Photographic Tour of My Trip to Hong Kong

Introduction

On Thursday 9th April I drove from Canberra to Sydney and began the journey of my first overseas holiday.  I travelled to Hong Kong where I met up with my family who departed a few days prior.  This website will provide a photographic tour of some of the sights I saw in Hong Kong during my week long stay there.

Day 1 - Sydney International Airport

(Taken from ‘amandabhslater’ on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/pikerslanefarm/3463799346/)

Day 1 started with an early morning wake-up (7am) so I could get to the airport on time.  Although I was very excited for the trip, the thought of being confined to a chair for 8 hours was quiet daunting, however, in hindsight, I have done much longer hauls on the couch at home so I really had nothing to worry about!

The trip to the airport was quite uneventful, however, this changed once I reached the departures terminal of Sydney International Airport.  People were everywhere, wheeling over-packed suitcases that didn’t have a chance of making the weight limit.  Parents found ingenious ways to carry their kids so they didn’t have to stop every 5 seconds for a “look but don’t touch” session in the enormous duty free store.

Upon arriving in the QANTAS departures lounge I was presented with a truly awesome sight, a full view of the workings of the tarmac and runway.  Kids lined the windows, eyes fixed on the enormous planes that seemed to defy the laws of gravity by speeding down the runway and seamlessly propelling themselves into the sky.  As this was my first trip overseas, the novelty of air travel had not worn off, a part of me could think of nothing better but to stand by the window with those kids and watch planes for hours.  However, the “cool teenager” in me kicked in and instead I decided to plug my mp3 in, sit down and go into “I don’t care about anything” mode.  In saying that, curiosity did get the better of me and I managed to find a seat overlooking the tarmac.

At approximately 10:00am the boarding call for my flight was finally announced and my trip about to officially begin.  I boarded the plane and started the trek to economy whilst strolling through business and premium economy looking at all the people the GFC obviously wasn’t affecting due to them still being able to afford an overpriced chair that reclines an extra few degrees.

The hostess gave the “in case of emergency drill”, locked the doors and we were off.  My first trip overseas had begun.

Day 1 - In the Air and Arrival into Hong Kong

(Taken from ‘kevinwitha’ on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevanwitha/172431298/)

An hour or so into the flight, ‘lunch’ of steamed fish in a lemon and dill sauce was served.  It wasn’t the most appetising of meals, however, the tim tam in my meal pack soon got the ‘interesting’ taste out of my mouth.  Furthermore, my mood brightened when I found out that all food and alcohol was free.  And I am not one with too much pride to turn down hand-outs!  After eating and drinking enough to satisfy me for a year I sat back and enjoyed the joys of the in-flight entertainment system.  I was presented with an array of movies, tv shows and performances that made decisions very difficult.  However, I managed to find an oldie but a goodie, “Carl Barron Live”, “Thank God You’re Here” and Eric Bana’s “Love the Beast”.  This gave me my Aussie TV fix that would help me get through a week of subtitled TV that I knew wouldn’t contain a trace of a “Brand Power” or a ‘Weet-Bix - How many do you do?’ ad.

Now, a trip on a plane would not be complete without a journey to the toilet.  I had the window seat so I also had the not-awkward-at-all task of waking my fellow travellers and informing them of my desire to use the facilities.

As we neared Hong Kong, a light meal was served and immigration cards were handed out for us to fill in - a task I was to become very familiar with over the next week.

We were given the “We are about to arrive….please place your tray tables upright” speech by the pilot as he prepared to land and it slowly started to dawn on me that I was in another country! For some this may not be such a big deal, however, for someone who has not ventured outside the state of NSW, it’s a big deal!

My eyes were fixed to the window even though all I could see was ocean, I eagerly awaited my first glimpses of land.  However, we came across a phenomenon which is not very common in Australia, smog.  At first I thought it was just some low clouds, however, it soon became apparent that this was the same smog that plagued last years Olympic Games.

Upon clearing the layer of smog, I was presented with a truly awesome sight, the city of Hong Kong.  We landed, exited the plane and went through the rigmarole of customs and immigration that seemed to take a lifetime.  I eventually walked into the arrivals terminal, suitcase in hand eagerly awaiting the sight of my cousin who said would pick me up that evening.  However, none of the faces resembled anything even close to that of my cousin.  Several question now raced through my mind, some including rude words, others very extreme such as, “Am I in the right country?” and “If she never turns up will I have to wait here for a week until my flight home?”.  However, after an hour and a half of waiting and getting myself very familiar with the workings of the Arrivals lounge in Hong Kong International Airport, she arrived.  The first words I hear from a person I hadn’t seen in over a year, “It’s not my fault”.  Don’t you just love family?

