First and last night in Hong Kong

Our alarm clock went off at 5.00am. We left our beloved apartment and, still a bit sleepy, made our way to the airport. Since we chose the express train, the journey to Narita Airport took less than an hour. The check-in at the Hong Kong Airline counter took much longer than usual. As we were flying with the same airline to Canada the next day, they checked if we had an entry visa, a Canadian address, and an itinerary in Canada. Luckily, we had booked and arranged everything the day before. After what felt like an eternity, we received the boarding passes for the two flights. The flight to Hong Kong took about five hours. Our Airbus A330 landed on the artificially created runway right on time. The airport was built by excavating over 100 meters of hill and dumping the soil into the sea, creating the huge runway. The immigration process went smoothly with automated computer check-in.

Outside, we quickly found the right bus to take us to the city and our accommodation. The journey took about an hour and cost around CHF 4.00. In the chaos of the city, we set off on foot to find our hotel. After just a few minutes, we found the very run-down high-rise complex. It was filled with shady characters, mainly of Arab and Indian descent, trying to approach us and sell us something. Annoyed and somewhat unfriendly, we made it clear to them that we were not interested. We took the elevator to the 14th floor, where our guesthouse was located. The courtyard of the high-rise reminded us a lot of India. We had imagined the ultra-modern city of Hong Kong to be quite different.

The check-in process was automated using codes that we had received by email in advance. The room was extremely small, as expected, and didn't have a single window. However, it was modern and clean. We couldn't complain for CHF 27.00 per night.

After a short break, we set out to explore the city a bit more. We visited a local market. The somewhat unusual smells reminded us a lot of countries like Thailand and Vietnam. Many of the buildings looked very old and run-down, with a few modern buildings scattered in between. The density of Swiss watch shops was truly impressive. From Rolex to Omega to Blancpain, everything was represented here. A strange mix. We decided to take a ferry to the other side of the city. The journey only took a few minutes and cost about 30 cents. When we arrived on Hong Kong Island, a different cityscape awaited us. Only modern buildings and shopping centers stood here. For shopping, there were practically only designer stores of famous brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, etc. However, everything seemed quite empty. A bizarre world. We also noticed small to large gatherings of people everywhere on the streets, consisting almost exclusively of women sitting on cardboard boxes. Later, we learned that a general strike had been declared in Hong Kong. Fortunately, this did not have a negative impact on us.

We set out to find a suitable dinner. The selection of restaurants was rather limited here. We decided to go to the Hard Rock Cafe.

After a meal of typical American food with burgers and fries, we headed to the Hong Kong Peak Tram. The rack railway, which originated from Switzerland, took us up the extremely steep slope to the lower peak of Victoria Peaks. By now, it was dark, and we enjoyed the unique view of the illuminated city.

Tired from the long day, we fell into our bed. The next morning, it's already time to go back to the airport. The time has come for us to leave Asia. The city of Hong Kong has not left a positive impression on us. We are very excited to explore completely different Canada.