Hong Kong and Macau
Hong Kong is an intense city - it's so alive and fast-moving, and there's so much going on that it is overwhelming at times. Yet in this small Chinese territory there is still the opportunity to relax and get away from the crowds, the concrete jungle, and the neon presence in the ever-busy streets.
I am experiencing Hong Kong (or 'vibe city' as it has been dubbed by my Hong Kong adviser, Mr. D. Mu) as part of a stopover that had to happen. I could have taken the much quicker flight from Sydney to Johannesburg, but I thought it might be worth it to take a detour via South China (look at a map- it's totally not on the way at all) given the difference in price was negligible. It was one of the best decisions of my life, and as a result I strongly encourage to y'all that you ALWAYS take advantage of stopover cities to get out of the airport and have a brief look at another side of the world. I had a few opportunities to do so on my 2008 trip, and I was never disappointed.
Flying into Hong Kong was exciting and left me with my mouth gaping, an expression which would be found on my face many times more while in Vibe City. Through the mist I saw rugged mountainous green islands leading up to the skyscraper forest of Victoria Harbour- it looked a bit like photos I've seen of Rio de Janiero.
Vibe City has many sides, and continues to surprise around every corner. The city's biggest attraction is surely its skyline, by day or by night. I queued up with the masses to take a look at the city from the famous Victoria Peak at night- the skyscrapers line the harbour on both sides and it's just like nothing you've seen before. I found it difficult just to admire it with my eyes- when I see such an amazing sight, I often go straight for the camera and try to capture it. But some things just can't be captured on film, and it is better just to take it in with my eyes and not worry so much about a photo. In the past I've looked back on a travel experience and realised I basically viewed the whole thing through the lens only- I have to remember to just stand back and appreciate things sometimes. Hong Kong's skyscrapers not only stand around and look good; they dance. Every night there is a light show where cheesy 80s music plays and the buildings emit beams all over the place and flash different colours in time with the music. It's incredibly tacky, but it seems appropriate in this city of excess and extravagance. Even in the busiest areas, though, it can be seen that there are different levels of Hong Kong living- in some districts the flashy shops are beside crumbing apartment blocks that have seen better days. Hong Kong is a city of capitalism and materialism, and, with all cities, there is another side that isn’t as well off.
The rail system (called the MTR) is a world leader, and a model for how every city should do public transport. It's so efficient and clean and regular- the stations are well set out so you always know which direction to go in (except for one time I found myself walking against the tide, dodging fast-moving commuters with no tolerance for Australian subway troublemakers.) The stations are pretty full-on and well equipped. There are jewellery stores, clothes stores, free internet access (it is slow admittedly) and I even saw a mobile phone charger station once. The signposting in the stations and also the streets is fantastic for someone who doesn't know where they're going. Other cities should learn lessons from this city as an example of how to cater to tourists. The MTR stations have tonnes of exits, but there is a description of which exit will take you to which locations, which helps a lot given the size of some of these stations.
The streets are full of energy and character- huge billboards in Chinese form a canopy over the constantly rushing pedestrians- at night it is especially magical. At times it is really intense. I popped my head out in the Mong Kok district and was totally overwhelmed by the scores of people buzzing around- I didn’t know where to go, so I went straight back to the MTR. It was so packed with people that I couldn’t fully cross the street- there were too many people on the other side that I was momentarily stuck on the street as I tried to find a gap to squeeze into.
The street markets are great to wander around in. There are food markets selling traditional stuff and day to day stuff, huge electronics markets (I bought some headphones which don’t work) and more touristy markets for souvenir stuff. There’s one bird market filled with cages with whistling little birds which is awfully charming in an old school Asia sort of way. I wasn’t expecting this, but bargaining in markets seems so much easier here than it was in South America- normally when I name a lower price, I expect a bit of haggling. But in some of these markets, I would name a price and they would agree straight away.
English is widespread, so it isn't an issue to travel here without Cantonese, but I feel guilty speaking English here unlike in Singapore, because it's not the first language. I wanted to learn some Cantonese phrases (I already know the absolute basics of Mandarin thanks to 5+ years of Chinese school- the rest has vanished) but I didn't know where to begin, and I found myself just falling back into the trap of speaking the same old language I speak everywhere. I felt a bit ashamed to be able only to speak English, so when I bought stuff I sometimes just stayed completely silent so that the shopkeeper could assume I was a Cantonese speaker who didn't like to speak much rather than an ignorant tourist. I'm a bit silly when it comes to language and travel- I guess I just like the idea of adapting and fitting in, so I feel I'm a failure if I have to speak my own language. At one point I almost missed a stop on the train because I didn't want to have to say 'Excuse me' in English and I didn't know how to in Cantonese.