Day 1 - Hong Kong - Night

(Taken from ‘lloydi’ on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianlloyd/3323244463/)

The trip from the airport was quite uneventful and I started noticing many differences between Hong Kong and Australia, namely Sydney and Canberra.  One major difference I noticed was that everything was enormous!  Double Decker buses weaved their way through traffic as though they were small little city hatchbacks, a single or double story building was not to be seen, it seemed as though every building had at least 5 to 6 storeys and office buildings were twice or triple the size of the “skyscrapers” I was used to seeing in Australia. I was not able to see many sights on the cab ride to the Hotel because it was dark and due to speed limits being more of a suggestion in Hong Kong!

As we approched the Hotel I was presented with a sight out of a movie, water features and marble lining every wall and floor in sight.  My cousin then told me, my other cousin, who is a travel agent, was offered a special price for a 5 star hotel!

Unaccustomed to 5 star service, I proceeded to remove my suitcase from the boot of the taxi when I was brushed aside by a bellboy who took offence to me doing his job.  I was taken up to the room I was sharing with my cousin where I marvelled at the awesome view of Hong Kong.  I then discovered the marble laden bathroom with a quite uncomfortable and extremely low sitting toilet which created many problems over the next few days, however, I will save the finer details for another day.

Upon going to dinner with the family, I discovered that our hotel adjoined a 7 story shopping centre called “Grand Century Place” that contained everything from sit-down restaurants, western food chains such a McDonald’s and KFC and a 24 hour movie theatre.

After dinner, I walked back to the hotel, went to bed and eagerly awaited the start of Day 2, the first day of my Hong Kong adventure.

Day 2 - Hong Kong - MTR - IFC

(Taken from ‘Stuck in Customs’ on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/1102979825/)

On the morning of Day 2, I felt the urge to make use of the many facilities in the hotel so I woke up earlier than usual and went for a swim and a light workout in the Hotel’s gym.  After the usual activities of the morning, showers, breakfast etc, we met up with my Aunty and and Uncle in the hotel lobby and proceeded to the train station in “Grand Century Place”, the train system known as the MTR is one of the most efficient subway systems in the world to date.  With trains coming every few minutes, getting anywhere in Hong Kong within minutes is a reality unknown to Australian Public Transport Systems.  I purchased an “Octopus” card which is like an access all areas pass.  It works similarly to a Debit Card, however without the use of a pin number.  You purchase credits for the card and when entering and exiting any mode of public transport such as Bus, Train and Ferry, you simply swipe your card over the reader and it withdraws the credits from the balance on your card.  Many franchise stores such as Mcdonalds and 7Eleven have these readers and you can pay for your items via this method instead of carrying around wads of cash.

We took the train to IFC which is one of the tallest buildings in the world.  It is predominately a business centre for companies such as “Ernst and Young” and “Bank of America”, however, it also contains a ‘Four Seasons Hotel’ and a large shopping centre.  We had a walk around the IFC shopping centre, however, we were on strict orders to look but not buy because my Uncle and Aunty informed us that the IFC shopping centre was overpriced and for “sucker toursits” that didn’t known any better!  Not everyone get’s their own walking and talking lonely planet guide!

Day 3 - Hong Kong - Wan Chai - Markets - Star Ferry

(Photo taken by me whilst on the ‘Star Ferry’)

Day 3 began very similarly to Day 2, a swim, a shower and breakfast.  We caught the MTR to ‘Wan Chai’ which is known for it’s high population of sex workers, however, this was not the reason for our visit.  Wan Chai is also known for the many computer centres in it’s district.  We spent the day browsing though the many gadget stores, constantly being suprised with the fascinating technology and the reliance placed on it by the people of Hong Kong.

After we were all ‘technologied’ out, we had lunch at a little restaurant which served us a bowl of noodles and soup each plus 2 plates of various wontons for a total of 25 HK dollars, approximately $5 Australian!  This came as a total suprise to all of us who are so accustomed to paying at least $10 EACH for a fast food meal back home!

After the lunch that cost us a small fortune we headed to the famed ‘Star Ferry Pier’ to catch the ferry back to Kowloon Island.  The ‘Star Ferry’ has been running for over 100 years and transports thousands of people between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Island everyday.  Whilst on the ferry we were presented with a 360 degree view of Hong Kong Harbour which was a truly spectacular sight.

