Hong Kong

I arrived in Hong Kong late in the evening. I was less excited about it than other trips I had made. A big, modern city was not the kind of thing that really appeals to me. I had chosen it because it was a cheap flight and fairly safe. After Manila, I was inclined to choose destinations that did not prove quite so much threat to a lone traveler.

The Hong Kong airport was nice and modern as was to be expected. Most importantly it had free wifi that let me check things online. I had the details for getting to my hostel write down, but it never hurts to be able to make some last minute Google searches. I checked my email and such as I waited for the bus.

Down by the bay

Pro Tip: Get an Octopus Card if you are going to be spending much time in Hong Kong. You can use it to pay for buses, MRT, and other things. It is a lot easier than trying to find the correct change.

It was the first time I have ever had the opportunity to ride a double decker bus. Wanting the best view possible of the city I was about to explore I chose up top, right in the front. That turned out slightly less exciting than envisioned. The bus rout did not go by anything terribly exciting. After I tired of watching the night lights roll by I took some time to read.

One nice thing about Hong Kong is that after a century and a half of British rule a lot things are in English. That probably explains the double decker bus too. I found my stop easy enough. As a bonus I found someone else looking for the same hostel as I got off. Between the two of us we were able to find the place.

The Hong Kong Hostel proved to be quite different from what I am use to. After checking in and seeing the common room I was told how to get to the dorm...down the street. The quarters were located in a separate building. More....odd...was the fact that a sign was displayed inside of the building explaining that an illegal hostel was being run on the premise. To be fair, I think that is actually a pretty common practice in Hong Kong.

I want to take a moment to speak of the area that the hostel is located at. It sits along Causeway Bay, one of the major thoroughfares for Hong Kong Island. It is a bustling area illuminated with the glowing lights of commerce. Restaurants, stores, and theaters were situated to cater to travelers, shoppers, and partiers. Right outside was an open air book market.

I spent some time in the common room to get to know some of the other guests. I did talk to an older gentleman named Jay that much like I was looking for cheap entertainment the next day. We agreed to meet in the morning. When I went back to my dorm room I met the other residents, some young men from Finland.  They were a friendly lot, but were more interested in the night life. They were nice enough to share some Finish candy with me that tasted like fish before they headed out.

The next morning I met with Jay then grabbed my breakfast. Rather than spend a lot at a restaurant, I bought some fruit and a delicious fresh pastry at the Welcome across the street. It had strawberries and kiwi in cream cheese. I determined it to be breakfast the next day as well.

Pro Tip: You can get fresh fruit at stores or street markets a lot cheaper than anything else. Portable, full of energy, and one of the few things good for all three meals.

We headed for the bay by MRT and foot. It was a sunny day out, but the air was a bit crisp. The kind of day where you sweat in the light and shiver in the shade. The water was blue with with slow waves. The sky was a slightly different matter. At first I had thought things were blurred by distance and morning mist, but it became clear that there was a haze in the air. It was not a choking fog, but it made things seem out of focus. Hong Kong’s infamous air pollution.

A morning cruise on a junk would be nice.

We watched the boats go about their business. Ferries came to take tourists from one island to another. Most interesting was watching an old junk, or at least a recreation of a junk, pull in to birth at the pier we were standing on. It was a tour ship for those that wanted to sit on an old boat and sip drinks. The boat ride did seem fun, however I do not want to go on a booze cruise.

There is a nautical museum at the wharf. I was not so keen to visit it. The local history of boating over the last century is a subject that I was not interested enough in to spend my thin cash. So instead we looked at the free exhibits along the boardwalk. A visit to a photographer's shop near the various gift shops was a neat way to see different views of the city.

After a fruity lunch we talked over what to do next. I persuaded Jay to take a ferry to Lamma Island. It was the right price and would kill the right amount of time. We found good seats at the back with an unobstructed view. I also figured out that the PFD made a great seat pad, plus it added to my height. As we cruised across the bay we could see different little islands. I was thankful that I had brought my binoculars. I could check out curious details, like the question of the three things in the distance. Buildings? Smokestacks? Later determined it was smoke stacks. Binoculars rock.

Our boat pulled into a little cove. Other small fishing boats connected by planks formed a kind of floating community. It reminded me of what I had seen in movies. Right off of the dock was a line of seafood restaurants catering to tourists. There were several paths we could take, though getting our bearings proved a bit tricky. We finally settled on hiking up the island to another port where we could catch a different boat back.

