Hong Kong

Our plane landed in Hong Kong around 9:30 PM, collected our bags, went through customs, yet again, and headed for the bus in silence. We were all too exhausted to say much to each other. The only thing really worth noting about the airport was that the big clocks over each baggage claim area said Rolex on them. We had just entered a country that have Rolex clocks in its airport. I had a feeling that Hong Kong, though in a way it is still part of China, would be very different from the place I'd just left.

 

I was right about that. Some of the obvious changes included a different flag, different currency, and we were back to people driving on the left side of the road (I was so confused when I first stepped onto bus from the left side). It was strange to see the familiar ship after my 4 day trip. I couldn't wait to take a shower and sleep in my own bed, in my own cabin..and it was then that I realized that I've strangly come to consider the MV Explorer "home." I didn't venture into the city that night because I was just too tired, so I decided to get an early start the next morning.

 

Okay, so the "early start" thing didn't exactly happen, but around 11:30 AM, I set out with a few girls to explore Hong Kong. Our ship was berthed at a port in which we had to walk through a HUGE mall in order to get out into the city, then we had to take a short ferry to get onto the mainland. As soon as we got off the ferry, we quickly found the bus station, hopped on a double decker, and headed out to a place called "Repulse Bay," which, although its name may imply otherwise, was an exceptionally beautiful beach. The water was clear and very green, so, seeing as this was the first time since Hawai'i that the port country has been warm, we walked down the beach to the water and put our feet in the water. I was so happy in that moment, as I realized that I wouldn't have to deal with cold weather until I am back in Ithaca for the fall!!

 

After messing around, climbing trees, taking pictures and just enjoying the comfotable weather, we crossed the beach to the dock on the other side, and I noticed that the boardwalk behind the beach on this end had many colorful Buddhist statues and other intricate religious structures. We walked around here for a bit, walking among that crowd of people, all of whom were admiring the statues as well.

 

By this time we were pretty hungry, so we decided to eat at a close place, which ended up being a Pizza Hut! Before you judge me on this decision, let's get something straight. I was SICK of Chinese food!!! Period. I needed something familiar in my stomach, and so did my friends. Plus, it didn't look like the Pizza Hut I had gone to as a kid. This place was like any other normal, slightly upscale Italian restaurant. I was so surprised, and the food was amazing, a change of pace that I desperately needed.

 

After lunch, we walked around some more, then took a bus back to the bus station we had left from. I walked around there with a couple of the girls just to see what kind of stores were around there before heading back to the ship. We ended up getting slightly lost, but hey, it's all part of the experience of travelling. New city, new sights, new ways to get lost and find your way back. On a side note, I think taking this journey has been really good for my sense of direction! (If you're reading this and you know me, you know that usually, I can get lost in a paper bad with written directions AND a GPS. Go ahead and laugh. You probably already are.)

 

After reboarding the ship, I ran into my good friend on the ship, who were all eating an early dinner in the dining hall. I was so happy to see them!! I didn't realize how much I missed them during the days in China that we were all on our separate trips. My friend Bailey asked me if I wanted to go to a floating restaurant called Jumbo later that night, and of course, I did. A floating restaurant?? Hell yes! So I quickly showered, got ready, and met them at the gangway.

 

We jumped on the ferry, then jumped on a bus, and headed to...a boardwalk. We walked along it a little ways before reaching a dock with a bright sign over it that said JUMBO. This is where the taxi boat picked us up to take us to the middle of the bay to the restaurant. I could see Jumbo in the distance from the taxi boat. It was a large building lit up by thousands of light bulbs, and it was, you got it, floating in the middle of the water. It was actually a very classy, very PRICEY place, so since we had all eaten already, we just got drinks and desserts on the top floor.

 

After getting off the taxi boat, our group split up and I, along with a few others, went to Hong Kong's "bar street," which is where we ran into...every other SAS student on our ship. Or it seemed to be anyway. I felt like I was running into everyone I knew! It was so much fun, bar hopping and catching up on everyone else's experiences in China. I also got into a really good conversation with a Swiss guy who spoke impeccable English, and ended up talking to him for much of the night.

 

Since we got back rather late that night, we decided to sleep in a little before going out for our last day in Hong Kong. We decided to go to Victora Peak, where we could see the most scenic view of Hong Kong Island. We got our tickets and got on a tram, which took us up to the Peak Tower. And when I say "up," I mean it felt like the tram was going almost straight up at a 90 degree angle. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but it was very steep, and kind of nerve-racking. When we got to the building, we skipped through the stores, all of which were full of the same souveniers that we'd been seeing for the past week, and tried to find a good balcony in which to look out. The view of the water in the distance and the apartment buildings (where the wealthier people in Hong Kong must live) was pretty spectacular.

 

After taking the tram back down, we went to a restaurant called "The Modern Toilet." That's right, a bathroom-themed restaurant. Where we sat on toilet seats and ate on glass tables, under which were real sinks, and we were served food on mini toilet and sink plates. I even ate chocolate soft serve that looked like poop! We all got a good laugh out of it.

 

After our late lunch, unfortunately we had to head straight back to the ship to avoid dock time. The last thing that I saw of Hong Kong was its world-famous lazer light show, which happens every night at 8 PM. Hong Kong holds the Guiness World record for largest permanent light display, and I got to see it from the ship as we sailed away from the city. We were on our way to Vietnam, where we would be in just 2 days' time.