Lena's Traveler's Talk

First, let me say that it’s been 2 years since my first and last post. Pathetic, I know. I am back on the wagon and want to focus on this blog and sharing my experiences traveling over the past decade. I have a lot to cover, so let’s get to it.

Hong Kong! Is it a country? A city? Part of China? There is always a lot of mystery to people around Hong Kong, its British/Chinese rule and the “New York of Asia” reputation. Let me help demystify this incredible place from my lens as a 4 day tourist tasting what the continent of Asia has to offer for the first time. This is the first of a 3 part blog of my Asian trip that lasted 3 weeks and covered Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan. The other two countries deserve blogs of their own so suffice it to say that this trip ROCKED my World. Our traveling companions were our dear friends who have know become more like family to us. For purposes of “anonymity”, let’s call them DAS little people, I and B. And the best way to keep them anonymous is to share their pictures 🙂

George and I get off the plane in Hong Kong only to find that we’ve been fooled all our lives and indeed Chicago O’Hare International Airport is NOT the most efficient Airport in the world. Sigh. From getting off the plane, going through customs, picking up our luggage, taking a speed train to a bus to our hotel, the experience lasted 45 minutes…I kid you not folks. We were exhausted and our plan was to check into the hotel and get some rest but of course our curiosity got the best of us. After checking into the Metropark hotel in the neighborhood of Causeaway Bay of Hong Kong Island, we opted to step outside and explore. 15 minutes was the plan, because neither of us could barely function after the sleepless flight over. Well let me tell you, 11:00pm on a Thursday night might as well be Saturday afternoon in Time’s Square, this place was packed. Sensory overload; every building is so tall, people are eating bizarre foods from the street, all the shops are open, and turns out we are the only westerners in sight. This is what I live for. The adrenolen of a new environment, a new culture, unknown language, new people and sometimes even that sense of discomfort or isolation.

1.5 hours later of roaming the streets with our jaw open, we found the way back to the hotel.

DAS little people were going to meet us later that evening so we had the chance to explore on our own for a while. Our hotel location was particularly interesting to me because we were in what appeared to be a very “local” neighborhood. We were across the street from a school and ran into children in their uniforms playing outside. The apartments nearby appeared modest and the restaurants were full of locals. We helped ourselves to some Vietnamese brunch and opted to continue with the local experience by taking the bus to Stanley Market. Our hotel was near a major bus stop so finding the number we needed wasn’t the challenge, it was figuring out how much and how to pay for the bus that was a bit more complex. George and I were so proud of our ability to navigate the local transportation system and eagerly got on the bus with our Hong Kong Dollars in hand wanting to pay. First rule of busses in Hong Kong, never stand while the bus is moving or everyone on the bus will yell at you and you won’t understand what they are saying or why. So, you should be prepared to have exact change, give it to the bus driver and run to your seat. The bus ride was about 45 minutes and just absolutely gorgeous. The southern part of Hong Kong Island, the view of Repulse Bay particularly, is just stunning. How quickly the city transformed from organized chaos to blissful beach town. We didn’t have time to hop off at Repulse Bay but I would recommend for others. Our stop was at the charming Stanley Market where tourists gathered to consume. Yep, a tourist trap. Here is the thing, I am all for finding local charms and going off the beaten path when I travel, but in some instances, places are tourists trap for a reason. I am not saying that Stanley Market is a must see, it was fun but nothing expectational. What I am saying though, is that sometimes the masses are right and places are worth waiting in line or fighting crowds for. Just a thought….

Alright, as I look at my pictures to remind myself of what to write about, I realize that I have way too many stories and suggestions to continue writing in this elaborate fashion. Frankly, I think you are happy I came to this realization and want me to just cut to the chase and use bullet point format. You win. Here we go:

– Under Bridge Spicy Crab: We saw a pic of Anthony Bourdain (I am a big fan) on the outside of this restaurant the night before and knew that it would be worth eating at….and who say’s Celebrity sponsorships don’t fool the average consumer? I digress… After a little google action we determined that this place was popular for Spicy Crabs (right, we could have figured that out from the name of the place, but again I digress). After DAS little people came into town, we impressed them by taking them to this hidden, kind of, gem we found in the neighborhood. The crabs were served, whole, brain and all, and covered in a Spicy dry rub that was exceptional. It was a mess, we ate a ton and loved our very authentic experience. Since I had already gotten yelled at by the bus driver, I was due for one more good talking to before night fall. I refused to eat the brain of my crab and my waiter tattle-tailed on me to the owner who came around shaking his head and yelling at me for wasting the best part. So, let me say that I have deep respect for the differences of other cultures but I just didn’t want to eat the brain and tarnish what was otherwise a finger licking good meal. So I politely declined and dealt with the wrath of King Spicy Crab himself.

–  Big Buddha on Lantau Island: One of the most popular tourist attractions and absolutely stunning. We happened to have gone during the one week when they close the cable cars, the preferred method of getting up to the top. Instead we had the pleasure of a long bus ride with an equally as long wait to get up and down. It was worth it. Exploring this gigantic, BIG, as some call it, Buddha is impressive and can even give you chills. As you stand there wondering how it was built int he ancient times, you then feel extra special to learn that it was actually only built about 20 years ago. Cranes and all the fancy building equipment of modern day were at their disposal. Nonetheless, its worth the half day trip.

– Felix at the Peninsula: Not only is this an exquisite and expensive meal at the top of the luxurious hotel but its also the scene for one of those most perfect views of Hong Kong Island. 8pm sharp, every night, the skyscrapers perform a light show and dance. Hard to explain, yet again, worth the view! Make sure to make reservations and request a table next to the window.

– Lai Kwan Fong Hotel: Located on Hong Kong Island in the Central neighborhood is fun to visit, drinks at the top and drinks in the neighboring small side streets. We stopped here for a drink, then sat outside at another bar where we witness a human wheel-barrel roll down the hilly road made of what appeared to be college boys, with a night cap at a Hookah lounge.

– Central: Referecned above, this is the business and fancy shopping district. Here, we discovered mid-level walking, aka superior to ground walking. Essentially, most of the buildings are connected above ground. This proved quite useful in the rain.

– Victoria Peak: Another tourist trip that is a must see. All I can say is that if I were an expat in Hong Kong, I would want a nice apartment on the side of mountain on the way to Victoria Peak. Picture on top is at the Peak.

– Tim Ho Wan: This may be the cheapest Michelin rated restaurant in the world. Dim Sum, classic, nothing fancy but delicious as promised. They have two locations and we hit up the one in the indoor mall in Central. Finding it was not an easy task as it was essentially in the lower level of one of the towers. Be patient, ask a minimum of 3 people to help guide you there, and it will be worth your time. BBQ Pork Bun is certainly necessary.

If I had to summarize my experience in Hong Kong, I would say that it was eye opening and thrilling. As an appetizer into Asia, I found this to be a very appropriate first stop on our trip. You may not want to move here, you may not even want to spend another week here, but I am confident that you will not regret making a stop here.