Upon returning to Kowloon Island, we walked back to the hotel and had a relaxing afternoon of swimming in the pool of the hotel.  My cousin and I also discovered speakers under the water of the hotel pool.  So whenever you placed your head underwater, you could hear classical music playing!

Later in the night, my cousins and I went down to the ‘Temple Street Night Markets’ in the Yau Ma Tei district of Kowloon.  The markets sold a variety of items ranging from ‘iipods’ and ‘kalvin clean’ underwear.  Walking through the streets browsing the markets gave us a very interesting and different cultural experience that we were not accustomed to back in Australia.  Little restaurants occupied the smallest of spaces, ‘Hawkers’ barked prices for their goods and the children of the owners of some stalls tried their sales techniques on tourists polite enough to give them a second thought.

After we made our impulse purchases we returned to the hotel to watch a subtitled movie, have a glass of generic milo and sleep off another day of walking and culture overload!

Day 4 - Hong Kong - Ocean Park and ‘Interesting’ Food

(Taken by my cousin at Ocean Park - Hong Kong)

In similar fashion to Day 2 and 3, Day 4 began, this time we were headed to Ocean Park.  Ocean Park is a theme park similar to Sydney’s Luna Park, however, on a much larger scale.  We caught the MTR to ‘Admiralty’ station where we caught an express bus to Ocean Park.  Once we arrived we were presented with the sight of enormous roller coasters sailing through the air above ‘Deep Water Bay.

We entertained our little cousins with water bomb fights and rides on Segway’s until lunchtime.  After lunch, we hit the rides such as the ‘Mine Train’, ‘Raging River’ and ‘The Abyss Turbo Drop’, all of which seemed intent on catapulting our bodies in various directions and speeds that defied the laws of gravity and motion!

Later in the day we caught the cable car to the lower levels of the park to further entertain our little cousins with bungee trampolines and hot air balloon rides.  Finally, we went to the Giant Panda exhibit located inside the park and got to see Giant Pandas up close and personal, an experience I will never forget.

(Taken by me at Ocean Park in Hong Kong)

Evening approached so we headed back to the hotel for dinner with the family.  We had dinner at a restaurant that caused us to re-think our views on ‘traditional’ Chinese food.  Reason being because we noticed that under the ‘Chef’s Specialties’ we saw animals such as Dogs and Ostriches on the menu!  Although a culture shock, we decided not to storm out of the restaurant in disgust, but rather try to guess if anyone was eating the said items by looking at the various plates of food on peoples tables.  However, I think all of us had nurturing thoughts about our family pets back home and how we could never bring ourselves to EAT THEM!

Day 5 - Hong Kong - Disneyland

(Photo taken by me whilst at Disneyland - Hong Kong)

A family trip to Hong Kong would not be complete without venturing to Disneyland!  Day 6 was quite an early one, as we had to catch numerous MTR trains and even a bus or two just to get to the Disneyland Station.  Once we arrived at Disneyland Station, we boarded the Disneyland MTR train, a themed train specifically for Disneyland, with windows in the shape of Mickey Mouse and the familiar tunes from countless classic Disney movies such as Alladin and Beauty and the Beast playing in the background.

Our Disney adventure began with the customary photos with Mickey and Minnie and a stroll through ‘Main Street, USA’ which was full of cafes and various shops carrying loads of Disney merchandise.  Then we split up, with my little cousins going off to watch Disney shows with their parents, whilst my older cousins and I hit the ride-scene again, familiarising ourselves with rides such as ‘Space Mountain’ - the indoor roller coaster and ‘Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters’ - a gallery style shooting game where a carriage transported you through various areas full of ‘enemies of space command’ you had to ‘eliminate’.

After we had our fair share of killing space monsters, we went and watched some shows and headed to the Disney store where we frivolously spent our money on Toy Story key-rings and various toys we convinced ourselves we would use in everyday life.  I still haven’t used my talking Buzz Lightyear action figure with lights and sound, but I still maintain that I will use it someday….

Finally, night had come and we eagerly awaited the daily fireworks show which is synchronised to music, similar to the annual Skyfire festival in Canberra.  Needless to say, Hong Kong Disneyland made Skyfire look like an amateur backyard firework show put on by an over excited Dad.  The sheer enormity and spectacle of the presentation caused my eyes to be glued to the show for the whole time.

We returned to the hotel laden with show bags, soaking wet from the rain that caught us unaware and ready for a very long sleep.

