Smoggy in Hong Kong

I arrived in Hong Kong after a day long journey that took me over ocean and mountain. I was surprised that it was dark when we got there- our flight landed at 6:30pm, in Canada the sun would still be shining bright. It was almost impossible to find our hostel in the hustling and hyper-commercial Causeway Bay area we are staying in- the hostel was unmarked from the street, and we had to ask a helpful Hong Kong shopkeer to lead us in the right direction. Our room (more like a closet) is on the ninth floor of a large apartment building. The bathroom and shower are in the same room- I have seen this before in England, but this particular shower/bathroom combo brings things to a new level of tiny. Still, the room is clean and equipped with a/c and is close to the double decker tramway that runs east/west across Hong Kong island. Yesterday was our first full day in the city, and we went for Dim Sum at City Hall followed by a long afternoon walk through the Zoological and Botanical Gardens and Hong Kong park, where there was a huge aviatory with a raised wooden walkway throughout. Hong Kong park is also the site of the bridal registry office and picturesque location complete with manmade fountains and manicured flowers. I saw at least 4 wedding parties! Today the jetlag began to hit me. Both mornings I have awoken at 4:30 wide-awake for the day. Exhausted, Zach and I took the Victoria Peak Tram up Victoria mountain only to be met with a thick blanket of smog/fog. It is a most bizarre area on the mountain, as there is a modern shopping mall that awaits at the top and several multi-million dollar homes and condos. The city is humid, but not scorching hot- a nice ease into our upcoming visit to Vietnam.

It is hard sometimes to believe I am in Hong Kong and not a North American city. KFC, 7-11, Shell gas station, MAC make-up and 100s of other american brand names litter the city scape. There is a 50+ story building that is completely covered in a Calvin Klein ad of a male model in tight boxers! The public facilities are better kept than many places I've been to in Canada, and the public transit system is a godsend. Most people I have come across have been very friendly and helpful ( some perhaps too friendly- Zach and I have been dodging the buddhist monks that scavenge the city for donations from foreign tourists...). Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures soon- tomorrow we trek to Lamma Island, an outlying fishing island that apparently is car-free and has amazing fresh seafood from local fisherman and sandy beaches.


Jennie