Disheveled Musings: Pearl of the Orient

The familiar smell of Asia filled my nostrils as I stepped from the flight late Sunday afternoon. That unmistakable aroma that has defined all of my experiences in Asia was there to greet me like a long lost friend. After living in the tropics for many years prior to moving to Canada it’s hard to describe, but I think it’s the mix of humidity, dampness and mold to meld together to form this irrepressible smell.

My room with a view of Hong Kong harbour - sweet!

Having quickly gone through Customs and retrieving my backpack (yes, I had to check it after being an inch too long for carry on…really?) I found myself in the large and airy expanse of the Hong Kong International Airport trying to decide which way was best to get to my hotel. The best way clearly is the express train that leaves every ten minutes, so after acquiring an Octopus card I was on my way. The beauty of the re-loadable Octopus card is you can use it on almost any form of transportation in Hong Kong. J

In the blink of an eye (25 minutes) I found myself alighting the train at Central station on Hong Kong Island and heading for the hotel bus that just so happened to be ready to go. Can you say serendipity?

I chose to stay at the Courtyard Marriott in the western district of the Island. This clean, ultra modern hotel is situated on Connaught Road West and only minutes from the hip and cool Central and Admiralty districts and walking distance from the Star Ferry terminus it was the perfect location for the traveler like me. Getting to my room after a warm welcome I felt pampered with a king room and a harbour view no less.

After dropping my bag I decided to head over to the Peak Tram for a view like no other in all of Hong Kong. Although the line was long it was well worth the wait and after an hour I made it onto the tram that made its incredibly steep ascent to Victoria Peak.

Surprisingly, it was a clear night, which made the viewing sensational, and was able to see the New Territories from the peak, which is a bit of a rarity given that its summer and usually quite hazy.

By the time I got back to the hotel I realized that I have been on the go since I left Toronto some 24 hours earlier so showered and fell into a deep sleep, which is quite unusual for me and woke next morning at 7:30 am feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead.

Victoria Peak - Hong Kong Island at night. Magical views of the city toward the New Territories

On the plane to Hong Kong I had broadly planned my first day in that I wanted to take the Star Ferry across the harbor to Kowloon, but like my usual wanderings I decided to walk in a rather circuitous route to the Ferry terminus, and strode out of the hotel onto Water Street, grabbing a quick Starbucks across the road before setting off toward Queens road.

Exploring a new city by walking and getting off the beaten track is the most fun I think you can have, and finding little treasures that you definitely wouldn’t have come across on a guided tour or following a guidebook.

By the time I arrived at the Star Ferry terminal it was almost 10:30 am and the sun was getting rather hot under clear blue skies, which, as for this time of year was accompanied by very high humidity. The sweat was literally dripping off me, and dousing my camera with little droplets of sweat made me rig a little clip to my backpack so I could swing free without me having to hold it or have it over my shoulder. This little trick worked perfectly, as I always carry a climbing karabiner or two just in case for emergencies just like this!

The ride across the harbour was a short 8 minutes, but with the volume of traffic on this incredibly busy waterway found the Twinkling Star (yes, each ferry has a name J) buffeted by the wakes of large and small ships as we plied our way across the harbour toward Kowloon.

The fleet of Rolls Royce parked in front of the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon

One of my favourites is seeing the grandeur of the Peninsula Hotel. This famous hotel is as popular and well known as the Waldorf Astoria in New York, or Raffles in Singapore, a living legend if you will, built in 1928 and considered the Pearl of the Orient when it came to luxury hotels.

When the Peninsula was originally built it had an unobstructed view of the harbour with easy access to the numerous cruise liners that docked in Victoria Harbour, however, now it has both the Hong Kong Space Museum and Hong Kong Museum of Art, between it and the harbour. Incidentally it was also the site of the surrender of Hong Kong to the Japanese at the start of WWII.

I was not disappointed! From the swath of Peninsula Green (yep, that’s a colour at Rolls Royce and is named specifically after the hotel) Rolls Royce parked in a row out front for the sole purpose of chauffeuring the clientele from place to place during their stay. How awesome is that? This may have to be my next hotel in Hong Kong. J

Although it was too early for “High Tea” it’s the thing to do when you come to Hong Kong, and definitely something to put on your bucket list, don’t worry I’ll be back!

Mini lanterns at the flower market in Kowloon

After meandering through the gorgeous lobby I headed over to Nathan road, which is Hong Kong’s main thoroughfare and once was referred to as the “Golden Mile”. As you head north along Nathan road you could be mistaken for thinking that you were in New York, Los Angeles or London given the high-end stores and brands. It’s not until your reach Austin road that things become interesting, and definitely more “local”.

As I turned left onto Austin Road West and began my rambling journey through the back streets of Kowloon I had two places that were on my list of things to see. Firstly the Jade Market, which turned out to be rather disappointing, but the Flower Market was truly stunning. The smell of Jasmine and pungent lilies filled the air as I slowly meandered my way through this gorgeous part of town and as you’d imagine taking photo after photo…I do love fresh cut flowers and one of the treats I give to myself every week even at home.

I’m fairly observant and keep my wits about me to ensure both my personal safety but also uncover the unexpected, so it was me who was surprised as I was eyed hungrily by a group of three prostitutes as I walked up Shanghai Street. It was early for them to be out (not that I would know mind you, but it seemed rather early J) I thought, but after I showed little interest (other than from an anthropological perspective) they returned to their cigarettes and muted conversation.

I knew you’d ask that…well, how did I know? It seemed rather obvious to me, here were three very attractive women, dressed as if they were about to go out to a dance club, yet lounging on a street corner with no apparent agenda or place to go plus…and it was before noon – call me crazy!

Was it only lunchtime on the first day? Already I’d been bombarded with the frenetic sites and sounds of Hong Kong, you thought I was going to say smells but other than the flower market…not so much! J

As I ambled I felt invigorated to be finally on my trip, it’s been a tough year for me emotionally so this is my gift to myself, just over two weeks of TW time and nothing but a camera and a sense of adventure ahead of me!

Now that's what I call living...

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Here are a few of the over 1000 photos I've taken this week on my adventures - enjoy!