hoppin hongkong

hong kong alleyway

man mo temple

got smog?

emil says:

oh boy. hong kong is pure genius. by far the greatest urban center we have seen on the trip thus far (sorry sydney).  not too eastern and not too western, crazy modern and fabulously ancient, old school 80's neon blinkity blink blink blink signs against a backdrop of mega skyscrapers, all in one delicious eggroll of humanity.  hong kong is dripping with energy and not nearly as overcrowded as i had expected. the city is super well plotted out making it easy to get around via boat, train, and even clever outdoor escalators. the city is perfectly compact built around soaring vertical heights, but not so compact that one feels overwhelmed and crushed with people. great mix of ex-pat bars and late night noodle soup spots.  plenty of over-the-top high end shopping as well as a plethora of night markets hawking fake panarei, chanel, and any other not so necessary luxuries.  ok it’s tough to find much in the way of open spaces, and on a bright sunny day it’s hard to actually well, say it's bright, since the smog is a bit of a barrier.  all that said hong kong has plenty of real flair.   even laurel partied till 4am, screaming the lyrics to jay-zs 'new york' and substituting said title with 'hong kong' to the smiles of the local fellas.  thank you to my buddy stephen for providing the keys to his fabulous apartment. hong kong was a blast. great food, great balance, great vibe, tough to leave. 

sunset from kowloon side

star ferry across hong kong harbor

hong kong nights

laurel says:

hong kong rocks.  i have been to the kowloon side before on a work trip, but hong kong island is truly where it‘s at.  from five star dining to hole in the wall noodle shops, dive bars to chic lounges, chinese herb shops to luxury boutiques, hk island has flavor. it is the perfect blend of east meets west.  Thanks to emil’s buddy stephen we were set up in a prime location to take in all the sites.  cruising the mid level escalators is a trip.  they seem to move at the perfect speed to soak up the hk atmosphere (smog and all).  upscale chain stores next to mom and pop shops.  modern high rises next to dilapidated apartments.  it is the mix of high and low that give hong kong it’s character.  of course my fave two activities in hong kong (or maybe in life?) are eating and shopping.  and we indulged in plenty of both during our stay, as my waistline and credit card bill can attest to.  thankfully emil is a trooper when it comes to retail therapy!  at the end of the day i am a city girl at heart, and after 3 weeks in south east asia, our time in hong kong gave my urban batteries just the recharge they needed.  now on to mainland china…