She is Hong Kong

I live in Taipei, Taiwan. I take weekend trips to Hong Kong. Why? Well, in the words of George Mallory, because it's there.

I left midday on Saturday and after only one hour, I arrived at Hong Kong International Airport. The landscape outside the airport appeared to be quite similar to Taiwan: rolling mountains dropping off into dramatic seas. Even the interior of the airport seemed the same: Chinese and English signs everywhere. As far as I could tell, the plane just flew in a big circle and I was still hopping along in Taiwan.

The big difference came when it was time for me to leave the airport and go to the city. In Taiwan, you have to go to the local ticket counter and buy a bus ticket. Then, after about a half hour if your lucky, a broken down bus will come puttering along to take you from the airport/cow pasture. (I'm not joking: Taiwan's airport is essentially a glorified field.) Hong Kong, however, has an airport express. As soon as you leave customs, there is an enormous sign that reads "To the City". At the most, it's a twelve minute wait for the express train and once it departs, you know it will only be a measly 24 minutes before your hobnobbing with Hong Kong celebrities.


The airport express dropped me off in the central part of Hong Kong. For those that don't know the city well, the residents have thought well in advance. The central part of Hong Kong is called "Central". An apt name if I've ever come across one.

My first journey this fine Saturday evening was up the Peak Tram. There was still about two hours of daylight, which would give me enough time to get to the top of Victoria peak to see the city line doused under a blue sky. Hong Kong, I have heard, is lucky if it gets one or two clear days a month. I had no intention of wasting the opportunity to see it in its splendor. What I didn't count on was that the rest of Hong Kong, all seven million of them it seemed, wanted to get to the top of the Peak as well for a romantic or eventful Saturday night out. Suffice to say, I didn't make it to the top until well after nightfall. I wish not to recount the hours I waited in line, stuffed hopelessly like a locked sardine, succumbed to oppressive heat and drenching humidity. Instead, just take my word for it that the wait was interminable.

The peak's view, however, made up for the protracted test of patience. A clear evening, a sparkling cityscape, and a lightning storm brewing in the distance made for one hell of a light show. Standing there, on the sky terrace, looking out over the enchanted Hong Kong city below, gave me a sense of self-godliness, or at the very least, a child watching over the model town he just created out of legos. Sometimes it felt like you could reach out and rearrange the buildings as you saw fit. Other times, they looked as if they were ready to extend straight up to the top of the peak and poke you in the eye. Whatever the emotion, or the illusion, it was a dazzling, dizzying effect.


With a buzz and vibe in my step, I made my way back down to the tram to return home. However, the line back down the mountain was even more horrendous than the wait to get up. There was absolutely no way I was going to wait two hours just to go back down the mountain. I found the local taxi stand and bit the bullet. A US$10 taxi fare got me down to the base of the mountain, over to Wan Chai (the district just East of Central) where I was hoping to spend the night.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am now a Rough Guide convert. I used to be Lonely Planet, but the readability and the interesting facts accompanied by the Rough Guide books have won my heart. And the Hong Kong rough guide book recommended I stay at a guest house called the "Clean Hostel". Living up to its name, the place was clean. However, to get to it, one had to make their way down a labyrinth of concrete corridors amid shadier other guest houses. The hostel was nothing to write home about, but in reality, I wasn't going to be spending much time there. It was clean, had a shower, and a comfortable bed: the hallmarks of a successful guest house. I showered, got ready and went out to experience Hong Kong's nightlife and all its associated passions.

The following morning presented me with a full day of sightseeing Hong Kong's well known, and lesser known, treasures. A short walk from my hotel to the Happy Valley race course, and a bit further, got me to my first dim sum experience. It was not difficult finding the restaurant, as it was indeed called "Dim Sum." Caters to the tourists, this city does! But for what was lacking in creativity, the folks made up for in deliciousness. They really knew how to serve the dim sum right.


I ordered two dishes and a pot of piping hot, floral Jasmine tea. The first portion of my dim sum to arrive was a crispy, fresh spring roll filled with taro, tofu, and vegetables. The skin was incredible scrumptious, like biting into a savory, crunch waffle cone encasing fresh, sweet vegetables. Then came my second course of dim sum: some masterfully prepared shark fin dumplings. The dumplings had a heavy, oily taste to them, but the meat was succulent and juicy. Reminiscent of shiao long bao, the juices seemed to squirt in all directions as my mouth engulfed this delicately shaped, and perfectly constructed culinary masterpiece.


