Top Takeaways - Thirteen

We spent our last (cloudy, dreary) day in Hong Kong taking it easy and preparing for our fairly long journey to Australia via Seoul. We headed to Santorini for a light, Greek lunch, saw Interstellar (mixed feelings, but mostly confusion) and headed back to Little Bao for our final meal in Hong Kong. Here are our top takeaways from the past week.

Mid-flight moonrise on our flight from Hong Kong to Seoul.

1. Personal space is apparently something we have taken for granted. People in Hong Kong had no problem running into us while waiting in line, brushing past us on the subways or standing inches away from us on elevators, busses, etc. Definitely took a little getting used to.

2. Hong Kong feels really crowded, with no organization to the chaos. People are often glued to their mobile phones and pay no attention to anything else when waking around the city.

3. Despite the lack of order when it comes to walking down the street, we found riding the subway to be incredibly easy and an efficient way to get around. Both Tokyo and Seoul had very intuitive subway systems too, but Hong Kong is so much smaller than either of those cities that we found it even easier to use.

4. The topography is very similar to San Francisco - lots of steep and narrow streets. The Soho part of Hong Kong is actually accessible by multiple escalators on the streets so people can get there without gasping for breath. We learned this the hard way the first time we walked around there!

5. The city feels very international - more like London than New York. There are many people from different backgrounds / countries who live and work in the city.

6. English is spoken everywhere. This isn't to say that English was scarce in Japan or South Korea, but because it is one of the official languages of Hong Kong, English was ubiquitous.

7. Hong Kong was probably the most expensive city we've been to so far in Asia. We enjoyed almost all our meals here, but the prices were comparable to (or even slightly more expensive than) what we would expect in New York.

8. We get the sense that the weather is pretty dreary here all the time. It was cloudy and rainy for each of the five days we spent here. And I asked one of my friends who has been here for work a few times and she said every time she's been the weather has been the same. Makes us feel a little better about the lousy weather we had, but something to keep in mind if you're considering a visit here.

9. The currency conversion is trickier here than Japan or South Korea. I think we were spoiled by the ease with which we could do rough conversions in our head (in Japan, divide by 100; in South Korea, divide by 1,000) so forcing ourselves to divide by 7.5 in Hong Kong was a bit of a pain. Good thing the Australian Dollar is almost 1:1 with the US Dollar!

10. Overall, we experienced what a lot of Westerners experience when visiting China: culture shock. As mentioned in #1 and #2, this most obviously manifested itself when we were getting around the city; however, there were other small things we noticed in our interactions with the locals that would be considered rude in America (when is the last time someone sitting at a table next to you hacked up a deep, throaty ball of phlegm and spit it on the floor next to you?). Anyway, we didn't really know what to expect coming in, but now appreciate why some people find Chinese culture off-putting.

Peak: Seeing the light show and colored skyscrapers on Victoria Harbor

Pit: Our minor altercation with "Joe" really set us off on the wrong foot with Hong Kong

Next Stop: Sydney, Australia

A Day in Macau

...is more than enough. Since Macau is only a one-hour ferry ride from Hong Kong, we figured we would spend a day checking out Asia's version of Las Vegas. While neither of us really gambles, we thought it would be a fun, glitzy place to walk around and explore the area's history (the island was originally colonized by the Portuguese). I would summarize our findings as: not much culture, not much to see, way too many people. We had another dreary day so we definitely weren't seeing Macau at its best, but still didn't feel like the city had any real charm or character.

After scouting out some sandwiches for lunch we spent a few hours checking out the town center and walking around the nearby historical sites.

Macau's central square - Largo de Senado - full of other tourists and cheesy Christmas displays.

St. Dominic's Church, which still holds mass every week.

Old vs. new. On top of the Monte Fort, looking out toward the Grand Lisboa Hotel.

Cannons protecting the fort.

The Ruins of St. Paul's, one of the more interesting Portuguese-era relics.

Crowded streets in Macau.

This was probably my favorite spot during our time in Macau - we waited a while for everyone to clear out for this shot.

Once we had explored the historic center of Macau, we took a taxi to the Venetian so we could check out the gambling scene and walk around the fancy shops located there. The resort is basically a massive interconnected compound and definitely feels similar to Vegas, with two notable differences: no smoking and no alcohol. We were surprised by the lack of drinking, mostly because we assumed alcohol consumption is largely correlated to increased gambling / money spending, but learned that Chinese people view gambling as more of a sport or "investment" and take it rather seriously. In addition to the lack of free beverages, the minimum bets were also much higher, so basically Macau casinos held no allure for us.

