Hong Kong is a city that shouldn’t exist. Nowhere have I seen a perfect blend between the cultures of the West and the Far East. Hong Kong has to be the most fascinating city I have ventured off to thus far. It really is just unbelievable. My parents have traveled around the world twice, and out of all the cities they’ve been to, they always talk about Hong Kong being the crème de le crème of cities. My expectations were very high but I think it’s fair to say that Hong Kong lived up to all the hype. Speaking of expectations, check out this video about the paradox of choice.
Unlike cities that spread themselves out like Seoul, Los Angeles, Tokyo and the likes, Hong Kong shoots up into the sky in the same compressed, economical manner that Manhattan does, though it is built amongst a steep hill on a small island. This isn’t entirely true. What I am describing is Hong Kong Island. Directly across from Hong Island Island and separated by Victoria Harbor is Kowloon and the new territories that make up greater Hong Kong. Kowloon is nothing short of impressive, with its archaic British hotels and modern skyscrapers. It’s just that Hong Kong Island has to be the most impressive skyline I have ever seen.
There is a general misconception that Hong Kong has gone “downhill” since the Chinese reclaimed the territory in 1997. This can’t be further from the truth, as this entrepreneurial, financial behemoth continues to boom. Needless to say, my nine-day adventure with my Korean friend Lynn, was not nearly enough time to cover our full agenda.
Part of what makes Hong Kong so enjoyable is its accessibility and efficiency. Everyplace is quick and easy to get to .The Octopus Card allows tourists to not only ride the subway, but also purchase products at various convenience stores and 7-11s. The most pleasant aspect of the city (to a Western traveler in Asia) is that it is bilingual. Contrary to Japan, which has to be the most difficult travel destination for Western folks to manage, (The movie Lost in Translation exemplifies this) Hong Kong has a pleasant mix between Westerners and Asians. It’s bizarre to turn around and listen to a small white kid use Cantonese and English in the same sentence. Lynn and I called it “Cantenglish”.
There is a fairly stark contrast between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. While Kowloon has an amass of shops, businesses and parks, it also has the feel of a Chinatown with every kind of market you can think of. We passed through goldfish markets, bird markets, flower markets, electronics markets. I’ve never been through so many markets in my life. Conversely, Hong Kong Island exudes affluence and luxury. While strolling through the streets of Soho in a region called Central, I saw a Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Rolls Royce on the same block. On our second night we ate dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant in an area called Lan Kwai Fong (also in Central) where we indulged in pasta with a truffle cream sauce, risotto and some wine.
Lan Kwai Fing is a small section of streets that have a ton of open-air restaurants and British Pubs. It was refreshing for me to feel a bit of western culture again. A few Asian tourists from Mainland China stroll through the area, but they appear a little intimidated and gawk at the site of something they’ve never seen before, that is, Western culture. Food was definitely a highlight of this trip. With the exception of NYC, I’ve never seen such diversity before. There was even a Burmese Restaurant in the mix. The big surprise for me came when I scouted out a “NYC deli” in Central. The book advertised the place as an authentic New York Deli. I was expecting a regular, everyday sandwich from a corner deli in New York. To my surprise, the sandwich that came to my table seemed to be a direct emulation of a fat pastrami sandwich from Katz’s deli in the Lower East Side. I just couldn’t believe it. The other aspect of the food culture that surprised me in Hong Kong was the exportation of U.S. chain restaurants. I thought I got a lot of these in Korea but Hong Kong takes it to another level. The list includes: Krispy Kreme donuts, Ruth Chris Steak House (2 of them), Ben and Jerry’s (this is everywhere) and a slew of fast food restaurants (of course). The more I travel, the more I am amazed at the rapid speed of globalization. One of the negative effects of globalization is that cities have become more homogenized visually. Everywhere I turn I see the same boring luxury brand stores including Gucci, Prada, Armani, Hermes ect. Buildings and shopping complexes have become less remarkable, that is, they are not worthy of being remarked about. Have they ever been?
