March 9th - Hong Kong

Hong Kong is very colorful!

A "Welcome!" in typical Hong Kong fashion.

Chuck and the Filipina maids!

As we approached Hong Kong this morning, we watched for sampans and junks emerging from the thick fog to present a visual appetizer to this Asian city. I’ve always thought that “a city is a city is a city”.... but I’m learning that each one has a distinct character and personality. If I were to use only one word to describe Hong Kong, it would be “energy”. And that energy was palpable from the moment we approached the dock where there were dancers in brightly colored native costumes doing a traditional dragon dance to welcome us. There is a vivacity that seems to emanate from the streets and from the colorful signs that make the whole city resemble a very glitzy and colorful Times Square. Giant video screens mounted on buildings flash news and financial figures from around the world. The construction of new buildings is never-ending….they are constantly erupting from the earth in what look like crystalline stalagmites of glistening glass and steel. We went past the Ritz Carlton Hotel which is only 14 years old but is already being torn down (piece by piece….they don’t implode the buildings they’ve tired of here…way too congested!) to make way for a new, more modern building. With limited land area, there seems to be a constant reclamation of the harbor to create sites for new developments. Hong Kong is a totally vertical city….it is like an over-full parking lot for extremely tall skyscrapers. The biggest danger to the city comes from typhoons. The buildings are built with gaping holes in them to allow for less wind resistance. And there are those who say the holes also have a feng shui purpose…. they will keep evil spirits from getting trapped in the buildings.

Seven of us went on a private walking tour of the city….the best way to really experience Hong Kong. Our guide, Marco, was raised in Switzerland but has lived in Hong Kong for 26 years. He said he did not want to be known as a “Swiss” person….he wanted to be known as an “International” person. His love for Hong Kong came through loud and clear as he shared his adopted city with us. Here are some of the highlights:We had morning lattes at the Peninsula Hotel….with potted palms and string quartets in the sumptuous gilt-corniced lobby, it oozes elegance. (We almost thought we were “home” on Queen Victoria!) The hotel has a fleet of 14 chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantoms and its own helicopter service from a rooftop helipad. A night in the Peninsula Suite will only put you back HK$68,000. (About US$8,750…. but it does come complete with complimentary butler and Rolls Royce service….) (http://www.peninsula.com/ should you want to book!)

American cities could learn a lot from Hong Kong in the area of people moving. Mass transportation is so convenient and so reasonably priced that people can’t help but use it. The constantly running trams cost HK$2.00 (about $.25 in US money) no matter how far you are traveling. There are also elevated and air-conditioned pedestrian walkways that move people between buildings in the shopping district. Best of all was a downtown terminal for the airport where passengers can check their bags at the beginning of the day, take care of whatever business they have in the city, and take the subway to the airport to catch up with their already checked bags.

We had lunch at a restaurant where the only eating utensils were chopsticks. Luckily, I sat next to our guide, Marco, who gave me some private tutoring in the art of eating Chinese cuisine. By necessity, I became adequately adept!

Because we were in Hong Kong on a Sunday, we were able to view a whole subculture that we would not have otherwise known existed. There are almost 150,000 Philippine nationals working in Hong Kong, most of them as maids. Sunday is their day off and they gather in seemingly every expanse of free space available for a festive day of celebrating their native culture. They mark their territories with blankets, umbrellas, cardboard boxes….and we even saw one group with a small tent. They were sharing food, playing cards and games, giving each other manicures, doing handicrafts, and just enjoying the company of those with whom they share a background. (They seemed to find it rather amusing when Chuck jumped into one of their little groups for a photo op!)

We went up to Victoria Peak which provided an unbelievable panoramic view of the sprawling city below. Unfortunately, it turns out that what we thought was fog was actually pollution, so all the buildings of Hong Kong seemed to be looming in a surreal sort of way out of a shadowy mist. It just didn’t seem to fit, because the streets themselves seem so clean. Marco said the pollution on this day was much worse than usual. We also experienced the gorgeous two mile nature walk around “the Peak” which helped us work up an appetite for….

.....dinner! We took a ferry out to Lamma Island where we selected our seafood out of a tank and had it prepared just the way we wanted it. (More practice with chopsticks!) Bon Appetite!!

We had a longer time in this port than usual so were away from our “mother ship” longer than at any other time since embarking in Southampton. (Maybe this is a planned beginning of our reentry program??) We have now traveled 23,500 nautical miles on our floating home away from home.


1 comments:
Sarah said...
hmmmm this reminds me a bit of the shot of dad and the band at acapulcos... :)
April 14, 2008 8:12 PM