Surfcrest
January 18th, 2010, 11:03
Hong Kong
IтАЩve been passing through Hong Kong for quite a few years and still recall the old airport on the east side of KowloonтАжthose landings right through the city, passing women hanging their laundry out on buildings as low as we were flyingтАж.or so it seemed. I canтАЩt even count the times IтАЩve passed through with only stopping occasionally and only for a very quick visitтАжтАж..if anything at all.
I was able to spend a little extra time in Hong Kong this year, for me a great stop over for picking up a few things. One of the fewтАЭ must doтАЭ tourist attractions in Hong Kong is undoubtedly the Peak. It was quite interesting for me, finding a photographer up there selling photographs of some of the same planes I mentioned earlier, only from the perspective of the people on the ground or in buildings, witnessing these planes so low as though they were part of the harbour traffic. I think, what is the chance of me having been in any of those photographs by virtue of the 747 I was passing over in.
The airport is quite a bit west of Kowloon now, way out on Lantau Island. ItтАЩs a beautiful airport with high ceilings with good air and a nice sense of space. A taxi will cost you and arm and maybe two legs or you can opt for a Hotel bus that will get you the doorstep of most of the big hotels and quite a few of the smaller placesтАж.albeit not all. For the distance alone, this will take a bit of time, not to mention your time in the city if your hotel doesnтАЩt happen to be one of the earlier drop points and rush hour traffic. The train though, is probably the better best optionтАжespecially for speed, if you donтАЩt mind the taxi ride for the last little bit from one of the Stations (Tsing Yi, Kowloon and finally Hong Kong Island). There are plenty of taxis in Hong Kong. Most are red, theyтАЩre bigger than ThailandтАжso youтАЩll get a lot more luggage in and I didnтАЩt find them expensive at all compared to North American standards. They all have bungee cords to hold the trunk down, if you are a mega shopper like us, or travel heavy.
You can buy a variety of cards at the Airport Express counter that will allow you a one-way, roundtrip on the train, 3 days of MRT use, the ability to use it for almost any other local travel mode (Ferry, Tram, Bus). You can also load money onto it and use it as a one touch pay card at many stores where you might make smaller purchasesтАж.and at many fast food joints (if you must). The MRT works the same way in HK as it does in Bangkok; you touch your card in and out for the fare calculation. The MRT is the subway, but you have to be careful of the word тАЬSubwayтАЭ in Hong KongтАжbecause the MRT is never referred to as the тАЬSubwayтАЭ. In fact, you will see signs with arrows pointing you to тАЬSubwayтАЭ when in fact they are only taking you through a tunnel under a busy street where pedestrian crossings may not exist at street level. ItтАЩs best to familiarize yourself with the red symbol of the MRT, as some of the access points blend into the landscape and are easily missed.
Link for official MTR site
http://www.mtr.com.hk/
Link for airport travel pass
http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/airport_express/aepass_index.html
Link for Octopus card for HK travel
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=octopus+card&meta=&aq=9&oq=octop
Transit fares are based on the mode of transport and the distance travelled. Double Decker trams are a fraction of a dollar, quite convenient for travelling on the Hong Kong side and a fun to ride outside of rush hour. These are supplemented by the Double Decker bus systemтАжthese giants weaving through narrow lanes and tight corners at harrowing speeds on both sides of the water. The signage is clear, in Chinese and English.
Many in Hong Kong speak English just fine. Once you get out of the traditional areas where tourists might not pass or into the cheaper eateries, youтАЩll hope there are some photos that you recognize on the menu that you can point to, if they donтАЩt speak enough English. The same applies to Thailand IтАЩve found, again off the beaten track. We had no language concerns or barriers which was a great convenience. My bf was born and raised in Hong KongтАж..VancouverтАЩs true motherland.
This visit I stayed on the Kowloon side, near Jordan Station. This is within walking distance of the Temple Street night market and a short taxi ride from Kowloon Station and the connection to the Airport. The red line / green line of the MRT can take you to most of the areas you as a tourist might need to get to. The Temple Street market is mainly a night thing, but there are no shortages of other good outdoors markets, including Sham Shui Po, Prince Edward, Mong Kok earlier in the day. Mong Kok on the Kowloon side and Causeway Bay on the Hong Kong side are great places for shopping and hanging out with the young, cute and hip. Nathan Road will also take you to the tip of Kowloon, by the Peninsula Hotel, through the тАЬSubwayтАЭ to the HK Museum of Art and the view of Hong Kong Island. Each night at 8 PM a different light and sound show of the already spectacularly lit buildings on both the Hong Kong and Kowloon sides. A good spot to see the lights from the Hong Kong side would be near the Convention Center.