Some Memorable Events –
Fireworks Display for the New Year
We saw the fireworks display for the Chinese New Year from the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbor. These fireworks were some of the best I’ve ever seen in my life and the magnificent skyline made it even more exciting. The buildings in Hong Kong have light shows every night. I don’t know how they wire up those facades with so many lights. I also question if there is anybody working in there at that time. Nevertheless, it’s an odd sight to see. I kept thinking of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Its as if these building are having some kind of alien dialogue through the use of flashing lights or something. It got a bit chaotic after the fireworks display when millions of people started flooding the street after the conclusion of the show. All the streets were closed off to traffic and I’ve never seen more people in my life. This is the negative effect of heading to Hong Kong during the most festive holiday of the year. Patience only goes so far.
Gondola ride -
The other highlight of the trip was venturing off to the other side of Hong Kong Island. It’s nice because you can transition from a metropolis to peace and tranquility in a matter of 20 minutes. There’s a great amusement park called Ocean Park that is comprised of roller-coasters, aquariums, and an amazing gondola that spans several islands on the coast. Forget ski gondolas. This was the ultimate gondola ride. Supposedly they have multiple gondolas around Hong Kong that are solely used for commuting.
Peak Tram-
The peak tram is a must do in Hong Kong. Basically, it’s a cable car that is pulled up to a peak that overlooks the cityscape. This is another fabulous view. The tram has been running for over a hundred years and it has never had an accident. We had to wait forever since there were so many tourists on vacation. There was a lot of pushing and shoving to get on this thing. There was a Korean tourist group next to me and I over heard the Korean guide proclaim, “I hate the Chinese!” It was a sign that I am getting better at understanding the Korean language.
Bambi Versus King Kong
In late December I had the joyful experience of traveling to Nara, Japan. Nara used to be the old capital of Japan and has some of the most beautiful Shinto temples in the country. One of the highlights in Nara was the sight of roaming deer that are tame enough to pet and feed. Why am I talking about Nara in the middle of my blog about Hong Kong? Well, I can’t think of a greater contrast between my experiences in Nara versus my experience in Kam Shan Park in northern Kowloon. Kam Shan is a park that was recommended by a friend in Ulsan. He told me that this is a must see! “Whatever you do…”, he said, “Go see the monkeys at Kam Shan park!”. I do have to admit that at this point, as I’m writing this, I am completely terrified of monkeys. Forget snakes and spiders, pesty insects and rats. Monkeys will forever hold in my existence, a special place in my amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for fear. Eyes=monkey=amygdala=scared out of my f***ing mind! Yes, I hate monkeys! So to rewind a little bit.. Lynn and I hopped in a cab and after unsuccessfully attempting to communicate our desired destination in Cantonese, I had to rely on the humiliating use of monkey sounds so he could understand where we were going. We drove about 20 kilometers outside of Kowloon and continued up a mountain until we reached the entrance where about 15 baby monkeys were sitting patiently, waiting for us to exit this taxi. I ask the cab driver if I could get out on the right-hand side and he shakes his head with an un-hesitated “no”. At first we are delighted and find this novel experience to be cute. “Wow”, I said, “We’re not in a zoo looking at the cute monkeys from outside the cage.” We continued to enter the main gate of the park and to my surprise; about 15 monkeys start running past me. I have a giant stone wall on one side of me with the jungle brush on the other side. There is nowhere to go. Next thing I know I have about 15 monkeys surrounding me tugging at my leg and begging for food. This place was completely infested with monkeys. I know this doesn’t sound too scary but believe me; the word “freaky” doesn’t do justice. The experience ignited my imagination and all I could think about was the horror of being stuck in a zombie movie where my greatest hope was the ability to grow eyes on the back of my head. Imagine these disease prone humanoid looking creatures on all sides of you with the mephitic site and repugnant smell of monkey feces at every step. Last thought - “Are we having fun yet?”
Here are some monkey videos that make me think of my experience.
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