Day 6 - China - Shenzhen

(Taken from ‘ttstam’ on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/ttstam/2192878937/)

Day 7 presented me with the biggest culture shock and reality check i’ve ever had, yet in hindsight, it is one that I definietly needed to have.  My cousin had arranged day visa’s for some of us to go into mainland China.  We caught the MTR to ‘Lo Wu’, a district in the ‘New Territories’ of Hong Kong that borders Shenzhen (China).  The move through immigration was tedious and quiet intimidating, however, we proceeded hassle free.  The picture above is taken from a walkway over the Shenzhen River and is the actual border between Hong Kong and China.  Although Hong Kong is part of China, it is known as the SAR - Special Administrative Region and still has many laws and rights that were present during the days of British rule.  As seen in the picture, Hong Kong on the right has a large razor wire fence, whereas China on the left has a mere 3 metre concrete wall.  My cousin made a remark to me, ‘Everyone wants to get into Hong Kong, but there’s no reason for anyone to want to go onto China.’

I commented on the smog covering Hong Kong in the post pertaining to my arrival, however, I forgot to mention that breathing was quite difficult due to the air being so polluted.  I am mentioning this now because, the air in Shenzhen was twice a bad.  We were there on an overcast day and the sky was a disgusting shade of brown and yellow.  We also noticed the difference in infastructure and cleanliness.  Compared to the pristine streets of Hong Kong with gleaming skyscrapers, we were presented with old buildings covered in dirt and grime built up over years of neglect and disregard.

We spent the day in a shopping centre in the town of Shenzhen, however, this was not a shopping centre of western standards.  The 7 story centre was a hub of activity and definietly a massive culture shock.  Each store was privately owned and specialised in it’s own variety of fake and copied products from clothing to electronics.  Once again I was presented with ‘iipods’ and ‘kalvin clean’, however, this time they were manufactured to look and feel exactly like the originals.  Brands such as Diesel, D & G, Oakley and Versace were everywhere and the the quality of the products was second to none.  However, it dawned on me that China is where the originals are made anyway, so the copies have probably been made in the same factories or in one very similar.

We spent the day wandering the centre, constantly being hassled by ‘hawkers’ who would pounce on us as we walked past their stores due to us looking like Westerners.  We were offered numerous ‘good deals’ on the latest watches from ‘Omega’ and ‘Rolex’, however, it soon became apparent that the quality of such time pieces were sub standard as some of them stopped ticking once we fitted them to our wrists!

However, every so on we would come across a store with an item we liked and we had a chance to work on our bartering, a skill which we all enjoyed doing.  Most of the time we were able to talk the price down to 60% - 80% of the first offer they made to us.  And apart from the odd salesperson who refused to go below 20% of their price, we managed to pick up some fantastic bargains that would have set us back a few hundred dollars in Australia.

Once we had been through the entire shopping centre and our wallets have been severely lightened, we made the decision to return to Hong Kong.  Once again, laden with bags we went through the ordeal of Chinese immigration, customs and the timely journey back to the hotel which upon reflection is an extreme case of opposites when comparing it to that of the shanty’s of Shenzhen.

Day 7 - Hong Kong - Cheung Chau

(Taken from ‘shimown’ on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimown/20000980/)

The last day of my Hong Kong adventure had begun and we were headed to Cheung Chau, an island to the south west of mainland Hong Kong.  Once again we caught the MTR to ‘Admiralty’ and boarded the ferry that was to take us to Cheung Chau.  When we arrived we were presented with the delicious smells of fresh and cooked seafood.  We found an outdoor restaurant and had an enormous seafood lunch which would’ve cost a second mortgage on the house back home, however, this was simply everyday life for the people of Cheung Chau.

After lunch we strolled around the island and found a quiet part of the beach where my younger cousins built sand castles and splashed around in the shallow rock pools.  Although a spectacular place, the beaches of Cheung Chau did not even come close to equalling those of Bondi or Cronulla.  I then went for a walk through the markets in Cheung Chau, browsed through the sculptures and artworks designed by residents of the island.  Compared to Hong Kong, Cheung Chau moves at a snails pace and you would never imagine such a place so close to one of the world’s busiest urban centres.

We spent the afternoon in an outdoor bar, overlooking the beach, drinking lemon tea and looking back at the past week we had in Hong Kong.  Although short, my time in Hong Kong is one I will never forget and I will definitely be going back soon to have a longer stay in order for me to venture to the outer districts of the Islands.  My flight was scheduled to depart that night so we caught the ferry back to Admiralty, collected my bags from the hotel and caught my last Hong Kong Taxi, to the airport.