It was no surprise that the inside of the Venetian looked identical to the one in Vegas!

Before we caught the ferry back to Hong Kong, we grabbed two of the famous egg tarts from Lord Stow's but the thick custard pies weren't really our thing. We were glad we stopped in Macau - when in Rome, right? - bur definitely don't consider it a "must-see" while in Hong Kong. Tomorrow is our last day here and we are getting pretty excited for some sunshine in Australia!

Dim Sum and Then Some

Tuesday morning was cloudy – but not yet rainy – so we set out to hike Dragon’s Back as planned. Compared to our recent “climb” in Seoul, this hike was a breeze! It only took us about two-and-a-half hours to complete and much of the trail was nearly flat. While I imagine the scenery is spectacular on clear, sunny days, we had mostly grey, misty views of the landscape. We still managed to get some decent shots of Hong Kong, but decided to postpone our afternoon cable car ride to Victoria Peak (after our barely-visible shot of Christ the Redeemer in Rio we’ve learned our lesson!)

Near the highest peak. You can also see the trail way in the distance as it forms a "Dragon's Back."

A little windy and misty at the top!

Overlooking Shek O Country Club.

Not a bad view given the weather conditions!

After our hike we headed to Central Hong Kong for a late lunch and strategized about how to spend the rest of the day. I debated getting a pedicure (hey, it’s been months and we are heading to the beach this week!) but given the forecast of rain for the next two days I decided to wait in case I really get desperate for a rainy-day activity. Instead we headed back to our hotel to relax, catch up on some emails, read and get cleaned up before dinner.

By the time we were ready to eat it had started to rain but since it was only drizzling, we headed to our intended destination: One Dim Sum. Now while I like to think of us as amateur foodies-in-training, I am well aware that Alex and I are amateurs at best when it comes to high-end cuisine (I mean, come on, I consider Skyline Chili a basic food group and Alex is allergic to half of most menus). That said, when I read that the cheapest restaurant to ever earn a Michelin star was located 15 minutes from our hotel in Hong Kong, I was determined to go. We were a little nervous given Alex’s nut allergies (sorry for the repeat references in this post babe!) and our limited exposure to dim sum, but we were WOWED! For less than US$17 we had six delicious dishes and unlimited tea and left feeling full and happy. I know we just raved about Little Bao – and truly it was incredible – but we have never had such an amazing meal for such a cheap price, ever.  I’m starting to feel like we throw out restaurant recs too often (and really, TripAdvisor so frequently steers us in the right direction), but if you are ever in Hong Kong, you must go to One Dim Sum. Where else can you spend less than $20 for a world-acclaimed meal?

After checking off our first Michelin-starred restaurant during the trip (is that an accomplishment? It feels like one), it is time for bed. I’ll be dreaming of dumplings and hoping for better weather!

Big Buddha

Despite the forecast, it was not raining when Sarah and I woke up this morning. We decided to take advantage of the weather and, after a workout at the hotel gym, headed over to the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island. This spot is located near the airport so it took us a while to get out there, even with the impeccably efficient Hong Kong metro system. We patiently queued for almost an hour for the cable car up to Ngong Ping Village then set out to see the Buddha.

This cable car ride might have been more impressive if we hadn't done the Jackson Hole (Wyoming) and Sugar Loaf (Rio de Janeiro) cable cars recently. It just didn't compare. The dreary, cloudy weather didn't help but we thought it was too long of a ride considering the views (even on a clear day) don't take 35 uninterrupted minutes to take in.

Approaching the Buddha.

The whole area feels very newly constructed because, frankly, it is. This isn't a historically significant site for Hong Kong - it was constructed as a tourist attraction in 1993. That didn't take away from the awe-inspiring scale of this Buddha, but the whole village felt more like an amusement park than a historic place of worship.

At the base of the Buddha.

Looking down on the harbor.

Offerings to the Buddha.

The Big Buddha himself.

After we said goodbye to Tian Tan, we walked over to the Lo Pin Monastery - another attraction in the same area. We enjoyed the monastery more than the Big Buddha: it was less crowded and had a more authentic feel. The highlight of the day was at the Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas in the monastery - a very cool sight to see!

Outside the Grand Hall...

...and inside. Really spectacular!

