4ever Discovering
Hong Kong: Where the City of Lights Meets the City of Tourists
If You’re Looking for Great Food, Awesome Views, and Lots of People, You Know Where To Go!
With only one day to spend in Hong Kong after an exciting day at Disneyland, we decided it was best to explore the main tourist hot-spots in the city. We weren’t sure when (or if) we would be back, so Emily and I made the decision to do everything we could while we had the time. Luckily for us, our friend Rebecca had a former roommate living in the city. Because she hadn’t seen him in so long, she wanted to meet up with him. Emily and I tagged along; it’s always best to explore a new city when a local can show you around!
My prior idea of Hong Kong before travelling there was similar to any other big city. When you think of major cities in the world, New York, Paris, and Hong Kong come to mind. Now, having visited all three of these cities, I can confirm they are exactly what you expect: big, busy, and beautiful. Hong Kong really reminded me of New York City; it was full of skyscrapers and lots of tourists. There was no way to escape the crowds of people, so we embraced the moment and stood in line with the hundreds of other people. Sometimes, waiting is just part of life. If you want to see the highlights, you need to schedule a little extra time in your day for wait time.
We left our (cough cough) ‘cozy’ hostel early enough to not waste any of our precious time. Our room was three beds and a washroom; everything you need for sleeping. It was probably a 10x10 room, with not a lot of space for movement. Luckily we were only there to sleep and nothing else. That’s the beauty of a hostel; sometimes you never know what you are getting yourself into. Spacious or not, we were still grateful we had a place to stay for a decent price. We left Sunday morning with our backpacks to meet Tak (Rebecca’s friend), and to see what Hong Kong had to offer.
Something you need to know about Hong Kong is how it is made up of small islands. You can travel easily between islands with the subway system, but sometimes it can be confusing when you are trying to visit different landmarks. We stayed in Kowloon, and needed to go to Hong Kong island to meet Tak. This is where we were able to have a fantastic view of Victoria Harbour and all of the buildings along the waterfront. We started off with visiting the Peak Tram. This is an old-school style tram that takes you up the mountain to see a bird’s eye view of the city. We waited with the hundreds of other people to ride the tram, and boy was it steep. You had to sit, otherwise, you would be falling over with the slope. The view from the top was incredible; skyscrapers mixed with mountains and the ocean. What else can you ask for? It was a little foggy at the top, but I think most days in Hong Kong are. The air was pretty smoggy, so I imagine clear skies don’t come around too often here.
After our fantastic view of the city, we decided to eat our share of dim sum while we could. Dim sum is famous in Hong Kong. I thought it was a type of dumpling, but it turns out, it is really just small dishes of food. This was awesome because we were able to try so many different types of food. When you are only served about three dumplings per dish, you are able to try a lot more new food and not feel so bad about wasting it if you don’t like it! Tak took us to this amazing restaurant where he ordered everything! We tried so many new foods, it was overwhelming! Emily and I tasted everything from drunken chicken (not so good), to truffle dumplings (delicious), to pigeon! Surprisingly, the pigeon tasted like duck. It had the same tenderness as duck, and the same flavour as chicken. Go figure. It’s hard to believe those nasty birds in the streets can taste so good! Lunch was delicious, and we were absolutely stuffed. Tak was too generous and spoiled us, so it made the experience that much better! It’s so nice to know good people are still out there, and will do anything to make you feel at home.
After lunch, we said our farewells to Tak and thanked him again for his generosity. Emily, Rebecca, and I had a couple more hours before we had to head back to the airport. We were at Central Station, so we decided to walk a little closer to the waterfront and ride the giant ferris wheel. Just like the Peak Tram, we waited with the hundreds of other people to make it to the front of the line. We rode around the ferris wheel three times until it was over. The view from the top was just as amazing as before. We were overlooking the ocean and the waterfront boardwalk. I couldn’t imagine living in such a big city, but I’m interested in trying! Hong Kong seems like the place to live if you are looking for entertainment and something to do every night! Even after we got back from Disneyland the night before, we stumbled upon a night market where I was suckered into buying a new satchel. We also ate at a Vietnamese restaurant where my meal was served in half of a pineapple. Sometimes the best part about exploring a new city is getting lost in the the side streets and unravelling hidden gems.
Hong Kong was everything I imagined it would be. There were buildings, people, food, and endless activities to do. Unfortunately with only one weekend, Emily and I weren’t able to explore many of the islands. However, we are happy to say we are travelling back during Chinese New Year! We need to purchase our visas for China and will be heading back to Hong Kong in a few weeks! I can’t wait to discover more of the city and see what havoc we can cause over our holiday. Next time, we will keep you updated on the nightlife! It’s official; Hong Kong was the first country we travelled to since our arrival in August. Our weekend getaway was a little taste of what our summer will be like: new day, new city. Let the countdown begin!
