After an inspiring send off from David in Beijing, I had only night and one day to spend in Hong Kong before the ship had to set sail to Vietnam.
So, naturally, I had to make it count.
First of all, flying from Beijing to Hong Kong in January could not possibly provide a more stark contrast in environment. In a matter of a few hours we went from barren, snow-covered tundra into the heart of Pandora from Avatar. Maybe this is another bit of my ignorance coming out, but I was completely unaware that Hong Kong would be tropical.
After my eyes had adjusted to sun and blue skies, I realized anew just how different this port was from Shanghai. Although both have incredibly iconic skylines and well-developed shipping infrastructure, it was undeniable that Hong Kong was a separate entity entirely. The city almost seemed to buzz with a sort of youthful vibe that permeated everything we encountered.
I could tell it was going to be a good.
On our way to the dock, our guide informed us that Hong Kong puts on a nightly lightshow that incorporates all of the buildings in the skyline. The best place to view the show was from the top of the Star Ferry, so once dinner on the ship was over, we made our way and fought for the best vantage point. While calling this display a ‘show’ may be a bit of a stretch, the skyline was an amazingly beautiful sight, and was especially enjoyable as we no longer had to be wearing coats outdoors.
Yay, warmer weather!
I still can’t believe that a city skyline can be that coordinated, but the lights even corresponded with music that played overhead. Score 1 point for Hong Kong.
With the display under our belts we headed off to another one of the city’s nighttime destinations: the Temple Street Night Market.
The night market is no joke. Don’t even think about getting there before 7pm. In fact, you probably wouldn’t be able to distinguish Temple Street from any other street at that time even if you tried. But once the sun goes down, this place comes alive.
I couldn’t quite capture the chaos and magnitude of the street itself, but it was basically stall after stall of almost any good you could imagine. Many of you will be getting souvenirs from here, so be ready (and act surprised, will ya?) for some gems.
After we’d sufficiently fed our consumer side, we headed back to the ship to drop off our loot and make our way out for the night. I was particularly excited about this port, because a close friend of mind spent much of her childhood here. When I asked her for advice on Hong Kong, I received a very detailed description of exactly where to go and what to do for fun. In the interest of not incriminating anyone, I’ll just tell you what we did, and you can decide if it was good advice.
We first had to get from the port on the Kowloon side of HK over to HK Island itself. So naturally, we took the ferry.
There was the option to take a subway, but I figured we’d gotten that far by boat already, so might as well finish it off that way.
Our next few moves were recommended for those of legal drinking age only… or those who happened to be traveling in a country with a drinking age that corresponds to their current age… You get the idea.
We walked to an area of town called Lan Kwai Fong, known by locals as one of the best bar districts in town. The street is basically a huge L-shaped hill lined with bars and restaurants. At the bottom of the hill is a 7-Eleven (remember our homebase in Japan?) that seemed oddly crowded for that time of night.
Here’s why:
7-Eleven is where the party started!
So clearly a celebratory HK shotgun was in order. Bottoms up! Or I guess tops up… Whatever.
With that first drink down, our next mission was to make our way up the hill, stopping at each bar, all of which were famous for their unique ambiance and signature shots.
I’ll stop right there to prevent the heart attack that I figure my mom will have if she thinks I had a shot at EVERY bar on a street in Hong Kong.
I didn’t!
Stop worrying!
We just ended up floating around the streets, periodically making our way back to the convenience store to buy beers and then continue exploring. My friend was right. Each bar was so different and vibrant that the only way to experience the whole ‘scene’ was to spend some time checking out the street itself and peek into bars that looked interesting.
One bar in particular had one of the more interesting drinks I’ve ever seen: a Flaming Lamborghini. If I remember correctly, it involved gin, bailey’s, Sambuca, and of course, fire. One of those absolutely disgusting drinks that happens to have a cool name, so naturally everyone HAS to have one.
Quite a show. Not for the faint of heart. No, I didn’t have one. Yes, I’m lame, but Sambuca… Ugh!
We had such an incredible night enjoying the weather, dancing in the streets, and spending time with what are quickly becoming amazing new friends.
The next morning I woke up late once again. It seemed that nearly the entire ship had left for mandatory ‘Field Labs’ that are a required part of the curriculum on the ship. I felt a little strange at first, but then I realized why.
This was the first time on the entire trip that I had been alone.
As I’ve said before, personal time is a commodity on a ship with 1000 other people. Even in port, it’s usually not wise to leave your travel group lest you get lost and left behind. So I had found myself in unfamiliar territory yet again, but I decided to embrace it and explore the city on my own.
I’ll give you a little hint: great decision.
I left the ship and explored the Kowloon side of town on foot, stopping to check out back alleys and making turns on whichever streets looked interesting. It was so relaxing to not have to run each little decision (bathroom break… ATM stop… souvenir shopping) by a whole group of people.
After I had wandered the streets in Kowloon, I took to the subway for a trip over to HK Island. I had a general idea of what I wanted to see, but no set plans in mind. Because of that open mindset, I happened upon a few incredible and unexpected things.
Thing 1: A Catholic Church
This little church was at the top of a hill across from HSBC tucked away near the Hong Kong gardens. I snuck in a said a quick ‘thank you’ and the cathedral rewarded me with an amazing sense of calm and serenity that I had been missing on such a frantic adventure.
Thing 2: Random Markets.
Just when you think you’ve hit the center of downtown or the financial district, you take a left and see something like the scene above. People yelling over each other, live chickens running around, hagglers purchasing food and goods for the day—such a stark contrast to the suits and ties across the street. I wish I had more panorama game, and you could get a better feel for this incredible juxtaposition.
Thing 3: My Michelin Moment
I took a random turn after one of the market streets and stumbled on this little gem: Nha Trang Restaurant. Apparently, Nha Trang was included in the 2013 Michelin Guide which awards Michelin Stars to the best restaurants in the world.
Jackpot!
I went in and sat down at a barstool seat across from a businessman taking a late lunch. As it was an upscale Vietnamese restaurant I went with the only safe bet I knew: spring rolls. Sure, kinda lame, but let me tell you what… SO TASTY! And the icing on the cake, you ask? The whole meal cost the equivalent of $7 USD.
Double Jackpot!
After I had eaten (I stopped again for street dumplings which were incredible), I made the trip back to the ship dock. I arrived a little early for departure, so I decided to treat myself while I waited for the ship to board. As you may know by now, food and drink on the ship is quite limited, so I took the liberty of indulging in a few things I don’t get very often.
At 4 in the afternoon, I sat on the roof of the Star Ferry, overlooking the Hong Kong skyline, eating chocolate and strawberry ice cream, and sipping red wine.
Life moment!
Triple Jackpot!
I couldn’t help but look back at the day and the previous night and be nothing but thankful. I felt such a sense of calm and peace- something that I had been sadly lacking in my daily life for so long. With so little worry about the past and so much excitement about the future, I felt as though I’d begun to understand the magnitude of the trip and its meaning for my life.
At times it’s still hard to let go of everything and relax, but I know I’ll always have that moment in Hong Kong to set me straight.
I headed back to the ship in time for one last shot of the skyline before we had to set sail to Vietnam.
There’s a reason it’s #1 in the guide books.
Dinner was spent reminiscing about our 6 days of travel in China and Hong Kong, but we were already looking forward to Vietnam and the next adventure to come.
Three days on the ship and then we will be in Ho Chi Minh City! More to come on that soon enough, but for now, I’ll just leave you with the skyline—my personal favorite.
Question of the Day: What was your last great ‘life moment’?
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