Hong Kong - 15.04.19

Contrary to my time in Shanghai, where I took each day as it came and didn't stress myself out, my time in Hong Kong is anything but relaxed. I have 2.5 days here and of course, I want to see as much as possible. Knowing that the next few days would be exhausting - I'll come back to that later - we spent Sunday, my last day in Shanghai, doing nothing. That was really nice ;-). In the evening, we finished the bottle of wine we had started.

With the journey to Hong Kong, my adventure is now really beginning. From now on, I am completely alone and exploring places I have never been before. 

The alarm clock rang at 05:00. Since I decided to continue my journey with a flight from Pudong International Airport, I had to endure a slightly longer journey to the airport. The hired driver picked me up shortly after six. I took advantage of the hour-long drive to the airport to doze off a bit. Since I am traveling to different countries and already have some cash for each country, I had some Chinese banknotes and Hong Kong dollars in my wallet this morning. Unfortunately, when paying the driver, I made a mistake and tried to pay with Hong Kong dollars. The banknotes have the same color in both currencies. He fortunately noticed it, but didn't find the mistake funny. All I could do was apologize repeatedly. Everything went smoothly at the airport, quick check-in, passport stamp for departure, security check, and then to the gate. I chose Hong Kong Airlines for my flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong. When booking my flight, price was obviously the main consideration, but I also looked at some pictures and read reviews. For a 2-hour journey like the one I had today, it was completely okay. I wouldn't want to fly a long-haul flight with them though. Since I read on the internet that the food on these flights is not good for our European taste, I politely declined when they served the meals and ate my packaged waffle and a cereal bar instead. When my neighbor opened his food packaging, I was glad I didn't take any food. The smell of the food was also extremely strong. Overall, it was a good flight with well-behaved Chinese passengers. They didn't talk loudly throughout the entire plane, they didn't clear their own dishes, and 90% of the Chinese passengers didn't even stand up until the plane reached its parking position. Not bad!

The landing in Hong Kong was fine. The airport is located on an island surrounded by cargo ships. During the approach, we saw a lot of water for a VERY long time, even when we were already quite low and could have waved to the workers on the ships up close. When we finally touched down on solid ground, I had to take a deep breath.

Already when leaving the plane and hearing the first announcements, you could tell that the English language is highly valued here. The announcements come first in English and then in Chinese. Finding my way at the airport was very easy and both the customs clearance and baggage claim went very quickly and smoothly. As part of my travel preparations, I also researched how to get from the airport to my hotel (Grand City Hotel) on Hong Kong Island. Taking a taxi would have been the easiest and most convenient solution. But I chose the Airport Express train. Since I will be taking the subway and buses in the next few days anyway, I bought a rechargeable card right away. I already know this system from other cities. At the ticket counter for the train tickets, I was told that there are free hotel shuttles from the terminal station on Hong Kong Island and I could ride to a hotel near my hotel. Great, for free, why not! My hotel is very centrally located on Hong Kong Island. Supermarkets, dining options, fruit stands, and many attractions are within walking distance. My hotel room is not necessarily made for tall people, but it's only 3 nights and I have a double room to myself, so I have a bit more space. After settling in, I ventured into the bustling alleys of Hong Kong Island in thin, light clothing. In the first few kilometers, I was a bit overwhelmed by the impressions and the street system was very confusing. There is a lot of crossing and crisscrossing here, and there are alleys, long stairs, or even escalators everywhere in between. And what I either overlooked in the guidebook or didn't want to remember is that the terrain here is extremely hilly. Phew, that will make the next few days even more exhausting ... The goal of my wanderings today was the Zoological & Botanical Garden and a bit of skyscraper watching. On the way there, I passed by the Man Mo Temple, which is one of the oldest temples in the city. You could enter it without paying an admission fee. I'm telling you, there were a lot of incense sticks burning there. Since there are many shops that sell incense sticks in large quantities, it can be concluded that the locals really like it. The botanical garden is of course actually artificially created. But despite the surrounding high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, it doesn't feel artificial. However, this is probably because there are also green spaces scattered between the high-rise buildings and the street and alley maze. Considering that the entry to the garden was free, there were various species of monkeys and many birds to see, and the green areas are also very well-maintained, I think it was worth it. And when you see palm trees, you really start feeling like you're on vacation. At least that's how I feel. On my way back to the hotel, I walked between the high-rise buildings and commercial streets. But I was also still looking for the Hard Rock Cafe. To that end, I can say: found it, delicious, bought a glass ;-). In the early evening, light rain began, making it humid and stuffy in the city. But since I had been checking the weather forecast for the past few days and wasn't very enthusiastic about the weather in Hong Kong, of course I had an umbrella with me.

In the evening, I also understood how the streets work here. When it was still light outside, everything at eye level was interesting, and when you looked up, you thought, 'Oh God, how terrible.' The buildings don't look nice at all. In the dark, the main streets had a vibe similar to the side streets near Times Square in New York, due to the many billboards and heavy traffic. 

I will spend the evening watching some Netflix.