Hong Kong has lots of little things which contribute to its vibe. There are scores of migrant worker ladies (Filipina and Indonesian I think) who set up picnic rugs in underpasses and eat together, listen to boom boxes and just seem to have these endless parties. Kowloon Park was buzzing on the Sunday I visited with thousands of these workers, dancing, singing and just having fun. It was fun to just be part of the party- it seemed to lighten up a sometimes serious city. The parks are filled with tai chi practisers- calmly going through their motions with an imposing backdrop of skyscrapers and mountains. Heaps of people on the streets wear face masks- I think that if you have a cold, you are expected to walk around with one- Hong Kong is serious about health and I think with things like SARS and avian flu still a concern people are taking it very seriously.
The food here is great, and I've done my best to try some different stuff here. I hated myself for having McDonalds on the first night- it's such a cop-out and really a waste of a meal when you're in such a food capital of the world. Since then I've tried lots of different things, including dim sum by myself today. The guy at the restaurant couldn't believe I was going for yum cha for one ("Why so lonely?") but it was something I couldn't leave Hong Kong without doing.
Without a doubt my most peculiar experience in Hong Kong came in the Pao Galleries, part of the Art Centre. I was having a look at some modern art when a young man told me he was a volunteer/artist and asked me what I thought of it. He ushered me into a video room and told me to take a look at the screen and try to 'integrate' myself into the movie, and totally relax. He went on to use the word 'relax' a lot. After telling me to uncross my arms and breathe slowly, he reached out and took my hand and gently led it up so I was touching my nose, then told me to bring it down slowly. I didn't know what he was doing, but I was curious and in no rush, so I played along. He started to massage pressure points in my hands, then got me to sit down and he continued this massage thing while telling me to keep watching the film (which was just arthouse meaningless stuff, some of which was appropriate for this massage, and some which was just very weird) and to relax. It seemed like, as odd a place this was to be doing this massage, he actually seemed to know what he was doing, so I let him continue, and he gradually did more types of this pressure massage, including massaging my bare feet with his (now I know what you are all thinking, but this was not at all sexual- and I have no doubt that he had no dirty intentions- this was the kind of serious Chinese massage people would pay for normally; I was just getting it from a stranger I had met in an art gallery!) I didn’t know why he was doing this, and why here of all places, but it was a very interesting experience and I didn’t feel threatened by him, just a bit confused. I think that if I had been prepared for it, I would have really found it much more relaxing than I did.
Hong Kong’s Outlying Islands were a great contrast to the busy city centre. I half climbed Lantau Peak (yeah, weak effort I know) which allowed me to enjoy really nice views over the island, totally green and without a building in sight, except for the tacky tourist village nearby. I wandered around the sleepy village Mui Wo, which is filled with bikes and fishermen. Cheung Chau was my sunset stop, and I hired a bike to roar around the island (and I nearly hit plenty of pedestrians) and enjoy the cool breeze and watch the locals wander around at a refreshingly slow pace compared to the MTR stations in town. Men played hakky-sack, children rode their bikes home from school, tables were set ready for yum cha, the sampans bobbed up and down in the harbour. Cheung Chau was at peace and so was I.
I took the opportunity to check out Macau, the former Portuguese colony reachable by ferry. It is a thoroughly bizarre place- it’s the only place in China where casinos are legal and, as a result, there are billions of them, lining the main drags and lit up at night. There’s a park with a huge man made volcano, a Chinese temple and a Roman amphitheatre- it’s the first thing you see as you approach the city by ferry, and I felt a bit let down that the huge things I could faintly see as I arrived were just casino gimmicks. The inner city has more charm, thanks to its colonial buildings and winding streets, through which a stream of mopeds constantly flows. I took a ride on a bus down south to one of the islands Coloane (which has ceased to be an island because so much land has been reclaimed to develop more, you guessed it, casinos) which has noticeably more charm and is quite sleepy and relaxed, a far cry from the bustling casino strip.
So I have been kept interested for the past few days for my Asian city break. Hong Kong and Macau have excited me and I am thoroughly pleased that I chose to make this stopover. I leave for Johannesburg tonight, and then the real trip begins!