The paved trail led us uphill and into the greenery. We passed by locals houses as we ascended and descended our winding path through the foothills. It felt like we passed through a half dozen environments on what was a relatively short hike. We passed through banana orchards and hiked up a boulder strewn mountain. We looked out over a bay where the waves crashed against the rocks then stood down on the sand itself. We passed thick bamboo to something more like a jungle. We sweated as we hiked up, and then shivered in the cool air and wind up high.

The island had history to show us as we walked the path. We passed by graves, old and new. The little shrines were set into the mountains. Some were old and forgotten while others, crowded closer together showed the signs of recent visitation and attention. There was an old village of stone buildings. Most were half collapsed. Trees grew up through them and the vines seemed to be the only thing holding them together. The people had moved out as Hong Kong started to modernize. There was a shrine to the local god located near an old stream. The people of the village had left it behind when they were forced to answer the call of society’s unflinching progress. Now it was just a reminder that all things fade in time. 

As we hiked near the peak we finally discovered that our path was not as we had planned. We had missed a turn apparently. Instead we circled the lower half of the island and would be coming right back to where we had started. Frustrating, of course, but the trip was still delightful in the extreme. Before we headed back to the docks, my final foray was to a gazebo at the top of a rocky outcropping while my partner of the day rested. It afforded me a chance to survey the area from on high. Being up there in the cool breeze was a chance to think and reflect. My mind was spurred with inspiration and rejuvenation.

There is little to say of the return. We were inside the boat with little view. I was too worn out to really care much anyway. I hunted up some dinner once we got back. Hong Kong is not a cheap city so I had to pay a good price for just a bowl of noodles. I retired to my bunk and planned the next day before sleep overtook me.

I rose early the next morning with a sense of purpose. I was going to hike the Dragonback. I grabbed some breakfast and lunch from the Welcome then took the MRT to the bus. It was a pleasant ride up the winding mountain, though I wish I had seat with a better view.

The bus dropped me off at the side of the road with the other hikers. It overlooked a good view of the bay. A lot of people like to get out of the urban jungle on the weekend when the weather is nice. I was part of a crowd of locals and tourists (mostly with British accents). There were young people and elderly. I was surprised to see people with toddlers packed in what looked like a cross between a papoose and a high end trekking pack. Bringing a baby on a three hour hike strikes me as a less than wise choice, but some people do not let being a parent change their lifestyle. I for one was glad to not have the extra weight on my back.

A lot of shrubs. I think some of it was Chinese olive.

The mob thinned out as I started up the trail, everyone finding their own pace. I had grown to use to the pathed trails of Taipei. This was more to my liking, a trail pounded into place by hikers' boots. The path was dirt and rock. The forest at the trailhead thinned down to shrubs and a few pinetrees. It matched the more rugged terrain. The grasses waved in the winds. Shade was stripped away by the shortening of the foliage.

I took a relaxed pace. My intent was to enjoy myself, not run some race to the end. There were few flowers to stop and smell, but I halted to examine rocks and insects. I may have seemed a bit strange to others as I kneeled down to take pictures of ants and look at minerals with my pocket microscope. It was my trip, I will indulge the sciences if I want.

A long walk along the ridge.

The ascent grew steeper as I pushed towards the top. I was panting a bit as I finally reached the ridgeline. I could see out across the bay now and look down at the waves licking the beach below. It was a powerful view. The walk along the ridge was a whole different beast. The wind whipped at me as I strode the Dragon's Back. It chilled the sweat that had formed on my hike up. The path was narrower, or at least felt so, because it was now running exactly atop the mountain’s ridgeline.

Pro Tip: A shirt with sleeves is a good idea for any hike in the mountains. Even on a subtropical island the breeze can get cold.

Looking down into the bay bellow. The haze makes it hard to see.

Making friends.

It was invigorating to be up there. Who would have thought such a place could exist in Hong Kong? I felt charged as I crossed the ridge. I ended up becoming the photographer for a group of girls from Indonesia. If you cannot bring a friend along, make some there. At no point did I want to turn back. I was in too good of a mood and filled with curiosity. Crisp air has a way of leaving you ready for more when you are up on a mountain. That is why I travel. The chance to feel alive and to wonder what lies over the next peak.

