People and places: starting and Hong Kong

I am going to start posting a few stories about our small project of travelling around the world. I say small not because the world is small but because even if we make a complete tour of the planet we stop only in Hong Kong, Fiji Islands and California (between Los Angeles and San Francisco).

We started our journey on 31st of December with a flight from London to Hong Kong. Midnight cached us in the air…almost sleeping. We just said to each other Happy New Year and we went to sleep ;) It was one of the less ceremonious New Year’s eve we have ever spent…but we were eager to arrive in Hong Kong. The start of the year was announcing itself GREAT.

On the 1^st of January we arrived in Hong Kong…and we stayed until the 5^th of January.

Hong Kong (meaning the Incense Harbour) was GREAT and did not disappoint me at all. People were smiling a lot and every time they have seen us with the map figuring out our way, they stopped and ask politely if we need help. Being jet legged had a big advantage: we were starting very early in the morning. This meant we were in the metro during the rush hour. With a population of more then 10 million people I was thinking it will be hell…worse then Rome, Paris, Bucharest and other big cities I was accustom with. In fact, not at all. No matter the hour or the place I never seen overcrowded places, I never felt aggressed or in danger. Also, I did not see angry or upset people… And I have to admit that at least the metro system was one of the most organized and I supposed the rest of the public transportation was not worse as they were very few personal cars in the city.

Every neighbourhood has its own “world”: financial place with international restaurants and stores; street markets for all kind of goods, golden fish market for aquarium fishes, flower market, traditional Chinese medicine market, dry food market, ceramics market, jade and jewellery street etc. Hong Kong has its hills with amazing nature and hiking paths, we did a few. Inside the city, wherever possible, surrounded by the forest of skyscrapers, were also parks with amazing big and almost suspended ficus trees. In these parks, the Chinese, especially the elder ones, were practicing sports of all kinds from jogging or tennis to yoga, chi qong or tai chi. Nice to see and feel this of relaxing and healthy atmosphere…Another place I liked was the sea food market. The food is also something that we enjoyed even if we were not exactly courageous in our choices: different kinds of noodle soups or dumplings, salads and some small baked bread. In any case the Chinese cuisine as I new it from Europe has not so much in commune with what I have seen on the table of the people there and in the places were they were selling the food in the street. By the way, the smell was incredible good and people were queuing to eat there.

In other words, first experience with Hong Kong: nice people, nice places to visit (we did not cover too much in our 4 days there), nice food…and for whose interested quite good for shopping.