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=61638&l=109fd&id=629670868
I am experiencing Hong Kong (or 'vibe city' as it has been dubbed by my Hong Kong adviser, Mr. D. Mu) as part of a stopover that had to happen. I could have taken the much quicker flight from Sydney to Johannesburg, but I thought it might be worth it to take a detour via South China (look at a map- it's totally not on the way at all) given the difference in price was negligible. It was one of the best decisions of my life, and as a result I strongly encourage to y'all that you ALWAYS take advantage of stopover cities to get out of the airport and have a brief look at another side of the world. I had a few opportunities to do so on my 2008 trip, and I was never disappointed.
Flying into Hong Kong was exciting and left me with my mouth gaping, an expression which would be found on my face many times more while in Vibe City. Through the mist I saw rugged mountainous green islands leading up to the skyscraper forest of Victoria Harbour- it looked a bit like photos I've seen of Rio de Janiero.
Vibe City has many sides, and continues to surprise around every corner. The city's biggest attraction is surely its skyline, by day or by night. I queued up with the masses to take a look at the city from the famous Victoria Peak at night- the skyscrapers line the harbour on both sides and it's just like nothing you've seen before. I found it difficult just to admire it with my eyes- when I see such an amazing sight, I often go straight for the camera and try to capture it. But some things just can't be captured on film, and it is better just to take it in with my eyes and not worry so much about a photo. In the past I've looked back on a travel experience and realised I basically viewed the whole thing through the lens only- I have to remember to just stand back and appreciate things sometimes. Hong Kong's skyscrapers not only stand around and look good; they dance. Every night there is a light show where cheesy 80s music plays and the buildings emit beams all over the place and flash different colours in time with the music. It's incredibly tacky, but it seems appropriate in this city of excess and extravagance. Even in the busiest areas, though, it can be seen that there are different levels of Hong Kong living- in some districts the flashy shops are beside crumbing apartment blocks that have seen better days. Hong Kong is a city of capitalism and materialism, and, with all cities, there is another side that isn’t as well off.
The rail system (called the MTR) is a world leader, and a model for how every city should do public transport. It's so efficient and clean and regular- the stations are well set out so you always know which direction to go in (except for one time I found myself walking against the tide, dodging fast-moving commuters with no tolerance for Australian subway troublemakers.) The stations are pretty full-on and well equipped. There are jewellery stores, clothes stores, free internet access (it is slow admittedly) and I even saw a mobile phone charger station once. The signposting in the stations and also the streets is fantastic for someone who doesn't know where they're going. Other cities should learn lessons from this city as an example of how to cater to tourists. The MTR stations have tonnes of exits, but there is a description of which exit will take you to which locations, which helps a lot given the size of some of these stations.
The streets are full of energy and character- huge billboards in Chinese form a canopy over the constantly rushing pedestrians- at night it is especially magical. At times it is really intense. I popped my head out in the Mong Kok district and was totally overwhelmed by the scores of people buzzing around- I didn’t know where to go, so I went straight back to the MTR. It was so packed with people that I couldn’t fully cross the street- there were too many people on the other side that I was momentarily stuck on the street as I tried to find a gap to squeeze into.
The street markets are great to wander around in. There are food markets selling traditional stuff and day to day stuff, huge electronics markets (I bought some headphones which don’t work) and more touristy markets for souvenir stuff. There’s one bird market filled with cages with whistling little birds which is awfully charming in an old school Asia sort of way. I wasn’t expecting this, but bargaining in markets seems so much easier here than it was in South America- normally when I name a lower price, I expect a bit of haggling. But in some of these markets, I would name a price and they would agree straight away.
English is widespread, so it isn't an issue to travel here without Cantonese, but I feel guilty speaking English here unlike in Singapore, because it's not the first language. I wanted to learn some Cantonese phrases (I already know the absolute basics of Mandarin thanks to 5+ years of Chinese school- the rest has vanished) but I didn't know where to begin, and I found myself just falling back into the trap of speaking the same old language I speak everywhere. I felt a bit ashamed to be able only to speak English, so when I bought stuff I sometimes just stayed completely silent so that the shopkeeper could assume I was a Cantonese speaker who didn't like to speak much rather than an ignorant tourist. I'm a bit silly when it comes to language and travel- I guess I just like the idea of adapting and fitting in, so I feel I'm a failure if I have to speak my own language. At one point I almost missed a stop on the train because I didn't want to have to say 'Excuse me' in English and I didn't know how to in Cantonese.