With the last sips of my tea drink drunk down, and my dim sum digesting deep in the dungeon of my duodenum, I decided it was time to return again to the Peak for a view of Hong Kong once again, but this time under the blue sky I had originally hoped for. To get to the cable car that takes one up to the top, I decided it was time to try out one of the tram cars that bustle about. The trams are these old, rickety double decker trolleys that zoom about Hong Kong and will take you along for only HK$2.00 a ride. Not a bad deal, and certainly an easy way to get over to the cable car. I climbed up to the second floor and got a ride almost equivalent to the cable car ride up.


Once I arrived at the cable car, the line was dramatically smaller than it was the evening before. With a sigh of happiness, I got in line and waited for my ticket to ride up this city's most famous attraction. The ride is frighteningly angled at 27 degrees. It takes you along a 1.4 kilometer ride up 400 meters above sea level. It's amazing to see buildings jutting out at impossible angles, disorienting you during the ride.

Before long, the car extends beyond the tree line and you are presented with the first decent and breathtaking view of Hong Kong.


After taking in the view, and with little time to spare, I descended back down the peak and over to the Star Ferry pier for what could very well be considered Hong Kong's second most famed attraction. The star ferry shuttles people across Victoria Harbor all day long providing stunning views of Central's sky line. After only about ten or fifteen minutes, the ferry drops you off at the other side of the Harbor in the section of town called Kowloon.


The city had many exciting, little attractions on this side of the harbor including the satellite Olympic village, the old clock tower from years past, and enough tailored suits to dress a ballroom fit for a king. I hopped on the local KCR line and buzzed up past Monkok to a little section known for a lot of little things: the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple.


The temple closed at 5:00, and by the time I had arrived, it was 4:45. That gave me exactly fifteen minutes to hurriedly rush up 400 steps to the top of the temple. The heart-attack pace would have been intolerable had it not been for the countless life-sized Buddhas lining the climb, each with their own unique, iconic poses, gestures, and facial expressions. When I arrived at the top, I was surprised to discover that the name of the temple was in fact a misnomer: indeed there were actually thirteen thousand miniature Buddhas lining the temple walls. To appreciate just how grand this number is, take a look at the following video.

The temple itself was nothing impressive, but the sheer number of Buddhas is enough to force one's mouth to hang open. From ceiling to floor, corner to corner, there are thirteen thousand Buddhas clinging to massive shelves, each carved with their own intricate individuality. Such patients and diligence humbled me, who, only twenty-four hours prior was cursing his fate to have to wait two hours to get onto a cable car. It's striking how, when put into perspective, your problems appear to be so insignificant.


I hopped back down, paying particular attention to the life-sized statues, searching for what I considered to be the best one. I think I found it. Do you agree?


I climbed back on board the KCR and made my way back to Mongkok, a part of Kowloon. I first took a stroll through the flower market and breathed in the light, floral odors that make us fall in love with Aprils and Mays. Then, crossing the street, is the bird's market where old men come with their caged song birds to sing in the park. All majesties fly around in their cages that were built for them right at the Market. The cool breeze bringing in the scent of the flowers, mixed caringly with the setting sun and the song of birds put my heart at a most pleasant ease.


After the sun finally went down, I strolled down the main drag of Mongkok to reach the Temple night market for some evening snacks and an overpriced foot massage before I made my way back into the city for some evening strolls around Hong Kong's awesome, nighttime light shows.


My flight was in the afternoon the next day, but I didn't really have much to see. At 11:15, I met up with one of my college buddies, Topher, who is working for Deutsche Bank in Hong Kong and his friend from Vietnam. We met at Maxime's Palace, a world renowned dim sum restaurant catering to the high and mighty of Hong Kong.


Arriving early, we got a seat overlooking the harbor, and the land reclamation project currently filling in part of the harbor, and set in for a second and even more delicious dim sum brunch. To even understand just how wonderful this brunch was, take all the descriptions I gave of the first dim sum restaurant and multiply it by ten for this one. Maxime's Palace is the place to go for dim sum (not to mention it is one of only two restaurants in the world that actually take their dim sums around on a trolley and you choose what you want by pointing.)


I saw Topher off at his very large building, partook in Hong Kong's favorite sport- shopping- went to the peak for one last exhilarating view and hike around the top, and before I knew it, was was back on a plane whizzing back to Taiwan from my impromptu and remarkable weekend to Hong Kong.

From your weekend tripper to Hong Kong, Michael.