There are quite a few gay establishments scattered on both the Kowloon and Hong Kong sides. For up to date information on whatтАЩs open and what days to go, check out:
http://sqzm14.ust.hk/hkgay/
GLB Hong Kong site
Make sure you check out what night each establishment is hoping, or you may be disappointed.
The city is set up for some great eating and at all prices. Our general thumb rule is to look in on the busy places, if the people look happyтАжgive it a go. Quite often there will be some advertising, specials, maybe even the menu and some or all of that might be in English. Although pricey, Soho has some of the best restaurants for international cuisine and fusion. There is no shortage of great Dim Sum places to go in the morning, cafes for a quick lunch and Hot Pot places for long drawn out dinners over drinks. ThereтАЩs a lot more hype about the late night outdoor eateries along the Temple Street market than they deserve. It is a nice place to stop off though for a cheap late night beer after having taken in enough of the market.
There are a few standard tourist attractions in HK including Disneyland, Ocean Park, the Peak. The Mainland Chinese make up a huge part of the HK tourist population and so going to these venues will have you neck deep with their quirky ways. The tram to the Peak is a must do thing, for the view alone both day and night or both. For a different view of the city, try the observation deck (although only on the 57th floor) of the IFC building.
Hong Kong is a relatively short (2 hourтАЩs and change) flight from Bangkok. The climate can be quite a bit cooler than Thailand, so check ahead; you might need a sweater or jacketтАж.especially at night. The cost of things in Thailand could be as little as a third the cost of Hong Kong. I find it quite affordable though compared to Vancouver, an easy place to load up on things.
The Hong Kong boys are some of the best looking in my opinion of all Asia with Chiang Mai boys a close secondтАж.but thatтАЩs only my tastes talking.
Tall slim boys with creamy white skin, delicate features, almond eyes, driving luxury sedans, and wearing the finest clothesтАж.this the Hong Kong I know.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Surfcrest/Sawatdee/December2010.jpg
IтАЩve been passing through Hong Kong for quite a few years and still recall the old airport on the east side of KowloonтАжthose landings right through the city, passing women hanging their laundry out on buildings as low as we were flyingтАж.or so it seemed. I canтАЩt even count the times IтАЩve passed through with only stopping occasionally and only for a very quick visitтАжтАж..if anything at all.
I was able to spend a little extra time in Hong Kong this year, for me a great stop over for picking up a few things. One of the fewтАЭ must doтАЭ tourist attractions in Hong Kong is undoubtedly the Peak. It was quite interesting for me, finding a photographer up there selling photographs of some of the same planes I mentioned earlier, only from the perspective of the people on the ground or in buildings, witnessing these planes so low as though they were part of the harbour traffic. I think, what is the chance of me having been in any of those photographs by virtue of the 747 I was passing over in.
The airport is quite a bit west of Kowloon now, way out on Lantau Island. ItтАЩs a beautiful airport with high ceilings with good air and a nice sense of space. A taxi will cost you and arm and maybe two legs or you can opt for a Hotel bus that will get you the doorstep of most of the big hotels and quite a few of the smaller placesтАж.albeit not all. For the distance alone, this will take a bit of time, not to mention your time in the city if your hotel doesnтАЩt happen to be one of the earlier drop points and rush hour traffic. The train though, is probably the better best optionтАжespecially for speed, if you donтАЩt mind the taxi ride for the last little bit from one of the Stations (Tsing Yi, Kowloon and finally Hong Kong Island). There are plenty of taxis in Hong Kong. Most are red, theyтАЩre bigger than ThailandтАжso youтАЩll get a lot more luggage in and I didnтАЩt find them expensive at all compared to North American standards. They all have bungee cords to hold the trunk down, if you are a mega shopper like us, or travel heavy.