Hong Kong has lots of little things which contribute to its vibe. There are scores of migrant worker ladies (Filipina and Indonesian I think) who set up picnic rugs in underpasses and eat together, listen to boom boxes and just seem to have these endless parties. Kowloon Park was buzzing on the Sunday I visited with thousands of these workers, dancing, singing and just having fun. It was fun to just be part of the party- it seemed to lighten up a sometimes serious city. The parks are filled with tai chi practisers- calmly going through their motions with an imposing backdrop of skyscrapers and mountains. Heaps of people on the streets wear face masks- I think that if you have a cold, you are expected to walk around with one- Hong Kong is serious about health and I think with things like SARS and avian flu still a concern people are taking it very seriously.
The food here is great, and I've done my best to try some different stuff here. I hated myself for having McDonalds on the first night- it's such a cop-out and really a waste of a meal when you're in such a food capital of the world. Since then I've tried lots of different things, including dim sum by myself today. The guy at the restaurant couldn't believe I was going for yum cha for one ("Why so lonely?") but it was something I couldn't leave Hong Kong without doing.
Without a doubt my most peculiar experience in Hong Kong came in the Pao Galleries, part of the Art Centre. I was having a look at some modern art when a young man told me he was a volunteer/artist and asked me what I thought of it. He ushered me into a video room and told me to take a look at the screen and try to 'integrate' myself into the movie, and totally relax. He went on to use the word 'relax' a lot. After telling me to uncross my arms and breathe slowly, he reached out and took my hand and gently led it up so I was touching my nose, then told me to bring it down slowly. I didn't know what he was doing, but I was curious and in no rush, so I played along. He started to massage pressure points in my hands, then got me to sit down and he continued this massage thing while telling me to keep watching the film (which was just arthouse meaningless stuff, some of which was appropriate for this massage, and some which was just very weird) and to relax. It seemed like, as odd a place this was to be doing this massage, he actually seemed to know what he was doing, so I let him continue, and he gradually did more types of this pressure massage, including massaging my bare feet with his (now I know what you are all thinking, but this was not at all sexual- and I have no doubt that he had no dirty intentions- this was the kind of serious Chinese massage people would pay for normally; I was just getting it from a stranger I had met in an art gallery!) I didn’t know why he was doing this, and why here of all places, but it was a very interesting experience and I didn’t feel threatened by him, just a bit confused. I think that if I had been prepared for it, I would have really found it much more relaxing than I did.
Hong Kong’s Outlying Islands were a great contrast to the busy city centre. I half climbed Lantau Peak (yeah, weak effort I know) which allowed me to enjoy really nice views over the island, totally green and without a building in sight, except for the tacky tourist village nearby. I wandered around the sleepy village Mui Wo, which is filled with bikes and fishermen. Cheung Chau was my sunset stop, and I hired a bike to roar around the island (and I nearly hit plenty of pedestrians) and enjoy the cool breeze and watch the locals wander around at a refreshingly slow pace compared to the MTR stations in town. Men played hakky-sack, children rode their bikes home from school, tables were set ready for yum cha, the sampans bobbed up and down in the harbour. Cheung Chau was at peace and so was I.
I took the opportunity to check out Macau, the former Portuguese colony reachable by ferry. It is a thoroughly bizarre place- it’s the only place in China where casinos are legal and, as a result, there are billions of them, lining the main drags and lit up at night. There’s a park with a huge man made volcano, a Chinese temple and a Roman amphitheatre- it’s the first thing you see as you approach the city by ferry, and I felt a bit let down that the huge things I could faintly see as I arrived were just casino gimmicks. The inner city has more charm, thanks to its colonial buildings and winding streets, through which a stream of mopeds constantly flows. I took a ride on a bus down south to one of the islands Coloane (which has ceased to be an island because so much land has been reclaimed to develop more, you guessed it, casinos) which has noticeably more charm and is quite sleepy and relaxed, a far cry from the bustling casino strip.
So I have been kept interested for the past few days for my Asian city break. Hong Kong and Macau have excited me and I am thoroughly pleased that I chose to make this stopover. I leave for Johannesburg tonight, and then the real trip begins!
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=61638&l=109fd&id=629670868
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