Three Days in Hong Kong

The report on Hong Kong will be a bit different this time. Instead of telling the stories in chronological order, I will simply describe the places I visited. That brings a bit of variety.

In Hong Kong, like in Japan, I stayed with a Couchsurfer. I was really happy about that because the city definitely has European prices. Many say that Shanghai is the most expensive city in Asia, but I'm not so sure about that. Hong Kong can definitely keep up.

My first venture in Hong Kong was the Peak Tram. This tram goes up a hill towards Victoria Peak. The tram was nice and much more comfortable than walking in the tropical temperatures. There is also an observation platform attached to the 'mountain station'. But I enjoyed the view of Hong Kong from the Victoria Peak Garden. That is the actual top of the hill or small mountain. The way there is only 20 minutes long but it was really tough. With bright sunshine, 34 °C (93 °F) and humidity well over 70%, I quickly felt like a waterfall. On the way, a couple I had briefly talked to gave up. It was too strenuous for them in the weather. But it's actually worth it to walk all the way to the top. The view of the mainland of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Island was really cool and in the garden, you can cool down again.

As most people probably know, Hong Kong consists of a mainland with a border to China, and many small and large islands. My host lives on Hong Kong Island, the largest island. It is only a few hundred meters away from the mainland. For example, the ferry ride takes only 9 minutes and is a regular means of transportation. Because Hong Kong Island is so big, there are also smaller cities there. One city is called Stanley and is located at the eastern lower tip. There is a lot of beach and a promenade. When I arrived at the promenade, I felt like I was in a movie. The atmosphere was just so beautiful. There were street performers and musicians, it was nice and clean, there were restaurants and pubs, and everything was just really nicely done. It seemed like everyone was having fun and was satisfied. The sea made it all perfect. If you go to Hong Kong, you should definitely go there. The beaches are good for swimming and even better for climbing on the rocks. In Stanley, I also saw the really cool barbecue culture of the people here for the first time. There are public barbecue areas in many places, such as the beach. Everything is there and you just have to bring the food and charcoal. It would also be a good idea for German parks to counteract the lousy disposable grills.

After Hong Kong Island, the next larger island is Lantau. On the island, there is, among other things, the airport and the Big Buddha, for which Hong Kong is also famous. This Buddha statue is on one of the highest - or maybe the highest - mountain on the island and overlooks everything. The Buddha was built by a monastery and it has a wisdom path. That was the main reason for my visit. There are many large wooden columns on the path, and a poem is written on them. Of course, I have no idea what it says, but the atmosphere was cool. Just before, it had rained and the path had disappeared a bit in the fog. That made the mood mystical.

The Buddha was naturally impressive with its size. I don't know how huge this thing is, but it must be quite big. You can see it from far away. But there were a bit too many people for me to really find it beautiful.

My highlight of the day was the fishing village of Tai O. There are still many stilt houses and the residents almost exclusively live from fishing. It's hard to describe this place because there is actually little to tell. I simply wandered through the streets and over the bridges. Just look at the pictures. :D It was just beautiful, especially because the houses were mostly in good condition and looked well-maintained. It was also funny that these houses are all quite small. Almost no house is over 20 m² (215 ft²), and yet a whole family lives there. But my impression was also that life mainly takes place outdoors. It's probably not very comfortable to stay in the tin huts at 35 °C (95 °F).

My last destination in Hong Kong was Lion Rock. It's one of the many mountains on the Hong Kong mainland. At the foot of the mountain, I met up with Chackie. Like me, Chackie uses Couchsurfing. There, you can not only offer your own sofa and search for accommodation, but also find other travelers and locals. Chackie contacted me because we both have similar interests like hitchhiking and hiking. So we arranged to go on a small hike. One of her friends joined us as well.

Lion Rock is not just one mountain, but rather a chain of several smaller hills. We first climbed up the tail and then made our way to the head. To get from one peak to the next, you never go all the way down, but only a little bit. So except for the ascent and descent, you always stay in the rocky area. This makes hiking with rocks, steps, and stopping at the rocks quite interesting. There are a total of three peaks: tail, back, and head, and from each one, you have a magnificent view of Hong Kong, the harbor, and the nearby islands.

I'm really glad that Chackie invited me on the hike. On the one hand, because I probably wouldn't have climbed the mountain in the heat otherwise, and on the other hand, because we had many interesting and cool topics to talk about.

Overall, I was only in Hong Kong for three full days, and because of my visits before leaving, I went there completely unprepared. I only had my host, so accommodations. That's why I was probably even more surprised by the city-state and its diversity. In addition to the metropolis consisting only of skyscrapers, there is such a varied landscape. You could easily spend three weeks there - and above all, feel comfortable. The 'Hong Kong Citizen,' as the residents call themselves, are all very open-minded and even the smallest street vendor speaks a little English. No one expects you to speak the Cantonese language. That's why almost everything is also in English. Coming from the very Chinese-dominated Hangzhou, I was really happy about that. Because of the negative experiences in China, I also really enjoyed the public transportation system. In Hong Kong, there are 6,429 people per square kilometer (16,662 people per square mile), and yet everyone gets around smoothly. Hangzhou could definitely learn a thing or two from that. But my personal highlight of city life was definitely the restaurants. The vegetarian and vegan lifestyle with a touch of being a do-gooder has really taken off there. From the vegetarian Chinese buffet with organic and fair-trade products to the vegan high society burger restaurant, you can find everything. Yes, that was an absolute dream for me.

I left Hong Kong with great satisfaction that it was good to book a flight for only three days.

It's certainly not good for my ecological footprint, but I justify it by saying that it was only a one-way ticket. Instead of the return flight, there was a continuation flight to Taiwan. You have to treat yourself to something in life. xD

Logically, the next entry will be about that island.

Until then, greetings to the few who still check in regularly. :)