It's on in Hong Kong

Eight hours on a Cathay Pacific plane got us from Perth to Hong Kong, the first stop on the Asian leg of our trip. Hong Kong has an interesting set up, since it is a Special Administrative Region and not technically part of China. (To make a long story short, when Britain ceded Hong Kong in the 1980s, after claiming it initially by military action in 1841, it demanded that Hong Kong remain a free market economy.) As such, Hong Kong boasts its own currency, US citizens do not need visas to enter, and web sites like this one (Blogger) aren’t blocked there like they are in China. (Hence the delay in China posts!)

Hong Kong’s 1103 sq km of territory is divided into four main areas: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and the Outlying Islands. Our accommodations were on Hong Kong Island, but the city is very easy to get around, so we spent our days here exploring all over the place.

Our first day was spend in the Central area of Hong Kong Island, on the northern and more urban jungle side of the island. Central is the main business district and home to some pretty incredible shopping. Although, there seems to be shopping everywhere in Hong Kong. Krista tested her bargaining skills on Li Yuen Street, a narrow alley crammed with shops selling everything under the sun on the cheap. To orient ourselves in this huge city, we took an elevator to the Bank of China Tower’s Observation Deck. That night, we ventured out into the Fortress Hill area and ate at an authentic local restaurant (with mixed results!).

On Friday, like every HK tourist worth his/her salt, we found our way to the Victoria Peak Tram. One of Hong Kong’s most memorable attractions, the tram rises steeply up Victoria Peak and ends at a Peak Tower, home to breath-taking views overlooking the city and some very touristy places to eat and shop. Afterwards, we walked through the bustling Lan Kwai Fong bar/restaurant area and then hopped on a 20-minute ferry across the harbor to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon.

Kowloon is the peninsula pointing south toward Hong Kong Island, and has an interesting dynamic with high-end hotels and shopping mixed in with some low-end buildings and sleaze. We were approached constantly about whether we were interested in a tailor, Rolex or a variety of designer handbags. Admittedly, we stand out a bit here with the height and all. We checked out some of the posh hotels like the Peninsula and the Intercontinental and wandered around the main shopping streets of Kowloon. After crossing back over the harbor via a cheap and fun ferry, we walked to Wan Chai’s waterfront and watched the world’s largest laser lights show, a nightly spectacle in Hong Kong that displays choreographed lights on top of buildings all around the city and sets the whole thing to music.