Travel Diaries: Colors of Hong Kong
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Hello all!
It's time to share some of my current travels with you. I have been enjoying my first few days in Hong Kong this past week. I haven't been back here in seven years, so there is plenty to see and do that is fresh and new to me. It's actually been nearly a week here, but the flight is so long that the jetlag takes quite some time to adjust to.
As you may know, Hong Kong is a huge city, bustling with people and sometimes even more crowded than New York City. The food is certainly a main highlight, as well as rich history and culture. I do have some relatives and friends of family here, so we started the first couple of days having meals together and catching up. On our third day, we visited a great island called Lai Chi Wo, more about which I will write about below. Enjoy part I of my Hong Kong travel diary.
Victoria Peak
A must when visiting HK. The tallest peak in Hong Kong, naturally you will enjoy the best views in the city, with options of doing so by hiking up to panoramic views, or sitting at restaurants for dinner and dessert, or, like I did, visiting the renowned Tsui Wah for traditional breakfast toast and milk tea.
Pottinger Street
One of the oldest streets in the Wan Chai area, you enter by walking up centuries-old stone steps, and pass the many stands selling everything ranging from threads & ribbons to Halloween costumes and shoes as you ascend.
The Look
As for what I'm wearing: the weather here is still quite hot, but luckily when we arrived, the rain cooled things down a bit. However this time of year here, it still feels like summer.
Knowing this, I had to pull my sandals and shorts back out from my summer clothes, which was something I was happy to do. Also, in case you were wondering, the sleeve trend is not going anywhere anytime soon, so you might as well embrace it. There really are some great options though, take a look at some I've listed below, and let me know if you don't find one that you like :)
The Island: Lai Chi Wo
This 400-year old UNESCO Heritage site is an island off the coast of Hong Kong and closer to China where the ancient Hakka people chose to settle, and somehow to this date have been able to preserve their land and culture with minimal outside disturbance. A total of 20 people live on this entire island.
The only time visitors are allowed typically is on weekends. It's amazing to see how they continue to get along without the disturbances of the technology and noise the rest of the world has developed in efforts of becoming more efficient with time.
Living Quarters
They do have electricity, but after dark still rely on gaslamps if they need to get up in the middle of the night when nature calls. And I do literally mean "nature," if you catch my drift.
The Meal
An incredible lunch prepared by the local chef, consisting of the locally and organically farmed ingredients they typically consume. The dishes were cooked in sauces similar to what we often use in Chinese cuisine, but with the chef's own style, and much lighter than what is typical. The meats and vegetables were so fresh that the quality minimized the need for further seasoning.
Afterwards he came out to talk with his satisfied patrons, and to answer the many questions people had about his ingredients and preparation methods.
Getting to the island required a ferry ride that took an hour-and-a-half each way. Though as you can see, the views were lush and scenic, and the destination was well worth the time.
More to come, stay tuned.
x