You can buy a variety of cards at the Airport Express counter that will allow you a one-way, roundtrip on the train, 3 days of MRT use, the ability to use it for almost any other local travel mode (Ferry, Tram, Bus). You can also load money onto it and use it as a one touch pay card at many stores where you might make smaller purchasesтАж.and at many fast food joints (if you must). The MRT works the same way in HK as it does in Bangkok; you touch your card in and out for the fare calculation. The MRT is the subway, but you have to be careful of the word тАЬSubwayтАЭ in Hong KongтАжbecause the MRT is never referred to as the тАЬSubwayтАЭ. In fact, you will see signs with arrows pointing you to тАЬSubwayтАЭ when in fact they are only taking you through a tunnel under a busy street where pedestrian crossings may not exist at street level. ItтАЩs best to familiarize yourself with the red symbol of the MRT, as some of the access points blend into the landscape and are easily missed.
Link for official MTR site
http://www.mtr.com.hk/
Link for airport travel pass
http://www.mtr.com.hk/eng/airport_express/aepass_index.html
Link for Octopus card for HK travel
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=octopus+card&meta=&aq=9&oq=octop
Transit fares are based on the mode of transport and the distance travelled. Double Decker trams are a fraction of a dollar, quite convenient for travelling on the Hong Kong side and a fun to ride outside of rush hour. These are supplemented by the Double Decker bus systemтАжthese giants weaving through narrow lanes and tight corners at harrowing speeds on both sides of the water. The signage is clear, in Chinese and English.
Many in Hong Kong speak English just fine. Once you get out of the traditional areas where tourists might not pass or into the cheaper eateries, youтАЩll hope there are some photos that you recognize on the menu that you can point to, if they donтАЩt speak enough English. The same applies to Thailand IтАЩve found, again off the beaten track. We had no language concerns or barriers which was a great convenience. My bf was born and raised in Hong KongтАж..VancouverтАЩs true motherland.
This visit I stayed on the Kowloon side, near Jordan Station. This is within walking distance of the Temple Street night market and a short taxi ride from Kowloon Station and the connection to the Airport. The red line / green line of the MRT can take you to most of the areas you as a tourist might need to get to. The Temple Street market is mainly a night thing, but there are no shortages of other good outdoors markets, including Sham Shui Po, Prince Edward, Mong Kok earlier in the day. Mong Kok on the Kowloon side and Causeway Bay on the Hong Kong side are great places for shopping and hanging out with the young, cute and hip. Nathan Road will also take you to the tip of Kowloon, by the Peninsula Hotel, through the тАЬSubwayтАЭ to the HK Museum of Art and the view of Hong Kong Island. Each night at 8 PM a different light and sound show of the already spectacularly lit buildings on both the Hong Kong and Kowloon sides. A good spot to see the lights from the Hong Kong side would be near the Convention Center.
There are quite a few gay establishments scattered on both the Kowloon and Hong Kong sides. For up to date information on whatтАЩs open and what days to go, check out:
http://sqzm14.ust.hk/hkgay/
GLB Hong Kong site
Make sure you check out what night each establishment is hoping, or you may be disappointed.
The city is set up for some great eating and at all prices. Our general thumb rule is to look in on the busy places, if the people look happyтАжgive it a go. Quite often there will be some advertising, specials, maybe even the menu and some or all of that might be in English. Although pricey, Soho has some of the best restaurants for international cuisine and fusion. There is no shortage of great Dim Sum places to go in the morning, cafes for a quick lunch and Hot Pot places for long drawn out dinners over drinks. ThereтАЩs a lot more hype about the late night outdoor eateries along the Temple Street market than they deserve. It is a nice place to stop off though for a cheap late night beer after having taken in enough of the market.
There are a few standard tourist attractions in HK including Disneyland, Ocean Park, the Peak. The Mainland Chinese make up a huge part of the HK tourist population and so going to these venues will have you neck deep with their quirky ways. The tram to the Peak is a must do thing, for the view alone both day and night or both. For a different view of the city, try the observation deck (although only on the 57th floor) of the IFC building.
Hong Kong is a relatively short (2 hourтАЩs and change) flight from Bangkok. The climate can be quite a bit cooler than Thailand, so check ahead; you might need a sweater or jacketтАж.especially at night. The cost of things in Thailand could be as little as a third the cost of Hong Kong. I find it quite affordable though compared to Vancouver, an easy place to load up on things.
The Hong Kong boys are some of the best looking in my opinion of all Asia with Chiang Mai boys a close secondтАж.but thatтАЩs only my tastes talking.
Tall slim boys with creamy white skin, delicate features, almond eyes, driving luxury sedans, and wearing the finest clothesтАж.this the Hong Kong I know.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Surfcrest/Sawatdee/December2010.jpg