Getting up at 8 Am after not sleeping in two days, however, made me feel as though I had gotten hit by a bus. I ended up rolling out of bed and without thinking just getting in the shower; that way I had no choice but to douse myself in water and accept the day. When I headed out today my first stop was across the street for some waters and a healthy, protein-filled breakfast. I ended up settling for a hand made granola square, it was a bit on the sugary side, but no complaints here. In Hong Kong it was hard to find coffee shops that fit my fancy. I was genuinely surprised at this, because I had never thought to consider that an issue, especially coming from Seoul. The first stops today were two universities on Hong Kong island: The Polytechnical Institute of Hong Kong and then Hong Kong University. Hong Kong University (HKU) has been an interest of mine for a short while because of their renowned Geography program and their efforts in Sustainability. Both have been a research and academic interest of mine in the past few years, and I hope to one day continue that interest in the form of higher education there. After all of these amazing views and some exploration of each campus (HKU was definitely my favorite — it had one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever stepped foot on) I headed to Central, which is very literally the downtown of Hong Kong Island. More specifically, I set my sights on Times Square Hong Kong. Getting out of the subway I was greeted by Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. I am fascinated by the omnipresence of these stores throughout Hong Kong. Chanel and Dior happen to be my guilty pleasure, so I found myself peeking around at some of their new releases, especially in Dior. That brand knows its way to my wallet. I got lost in the Times Square Mall for about an hour, and when I finally found my way out, the outside was just as bustling as the inside. I now realize why everyone recommends staying on HK island— I liked it much better. I was going to head to the Causeway Bay district because of the tremendous reviews on TripAdvisor, but after meeting a couple from England who had been living in HK for a few years now outside of a bubble tea stand, they recommended me to not waste my time. So, I had no idea what I missed that day. Instead, I headed in the opposite direction to the women who sit under the bridge and beat paper with shoes. Sounds ridiculous. I know. But the concept is cool: basically, you write the name of someone you don’t like on a piece of paper, and then they put it in a fire in a dragon’s mouth and the they beat the piece of paper with a shoe. It’s called Villian Hitting. It is supposed to free the bad aura and feelings between you and that other person. Although I did not take part, it was fascinating to watch. The couple also recommended me take the trolley down Hennessy Road to catch some glimpses of every day HK. I picked the trolley up in Central and rode it to Wan Chai. I wasn’t a huge fan of the trolley because it was crowded and it made me motion sick. I also wasn’t a fan of Wan Chai. If there was to be a sketchy part of HK, this would be the place. I took the MTR to Soho instead of hanging around in Wan Chi to see some of the markets, the atmosphere, and the good eats. I have to say, Soho lived up to the hype. It was a beautiful conglomerate of old and new: with traditional markets nestled in with hip restaurants. This was my place to be. I even grabbed a bite to eat a Michellen Star restaurant renowned for the entire four things they serve. Amazing. All were dumpling and noodle related — surprise. After, I made my way back to the harbor, walking down streets and through subway stations to get to the Star Ferry. This took me through the IFC mall which legitimately blew my mind. Never in my life have I seen a spectacle like this. I even was so lame and fan-girled over the Cle De Peau holographic exhibit that they were showing. Of course I went inside. It was nuts. So the mall got me a little distracted, but the Star Ferry entrance was a short walk away from the IFC mall, and so the transition was painless. The Star Ferry itself is very cheap, and it’s a short, fun ride across the harbor. It was nice to see the area I had just been exploring from a distance, this way I was able to appreciate it on all scales. I’m kind of mad I didn’t make it to Victoria Peak during this trip, that is something I would have really liked to see. But, it will definitely be done next time. Because of the timing, it was about 7 PM when I got off of the star ferry, I decided to hang around the harbor, and take claim my seat for the 8 PM light show. Let’s just say, the light show did not disappoint. fter that I called it a night. There wasn’t anything more I wanted to do in Hong Kong, and I didn’t really want to hang out at a bar, so I headed back to my guest house to just reflect on the amazing time I had in Hong Kong. It seemed a bit anti-climatic to do so, but 30 miles later, I felt I just needed to settle in for the night.
I left at 10 AM the next morning after an easy ride on the airport express (which by the way, had WiFi — Seoul’s doesn’t!) Before I knew it, I was back in Seoul. The flight is only about four hours, and I spent the most time catching up on journaling, editing pictures, and writing these blog posts. A weekend in Hong Kong certainly was not enough, but it was the perfect dose of energy, excitement, and thrill that I needed before I returned to Seoul. It’s funny, now I think Seoul to be a sort of tame city compared to Hong Kong. I know this is not true at all, but it has also inspired me to get out and see more of Seoul. It’s hard to believe I have already been here a month. If you have any questions about HK, or even if you just want to chat, head over to the ‘Conact Me’ page, I would love to talk about the city and everything it has to offer. Cheers.
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Author: Allyson DitizioGeographer, yogi and occasionally creative writer. Archives
September 2016
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