Hoofing it up to Buddha

Think of Hong Kong and not surprisingly, you immediately visualize a concrete and glass jungle and wall to wall crowds surging through the streets. But what surprises me most about this place is the number of beautiful hiking trails that can be easily done on a day trip from downtown.

I knew I wanted to escape the urban mess, so it was time to try one of the famed trails. There's so many to choose from, but I thought I'd combine my hike with one of the well known tourist attractions, the Tian Tan Buddha, the giant bronze buddha on Lantau Island.

Getting there was half the fun -- after what seemed like an hour standing in line, I climbed into a glass floored cable car for a 6 kilometre ride to Ngong Ping Plateau. The views as we climbed to the 500 metres were spectacular:

The Ngong Ping village itself is a bit of tacky tourist trap; they have managed to Disney-fy the Buddhist religion with themed attractions, a fake Boddhi tree and a Starbucks to quench your latte cravings. But the Buddha itself is impressive:

And then it was time for the hike up Lantau Peak, and at 934 metres, it is the second highest mountain in Hong Kong. It started innocently enough and then quickly because ridiculously steep with stairs that seemed to go on forever. I was bathed in sweat and huffing and puffing the entire way. But the views were unbelievable:

 

The most beautiful city in the world??

It was a glorious weekend in Hong Kong; the first warm sunny day after several weeks of "cooler" rainy weather. The air seems less hazier than usual so I thought this would be a good day to head to the Peak. Towering above Victoria Bay and home to the billionaires, this 552 metre mountain is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

And no wonder! I actually think this place rivals Vancouver in terms of sheer stunning-ness. Judge for yourself.

Exploring the heart of Hong Kong Island

Today, I decided to wander around Central, the main business district and the picturesque skyline of most Hong Kong post cards. I spent a pleasant Saturday wandering through streets taking in the views of the densely packed apartments crawling up Victoria Peak where the super rich perch their homes...

... admiring the few remaining colonial reminders of the British, swallowed up by modern skyscrapers ....

...walking through a botanical garden, a small zoo and an aviary....

... poking through narrow alleys where local proprietors sell everything from fake handbags, clothing and trinkets....

... and finally headed home to Kowloon on the Star Ferry ....

... all in all, an enjoyable day of exploring this fascinating city.

My awesome apartment in Hong Kong

In case you're curious, here are some photos of my serviced apartment in Kowloon (74-78 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, if you want to google it). The set up is pretty sweet, and it comes with daily cleaning, an exceedingly helpful concierge, a teeny kitchenette with hot plate and a flat screen TV with DVD player. And the subway stop is right at my door step.

I could get used to this!

Cultural fusion on display in Macau

A hop, skip and jump away from Hong Kong is another special administrative region of China that combines the architecture of southern Europe with the hedonistic joys of high stake gambling. Macau has a definite crass phoniness in that Las Vegas kind of way (like the made-in-China Venetian Hotel, complete with its own canals and gondoliers), but the influence of the city's Portuguese colonial past standing side-by-side with Chinese temples and shrines make it a fascinating place to visit.

I recently joined my colleague, her niece and her friend on a day-trip to the Vegas of the East, an hour ferry ride from Hong Kong. This is a popular destination that draws millions of Chinese every year to the only legal gambling destination in China - not surprisingly, the city has now surpassed its American rival in gambling income. I wandered around one smoke filled casino watching Chinese punters lay down $HK4,000 bills at at time to try their luck at black jack, roulette and several Chinese games that I couldn't figure out rules.

Then we hopped into a cab and found ourselves in the middle of the old town and in front of the city's famous landmark - the ruined facade of the Church of St Paul's.

The narrow cobbled streets (hello, Europe!) were congested with hundreds of tourists perusing the designer storefronts, stopping for the famous egg custard tarts (scrumptiously rich but apparently 5,000 calories) and cured meats (not so much a fan, but hugely popular). Here's one shop crowded by hungry customers:

I loved the architecture of the old city with the gothic, baroque and Roman influences, but the crowds were quite intense.

I am told that it's best to come during the week and spend some time getting lost through the back streets so I may be coming back.

First impressions full of surprises

After my first week in Hong Kong, the one thing I can say is that this is a city of contrasts that continually surprises me. I've landed in the touristy ghetto neighbourhood of Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, where gritty backpack hostels stand in the shadow of the $600-a-night Peninsula Hotel, where locals huddle over plastic tables, slurping down $5 bowls of noodles steps from the lineups of youngsters waiting to get into Prada and Louis Vuitton (yes, like night clubs).

Touts on the sidewalks wave pamphlets for massages and tailor at the hordes of crowds streaming down the main thoroughfare; yet at the base of this road, you're greeted by the most breathtaking, albeit a bit smoggy, view across the Victoria Harbour toward Hong Kong island.

Here's a few shots from around my neighbourhood:

And my first impression? This is an eminently civilized city where the transportation systems work well (wireless on the subways!) people are helpful, polite and respectful; and a single woman can wander around without feeling harassed or afraid for her safety. I'm looking forward to exploring more of what this exciting place has to offer in the weeks ahead.

A luxurious landing in Hong Kong - March 6, 2011

I landed at the shiny Hong Kong International Airport early this morning, a bit groggy but excited for a chance to explore a city that I missed during My Great Asian Excursion in 2007. En route from the airport, I could see through the mist (or the smog?) the outlines of densely packed skyscrapers tucked into majestic mountains, and I could feel the familiar excitement of waking up on the other side of the world ready to immerse myself in a new culture.

But I also couldn't help comparing how different today's experience was from four years ago when I landed in Bangkok, with a backpack strapped to my shoulders and a free year to do anything I wanted. Today, I'm here for work, first and foremost, so over the next six weeks, my travelbug tendencies will have to intertwined with my days (and I expect nights) at the office.

And because I'm here for work, I get to partake in some of the luxuries that come with business travel -- business class on the airline (hello - pod seats that turn into a bed!), a car service from the airport and a nice, clean, fully equipped apartment in Kowloon. No backpacking hostels this time around!

Here's the view from my window: