We departed Sorong, Indonesia heading
for Canada which is 6000 NM east.
However, to get there required us to first fly 1500 NM west to Jakarta
via Makassar, then 2000 NM north to Hong
Kong before finally turning east toward Vancouver.
This seemed like a perfect time to
see Hong Kong and spend a couple of days stretching our legs and taking the
sites and sounds of this Historic city.
We had never flown on Garuda Air and
were surprised and delighted and the friendly staff and generous service. The flight attendants were all coiffed, immaculately attired and
with their best smiles made the miles simply fly by.
The service was outstanding and the inflight meal delicious, the entire flight a real delight. Given today's travel norms of grumpy overweight flight attendants and a bag of nuts for a meal,what can I say, but this was a rare medium well done!
Before we knew it we
had landed at Makassar Sulawesi’s Sultan Hasanuddin Airport with a short layover
before heading on to Jakarta and Hong Kong.
Not knowing what to expect but
thinking we were in a third world country so with expectations kept in check we
were blown away by just how modern, clean and convenient both these airport
were.
Both these facilities were modern and
clean and big but amazingly efficient and well laid out.
With a certain sense of
humour as depicted in many of the wall sketches of the fire extinguishers and
modern art.
It was not uncommon to see
both Segways and inline skates being used by airport support staff.
Hong Kong is an extraordinary,
vibrant and crowded territory of more than 7 million people. The view of Hong Kong islands skyscrapers
from across the harbour makes a stunning urban panorama, and this insomniac
metropolis buzzes with energy day and nite.
Despite this, and my foregone conclusion that I would feel
claustrophobic in amongst all the crowds…amazingly it was not like that. Yes there are people everywhere…but somehow,
someway, everyone seems aware that personal space is respected.
It did not matter whether day or nite,
crowded streets or overflowing bus and tram rides…people were polite and
provided just enough elbow room to allow personal space.
We only had three days to see this
amazing city, and we ran hard to do and see as much as we could. With the help of the friendly staff of the
the Local Hop On Hop Off transit system we were able to see a lot in the
comfort of open air buses enjoying the many varied sites, sounds and dare I say
smells of this megalopolis.
The downtown streets are filled with
shops and more shops, street vendors of all manner and tailors hawking their
wares. Every few steps there would be
another one handing you his business card and claiming to be the best and
cheapest and fastest offering full tailored suits in 24 hrs. The prices were not what they used to be, but
what is…even so, a full custom tailor made suit for less than $500 and made in
a day!
One is awestruck at the density of
people and buildings. New next to old, architecturally
stunning against downtrodden and dilapidated…and graveyards set in the middle
of it all. Space is a premium and it is
all used. We found some of the best shopping in the central open markets…day
and night they are hustling…and it is possible to buy reasonable quality at
bargain prices…haggling is mandatory and expected…so it was also kinda fun!
You cannot visit Hong Kong without
going to see The Thai Tan (Golden) Buddha.
Getting there required us to make use of the high speed underground rail
system. It is modern, clean and
efficient. Well, maybe too much so. To buy your ticket involved dealing with the
automated Ticketing machine. In spite of
our best efforts, we could not manage to get a ticket. Finally in a slightly exasperated voice I
said…”Does anyone here speak English?” A young man turned around and said “how
may I help you Uncle”…hahaha no way were
we related, but my white hair allowed me a measure of respect. It took him a couple of tries with my $100
note and he finally went to a Kiosk and purchased two tickets for us. When I tried to pay him, he refused to accept
saying “you are a guest in country” and walked away with a smile on his face…Wow!!...we
hopped aboard the train and Kaija struck up a conversation with a nice young
lady who wanted to be sure that we were OK and did we need any help.
Very impressive, I shudder to think whether an
Asian guest in one of our Great Canadian cities would have received as warm and generous
a welcome.
The gondola ride is half the fun…stretching
miles high above the city and
surrounding hillside it afforded the perfect opportunity to take it ‘all’ in.
The Buddha is a shrine, and the crowds are
quiet and respectful. It is a walking
tour culminating in a 220 step climb to the top and then a visit to the temple
housing three Golden Buddhas. The first
two are merely Gold plated, the third however, is solid gold. It is quite an eyeful.
Our last day we took a ride up the
100 floors to the top of Sky100 to take in a view from the top. You cannot fathom the density. 40 story apartment towers are the norm and
there are hundreds packed together as far as the eye can see. There are many many taller structures. 7 of the top ten tallest structures in the
world reside in China.
If Hong Kong is on your bucket list and you feel like splurging you might consider staying where the stars stay...Elvis, Diana, Frank and every US president since Roosevelt just to name a few. The Peninsula Hotel offers a level of comfort and service seldom found anywhere. With a fleet of 7 Rolls Royce's at your beck and call...just saying "you can't take it with you".
I will admit that
my stunted understanding of China and Hong Kong was sorely lacking. We expected to find a third world country with commensurate amenities…instead we found a modern vibrant functioning city that reminded us in
many ways of our home city of Vancouver, on steroids. Set on the waterfront as a coastal city
surrounded by mountains the people who run this town have figured out how to
provide services, transit, communications and accommodations that are modern,
functioning and a real delight to visit.
Our 3 days passed in a flash and Hong Kong was a blast.
We're not sure we would want to live here, but we are sure glad we took
the time to visit.
