Well, I spent no more than three days in Hong Kong, but felt that it was such a drastically different place than China that it deserved its own entry. [Unfortunately I don't have the most time in the world at the moment, so it's going to be brief.] I didn't expect to enjoy Hong Kong at all; I expected just another city. And I suppose it is just another city, but with all the individual character and distinction that makes great cities great. It was clearly a richly international city with influences from all over; there were parks and markets and lots of pleasant walking, plus museums and art houses and theaters. It had an entirely different feel than I expected and while in some senses you could have been walking down the streets of New York or London, in others you were clearly in a different place. I found everything to be very approachable and easy -- which I think is a feat for a city of that size!
So, Pam and I did a bit of walking around looking for markets and just checking things out, we had a traditional tea at the Penninsula, went up the train to the top of the hill (have forgotten the name already) and walked around there, and walked around the Beijing Park and checked out the art museum down by the water on the Kowloon side. One evening we happened upon a big, public light-and-water show and we were both amazed by having that many people crammed into a public area all very happily just being there and having a nice evening. Once Pam was on her way, I busied myself buying a pair of shoes (I am embarrassed to say, but feel I must admit, that I now have 5 pairs of shoes with me -- but still with some empty space in my bag!) and then headed off to see "Mamma Mia!" -- which ended up being the perfect way to pass my last afternoon in Hong Kong (although I lamented not having someone there to laugh with).
So, that was my three days in Hong Kong! Surprisingly nice!
NEXT STOP: Norway (aka Easy Street)
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