I still don’t know what to make of things. You certainly can’t get to know a city in 36
hours, much less 8 hours. Right now it's just a collection of jumbled thoughts
for a hectic, but memorable weekend. I’ll
try to make this short so we can get to the pictures.
I went to Hong Kong and Macau this weekend. Both are special regions under
China that enjoy a “high degree of autonomy”.
What autonomy means is up for debate. The British and Portuguese influence is still strong more than 15 years after their transition back to China. They drive on the wrong
side of the road, speak perfect English, and both islands are packed with Europeans tourists and expats.
My itinerary:
Friday Night and Saturday in Hong Kong: egg tarts, swindled in to buying two suits, harbor tour, foreigner street, too much food
Sunday: 40 minute ferry to Macau, more egg tarts, old Portuguese town center, ruins of St. Paul’s cathedral
from the 1500’s, Wynn casino
General observations:
- Everywhere I walked in Hong Kong seemed to be uphill
- Fook means luck in Cantonese, which leads to fantastic wordplay: “Ho Lee Fook” is the hottest restaurant in HK
- The internet works!, and is uncensored
- The peak observation deck is the most touristy thing to do in Hong Kong, and it’s the best
- I can’t afford Macau – most blackjack table minimums were $125 on a Sunday at 2pm
In all honesty, I really wanted to love both places more
than I actually did. Don’t get me wrong,
I had a lot of fun. They are beautiful islands
with so much to offer. It was probably too
much for a short weekend, and not enough relaxation. Also, Hong Kong feels too big. Even though Shanghai is more than triple the
size, Hong Kong is double the population density. Hopefully I’ll get to come
back, and try this again sometime.
View from the hotel
One of the many alleys on the foreigner street
Egg tarts
View from Kowloon of Hong Kong Island
View from Victoria's peak
Church in Macau
Probably lots of prayers here too
Ruins of St. Paul's cathedral
Senado Square
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