I was excited when I found that I could schedule a day layover in Hong Kong on my flight back from Myanmar. I had never been to Hong Kong and never really had much desire, so it seemed like a great opportunity to get a taste and decide if I want to go back for more in the future. Now that I have been…I think I’m good. I would be happy to go back for another layover, but I won’t be planning to travel there as an endpoint. But let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with Hong Kong; it’s all me. And weather. (But mostly me.)
What was wrong with Hong Kong? Nothing really, it just didn’t impress, excite or intrigue me. I have traveled enough for this to not be a surprise. I was also failed to be excited by Shanghai, Taipei, and Seoul. All nice cities, but I prefer New Delhi, Istanbul, Bogota, and Tbilisi. Plus, and this is in no way Hong Kong’s fault, the weather was awful. It poured rain biblically. I was caught in it for a good hour before I found a shop selling umbrellas and I don’t think I recovered. The skies were grey and although the rain did not put a stop to my planned wandering, it did make it less pleasant. The final thing that was wrong – and is all my fault – is that I was tired. It was the final day of my travels and I had slept for maybe 2 hours. So factor all of that in.
It was cool to arrive in Hong Kong. This place that in my lifetime was a sovereign country, and then wasn’t. It is the namesake of one of my favourite Siouxsie and the Banshees songs. It seems like it could be opulent and seedy. I was excited to check it out.
The train from the airport was quick and serviceable and from there I transferred to a subway and began my planned strolls in what is the financial / business district. Cuff-links and suits. Tall buildings. Orderly streets. Dull looking cafes. (I already mentioned the rain.) I walked around around a bit. It was nice, but nothing really captured my attention.
I walked into a hilly, green park, which was objectively lovely and it was pleasant that it was so close to the financial hub, but the rain made anything other than a brief pass through unappealing.
I decided it was time to check out the other side of Victoria Harbour. I took the Star Ferry across. That I liked. Buying a thick, well worn, plastic token and riding the vintage boat to the other side of the harbour. The goal was in part to get a view of that classic Hong Kong skyline, which I did, obscured though it was by cloud and rain.
I walked for a while on the other side, on the boardwalk, which must be lovely on a sunny day, but I was deterred after an hour and took the boat back across, catching the first glimpses of blue sky.
I really liked the boat and the boardwalk. I have to say though that reminded me a lot of Vancouver on a larger scale.
From there I walked through other parts of the city. The rain eased up. I walked through very fancy shopping districts that, honestly, could have been in any major metropolis. I was on the hunt for an interesting neighbourhood. Something with character; maybe a market or some murals.
Maybe I just didn’t pick my route well, but I ended up walking through areas that were more interesting, with big ugly/appealing high rises and older streets that felt more seedy, but they also felt a bit like Chinatown districts in other cities. They were fine, but not captivating.
One bonus though was stumbling across a street presentation of Chinese dragons and drums.
I hunkered down in an appealing dive that advertised vegetarian noodle soup. I pointed at the sign with a smile and enjoyed a steaming bowl of tasty broth, veggies, tofu, and noodles. I was half way through my bowl when the waitress brought a side plate of 4 chicken wings. Had i been able to speak more words in Cantonese than thank you and hello (as I was only going to be there for a day I made no effort to learn more) I might have said, “Oh, i’m sorry, I didn’t order these.” But I couldn’t say that so I just ignored the plate of meat. When I paid for my meal and got up to leave, the server yelled at me, gesturing towards the wings. I have no idea why. I said “I’m sorry” and held my hands out, palms up, in that way that universally is supposed to suggest ‘I have nothing else to offer’ or something and left. Not a great interaction, but the soup was good.
After that I walked around more, but I didn’t see much of interest and eventually I just accepted that I was tired and wet and went back to the airport.
So my day in Hong Kong wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t that interesting. I know I could have planned an activity or gone to a major attraction like Tian Tan Buddha or gone to a museum or gallery, but I usually prefer to explore a city the first day by just walking the streets. I read up on the city ahead of time and planned a route, but maybe it just wasn’t the right one for me. I would definitely like to to back for another layover and see another area (ideally on more sleep and a sunny day), but for now, my takeaway is that Hong Kong seems like it would be a great place to live, but, for me, was not an exciting place to visit.
(Sorry.)
