populated cities in the world to an
elephant sanctuary in Northern Thailand...one of the most thrilling experiences within my first quarter century of life
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non-member comment
Hey mate, love your entries, will miss them now you're home sweet home! But look forward to your new adventures! Have a good new year's eve, oh and of course a fabulous travellous new year!