Finally, I reached the top of Shek O Peak, the highest point of the trail. There is a strong “made it” feeling that goes along with that. You are at the top of the rollercoaster and can start the ride down. I took my photos and burned the memory deep into my brain. This was my accomplishment, my literal high point for the trip. I had gone somewhere and done something new. No matter what, I was contented with that.

Top of the mountain.

That which goes up will eventually come down. I hiked the path until open expanses and shrubs gave way to cool forest shade. This was my comfort zone. I am very much a forest creature. A hike through the woods always plays with my imagination. It puts you inside a living thing. Streams and trickling waterfalls were a common. I stopped to watch them and wished I had more of lunch with me. I found a nice spot where I think I could have sat all day.

The last leg brought me down to the beach. I was glad to have reached the end. I was exhausted and the soles of my feet were killing me. I took some time to sit on some rocks and watch as people swam and surfed. If I had a bit more energy I would have been tempted to play a bit in the water. Then again, wet pants are no fun for a ride home. So instead I enjoyed the gentle lapping of the waves from atop a stone outcropping.

Big Wave Bay

Despite of my fatigue I did force myself to take one last little hike. I walked up the seacliff trail to look at some ancient petroglyphs etched into the stone. It always fascinates me to look at such things. I puzzle over what they mean and why they were placed there. I would actually like to find a way to leave my own mark on the places I have been. Nothing as vandalizing as spray paint or gaudy as names carved on a tree. Just a symbol that proclaims I was there that someday might cause another sojourner or scholar to wonder about who came before.

Here in we enter the boring parts. I waited for a bus probably longer than the ride itself took. I found a simple dinner. Then I laid down to rest, quite exhausted. When I woke in the morning I had time to kill. On advice from my girlfriend, Grace, I decided to head up Victoria Peak.

People getting wedding photos by the tram.

Buses are not the foreigner's friend. I got off a stop late, or maybe a stop early. Maybe I missed a transfer. In the end I was not where I wanted to be with little ability to determine where I was or where to go. I did know I was close though. After some wandering and consideration I finally found a group of middle school boys. One of them spoke enough English to tell me how to get to where I was going, more or less. After a nice cut through a park I found myself waiting in a rather long line.

The tram up the mountain is an interesting ride. It's history goes back to Hong Kong colonial period. Waiting in line gives you a chance to take in some of the history, looking at old machinery and the fashions of a bygone era. The team itself is cooked at a steep angle like a roller coaster that leaves you feeling half reclined. As it rolls upward you are afforded an excellent view with a few stops to snap pictures. My attention was drawn more to some of the interesting bridges and overpasses. Unique architecture has a way of spurring the writer in me and I think of how it might be used in a story or game. I also thought it would be fun to hike and climb along the stone gutter that runs alongside the tram. I am inclined to believe that would be "highly discouraged."

The tram comes to a stop at basically a tourist trap mall. It is filled with overpriced souvenirs and restaurants. I did my best to steer clear of all of that. There was also an ice cream shop with special ice cream for dogs. So, that's a thing.

I found the best view I could and enjoyed looking down at the city as the sun shone brightly on the maze of glass and concrete. I think I could have hiked further and reached the exact top of the peak, the highest point in Hong Kong. I was short on time already though. I settled for buying my preferred souvenir, a patch for my backpack, and rode the tram back down.

At this point I was trying to make my way back to the hostel. I happened across Cheung Kong Park. It was quite beautiful, but I lacked the time to explore it fully. Something for another time I suppose. Hong Kong has a number of elevated walkways in some parts of the city. It helps a good deal in avoiding the traffic. An efficient system that I think other cities would be ahead to adopt.

When I returned to the hostel to checkout I received an unpleasant shock. I was informed that my estimation of how long it would take to get back to the airport by bus was off by a good bit. The only way to make my flight would be to take the train, but I lacked enough HKD. The hostel owner saved my rear at that point. Even though they did not normally exchange NTD, he agreed to do it in my case. That alone is enough to earn the hostel a 5 star rating from me!

The train ride to the airport was swift and I was able to drop my heart rate back below panic levels. The plane ride home was a welcome return. Hong Kong had not been at the top of my choices to visit in Asia. I had thought it to just be a big city. It surprised me though. I found a chance to see history and explore nature. I do hope to visit again. There is still much left to see, especially if I can go back on something other than a shoestring budget.