After making the long trip back to central Hong Kong, we were both ready for an early dinner. Fortunately, we arrived at Little Bao just as they were opening. We read about this place online and were blown away by the quality of the food - if you are ever in Hong Kong, it is imperative that you dine here! Perhaps our favorite meal of the entire trip (so far)!

Sarah and I split three small appetizers then each tried a different Bao - she had the pork, I had the chicken. Both were fantastic!

Sarah's pork...

...my chicken. Seriously, you should not miss this place!

Full and very content we headed home for an early night. If the weather cooperates tomorrow we're planning to do a hike - fingers crossed!

Culture Clash in Hong Kong

Sarah and I arrived in Hong Kong late last night. Our flight got in on time and we had no trouble with customs, baggage claim or the express train downtown. But when we arrived at the Kowloon Station, we found a LONG line of people waiting for a cab - apparently a concert had just gotten out nearby. Oh well. We were at our hotel by 1am and fell asleep almost instantly.

Today we woke up refreshed and ready to explore Hong Kong. The weather forecast is not looking promising for our time here so we wanted to get out and see the city today because, even though it's pretty cloudy, at least it's not raining. Sarah found a great brunch place, aptly named Brunch Club, and we headed there around mid-day.

When we arrived we were quickly seated outside - it's a lot warmer here than in Seoul but we happily enjoyed the change of climate! Seated next to us was a middle-aged Chinese couple. About 10 minutes after we sat down, the husband (let's call him Joe, for simplicity) started cycling through all the available ringtones on his phone. At maximum volume. Not pleasant-sounding ringtones either - think 50 or so varieties of shrill telephone chords playing loudly at a table placed only inches away from you. The entire outdoor courtyard took notice and many began clearing their throats or looking at Joe hoping he would stop. He did not. I didn't want to be rude and ask him to keep it down, so we just sat at our table silently, making understanding eye-contact with each other and our fellow (non-Joe) diners (the ringtones were too loud to carry on a conversation).

After about five minutes, Joe realized that he had attracted the attention of the entire outdoor courtyard. However, rather than apologize, Joe took out his embarrassment on us, his closest victims and easiest targets. He began staring intensely and me, then Sarah - like less than a foot from her face, glaring at her. I intervened and asked him if there was a problem. This, obviously, did not sit well with him. Joe was furious that I would assume he spoke English (though, to be fair, it wasn't an assumption as I heard him order his food in perfect English to the waiter) and began ranting at me in Chinese. Among the words I couldn't understand, Joe made sure I got his point by infusing a few choice, four-letter English words and giving me the finger. His rant included "Don't I have the right to stare at the wall?!" (which was his crazy excuse for glaring at Sarah) and concluded with "Get out of my country!" (No offense sir, but Hong Kong is the most diverse place we have been so far and includes English as an official language, not to mention we were in an American restaurant, with only English-speaking staff.)

Since there is no reasoning with a person like this, we decided it would be best to relocate inside and enjoy our meal there. The food was great and it's a very Western-friendly place to spend a few hours in if you find yourself in Hong Kong. Joe was an unwelcome addition (he passed us on his way out and we were treated to another finger salute!) but I wouldn't expect him to show his face at Brunch Club any time soon after the manager had a word with him regarding his little outburst.

Anyway...a conflict with a local was inevitable at some point. Just a bit of a jarring experience, especially at a place that attracts so many Westerners. Oh well - thanks for the story, Joe, keep it classy!

When we were done with brunch, we headed to another nearby café to relax (conflict really gets the blood moving!) and do some trip planning. We will be in Australia in less than a week so we wanted to finalize our plans there.

We wandered around for a bit after that, exploring some more of Central Hong Kong, including the aptly named Soho (similar to the trendy NYC and London neighborhoods). Fortunately, we didn't run into any protesters - there was a clash with the police tonight that apparently led to the use of tear gas. Glad we missed that!

We had planned to stay downtown for dinner but found ourselves by the waterfront around the time that the Symphony of Lights was about to begin. We hopped on a ferry across the harbor and secured a good position on the Avenue of the Stars to watch the show. It was cool to see the buildings light up in a coordinated sequence, but the skyline itself is spectacular and we would've enjoyed our time just as much without the show.

View from the ferry ride across Victoria Harbor.

Almost show time. Found another couple to take our picture.

Hard to capture it all in one photo (video might've been better) but it was a great way to wind down our first day in Hong Kong!

After the show, we headed back to our hotel in the Kowloon neighborhood and grabbed some casual sushi for dinner nearby. Tomorrow looks like we'll have another dry day so we're looking forward to seeing some more of the city!