The Gems of Hong Kong

First of all, let me express my feelings. My blog was in oblivion due to some software issue for few weeks and hence the gap. An adage that every adversity has equal or greater seed of opportunity would never strike me if everything would go smoothly. Thanks to software glitches, I explored, not the physical world, but the computer world for a change. I could immerse my beak in this dark world, seek out the help of others and lo, I am ready with another one.

Hong Kong, it is a place which welcomed me with warm open arms, full of genuine people, neon lights, a dynamic skyline, and a truly international look. In spite of it not being my first choice, it managed to blow me away with all that it had to offer.

The best part of our stay in Hong Kong was that we had rented a flat on Airbnb in a society situated in the hub of the city and on the 18th floor. The deal with houses in HK is they maximize utilization of a small space and still manage to bring out its beauty. Same was the case with our apartment, it ended the moment we entered. It was very compact but still had the charm to disarm us. A fun fact, I was amazed to find out about was that the water used in WC was sea water! And the cherry on top was the scenic backdrop of Hong Kong the moment we peeped out our windows.

3rd June a birthdate shared by my dad and brother was spent at a place which reconnected us with our childhood- Disneyland! It was fitting for the occasion as when we grow older we seek those days of innocence and freedom. And what better place than Disneyworld to act like kids again!

My fangirl moment at Disney was for the Mickey shaped foodstuffs like the pizzas, waffles, churros more than the rides of Disney (they were more suitable for kids.)

Although we enjoyed, as expected, I would opine that if you are not in love with Disneyland and if you are a grown-up give it a miss, because there are a lot of other things to charm you in Hongkong. And this day had us exhausted as we clocked thousands of miles on foot. We might as well have reduced a kilo or two! A vote of thanks to Disneyland for that!

Due to fatigue, we started our next day late. My motto was to experience a life like a true Hongkongite therefore in few mins, we became learned in their metro and bus systems. We got our Octopus cards issued which are used all over Hongkong for anything and everything. They are like Hongkong’s personalized debit cards. We understood the metro map and jotted down our itinerary for the next 4 days. As everything was well connected via metro from that moment onwards the trip became as breezy as it could get.

As we started late we ended further late for the visiting hours of the Ngong Ping 360 Big Buddha statue. The Big Buddha is situated on a different island altogether which took us a metro ride and a bus ride to reach.

But it still didn’t disappoint us, it was as if Hongkong had made up its mind to leave a good impression on our hearts. The tiled pathway leading up to the Big Buddha and Ten thousand Buddhas Monastery was so refreshing-filled with healthy cows grazing on the side and cats scampering to their owners- a sight soothing to my eyes (and it rhymed!) As the path ended we entered into an area with a huge circular podium in the middle.

From there we saw the Buddha for a second before the clouds covered him, and his immense structure stupified us. It towered upon us like a giant with his magnanimity vibrating throughout its body. All this in a second and incidentally, the Monastery was closed too, so, all we did at Ngong Ping 360 was dance around on the white tiles all the while basking in the few seconds of his glory.

And later on, we backtracked the same route to our apartment. This apartment gave my mom the leisure time she needed while dad served to our needs. The apartment had its own perks like dad cooking food and us watching Chinese channels on TV and not understanding a word of it! A change is what we needed and that is what we got that too in manifolds! In all, the apartment was our happy place!

The next day we headed for Victoria’s peak, the highest point. It was recommended to reach the peak by a 7 min ride on the Peak Tram, which is the steepest funicular railway, but just our luck it was under renovation and we missed it. Instead, we took a bus. And during the bus ride, it was as if time stopped entirely. And we were experiencing the winding ways up the hill in slow motion. Experiencing the safest hill roads it was as if we were going through a rainforest. With no commercial misuse of the hill and its slopes, I was happy to see law enforcement to keep up greenery.

And there were different viewpoints to view the city from the Peak, but no matter what we chose it was downright spectacular. We saw Hongkong in its entirety and we were flabbergasted by the scene unfolding in front of our eyes. A sight never before imagined or seen up till now- a zigzag line formed by all the skyscrapers balled up in a lavish green valley.

We explored the Hongkong trails at the Peak that lead us into dense pathways alongside the city view. We met many usual joggers and residents of the Peak either cycling or taking their dog for a walk. According to a research, the properties at the Peak are more expensive than anywhere else in the world. Therefore it was like watching billionaires going about their daily routine. And it instilled a sense of exclusivity in me.

As we returned from the Peak we decided to try few things in and around that place. First was the Hongkong eye (an observation wheel), then was local food- rice and Chinese curry with french toast for dessert. The entire time up until now we were either having Indian food at the apartment or were eating at Indian restaurants – Little India, Branto’s to name a few. And HK had many of those. So our first time trying something local and that too purely veg was surprisingly tasteful.

While coming back home we decided to walk out the 5 metro stations instead of the usual way. Turned out to be longer than expected, but still managed to bring internal peace. On that day we discovered that HK looked the same even at midnight with the same amount of neon board signs and the same number of people hustling from one place to another. It was as if the city never slept. Might be New York’s twin city in the east!

We woke up early for our trek on the Dragon’s Back. It was drizzling lightly as the bus took us to the base point of our 1200m hike. As we climbed to the top it became easier. The trail was worth every penny and every drop of sweat we lost. When we reached the top it was a sight to behold. With the mountain being flanked by water bodies on both the sides it was as if we were treading a delicate but scenic path.

It was a happy day for me because I was able to get my parents here and motivate them along the way so that they could appreciate their achievement. So I can say without a doubt that Dragon’s Back can make a family, hike to the top.

The Ladies Market is a must. After coming back to the apartment we enjoyed shopping here. The most that I liked about HK was their collection of never seen before purses and bags. And there were so many of them, more than my mind could fathom. The trends which hadn’t hit the Indian markets yet. And as excited as I was, I tried to grab it all. That night, I slept with a smile on my face.

Our last day was reserved for Ocean Park. It is the ultimate theme park of HK and with one of the craziest rides ever like The Hair Raiser(the name itself suggests).It was built on top of two mountains and we had to commute via cable car to get to the upper one. It was huge! This day became our best day ever due to all the rides and the games we won. It was like a typical theme park like the ones I had seen in movies. And it made my silly heart fill with joy.

All throughout HK, all that we experienced was the warmth and care shown to us by strangers at each and every step. Everyone we met helped us in one way or another and didn’t hesitate to guide us the way. Our taxi driver who left us at the apartment on our first night went out of his way to help us find it. This was not expected by a cab driver but he taught us how to treat tourists.This and many such experiences are what gave our Hongkong trip substance and taught me to be like them- empathetic and kind no matter what the situation.