Hong Kong - February 2007
Hong Kong is my new favorite city.
Hong Kong is really a series of islands. Ferries, bridges and tunnels connect everything. And these islands are hilly. I kept hearing about how crowded the city was, so the amount of green space took me by surprise. From the window of our midtown hotel we could see early-risers doing their Tai Chi exercise in a beautiful botanical garden. Later we walked through the garden and admired the gorgeous plants and enjoyed the antics of the lemurs and monkeys. It’s a great pedestrian city, and if you don’t want to trek the steep street, just hop on the moving side walk, aka the world’s longest escalator, and get zipped right a long.
Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997. It will operate fairly independently until 2047, then mainland China will gobble them up. (Which is ironic considering that this city’s success is due to the 1949 influx of Chinese professionals who were escaping the new Communist government.) Hong Kong is considered the most international of the Asian Pacific port/financial centers that include Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai. It sure was hopping.
We were in town to see our friends and residents, Patty Hudak and Matt, Carl and Nellie Kolon. We had a grand visit –we got to talk, talk, talk and the kids got to play- then we basked in the attention of our personal and knowledgeable tour guides as they whisked us to all their favorite places.
We took the famous Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour and took in the twinkling night view of the Hong Kong skyline. The ferry was founded in the 1800s and is a highly recognizable symbol of the city. As is common in Asia, they recently demolished a historical pier to make way for a land reclamation project. We’ll have to repeat all our stops in the future just to see what has been changed.
Luckily, there are a few famous establishments remaining. We had dim sum at Luk Yu Tea House. This place is old Hong Kong at its best, so we ate and drank tea while admiring the art deco atmosphere. If you go, order the bo lai and jasmine teas.
We had to work off our breakfast, so we took the ferry (of course) to Lamma Island. A half hour later, we were in a different world from the commercial area. A true artist’s community, Lamma Island prohibits automobiles and buildings over 3-stories tall. Walking paths connect the scenic sea-side villages. We ambled along, admired the ocean views and took extra time to dig in the sand at the beaches. After all this activity, we were ready to hit one of the many seafood restaurants, lined up waiting for us to peer into their outdoor tanks and select our fresh dinner. Patty expertly ordered for us, which made Eric really happy because he didn’t want to meet his fish personally.
It’s hard to believe, but the next morning we were able to eat a SECOND dim sum breakfast. I used to go to dim sum in NYC; and am happy to report that Chinatown’s steamed dumplings and egg tarts are authentically Hong Kong/Cantonese. Cantonese, a southern-Chinese dialect, is the primary language of Hong Kong, although English is widely spoken and the northern dialect of Mandarin is becoming more popular.
We then happily shopped the day away visiting street vendors. The next day, there was a grand visit, via double deck bus, to the Ocean Amusement park with yet more great vistas of the city.
The best view was yet to be had. On our final morning we took the Peak Tram, which travels up a hillside to a tower in Victoria Gap. The Peak itself, at over 1,800 feet, is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. We had a panoramic view of the city. Then the kids got to run down the hill back to our hotel. I didn’t want to leave.
Dave and I told Patty and Matt we’ve decided to retire to Hong Kong. They said they want to retire in Kyoto.
Happy travels!
Love, barbara
P.S. Alas, this was our last out-of-Japan trip. Our next adventure is to Tokyo/Kyoto where we meet the Adkisson family from Vermont. In just a few months, we start preparations to pack up and head home!!! We miss you all.
Pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink Folder called 1. Hong Kong 07.
Blog http://iversonjpn.blogspot.com/
Hong Kong is really a series of islands. Ferries, bridges and tunnels connect everything. And these islands are hilly. I kept hearing about how crowded the city was, so the amount of green space took me by surprise. From the window of our midtown hotel we could see early-risers doing their Tai Chi exercise in a beautiful botanical garden. Later we walked through the garden and admired the gorgeous plants and enjoyed the antics of the lemurs and monkeys. It’s a great pedestrian city, and if you don’t want to trek the steep street, just hop on the moving side walk, aka the world’s longest escalator, and get zipped right a long.
Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997. It will operate fairly independently until 2047, then mainland China will gobble them up. (Which is ironic considering that this city’s success is due to the 1949 influx of Chinese professionals who were escaping the new Communist government.) Hong Kong is considered the most international of the Asian Pacific port/financial centers that include Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai. It sure was hopping.
We were in town to see our friends and residents, Patty Hudak and Matt, Carl and Nellie Kolon. We had a grand visit –we got to talk, talk, talk and the kids got to play- then we basked in the attention of our personal and knowledgeable tour guides as they whisked us to all their favorite places.
We took the famous Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour and took in the twinkling night view of the Hong Kong skyline. The ferry was founded in the 1800s and is a highly recognizable symbol of the city. As is common in Asia, they recently demolished a historical pier to make way for a land reclamation project. We’ll have to repeat all our stops in the future just to see what has been changed.
Luckily, there are a few famous establishments remaining. We had dim sum at Luk Yu Tea House. This place is old Hong Kong at its best, so we ate and drank tea while admiring the art deco atmosphere. If you go, order the bo lai and jasmine teas.
We had to work off our breakfast, so we took the ferry (of course) to Lamma Island. A half hour later, we were in a different world from the commercial area. A true artist’s community, Lamma Island prohibits automobiles and buildings over 3-stories tall. Walking paths connect the scenic sea-side villages. We ambled along, admired the ocean views and took extra time to dig in the sand at the beaches. After all this activity, we were ready to hit one of the many seafood restaurants, lined up waiting for us to peer into their outdoor tanks and select our fresh dinner. Patty expertly ordered for us, which made Eric really happy because he didn’t want to meet his fish personally.
It’s hard to believe, but the next morning we were able to eat a SECOND dim sum breakfast. I used to go to dim sum in NYC; and am happy to report that Chinatown’s steamed dumplings and egg tarts are authentically Hong Kong/Cantonese. Cantonese, a southern-Chinese dialect, is the primary language of Hong Kong, although English is widely spoken and the northern dialect of Mandarin is becoming more popular.
We then happily shopped the day away visiting street vendors. The next day, there was a grand visit, via double deck bus, to the Ocean Amusement park with yet more great vistas of the city.
The best view was yet to be had. On our final morning we took the Peak Tram, which travels up a hillside to a tower in Victoria Gap. The Peak itself, at over 1,800 feet, is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. We had a panoramic view of the city. Then the kids got to run down the hill back to our hotel. I didn’t want to leave.
Dave and I told Patty and Matt we’ve decided to retire to Hong Kong. They said they want to retire in Kyoto.
Happy travels!
Love, barbara
P.S. Alas, this was our last out-of-Japan trip. Our next adventure is to Tokyo/Kyoto where we meet the Adkisson family from Vermont. In just a few months, we start preparations to pack up and head home!!! We miss you all.
Pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink Folder called 1. Hong Kong 07.
Blog http://iversonjpn.blogspot.com/
posted by Barbara Meehan Iverson at 8:05 PM
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