Well, the day finally came! After several packs and repacks, a couple of frantic dashes to the shops and between our houses, and one rushed night for a certain someone to clean her room, we were ready to go. A 4am start preceded the initial excitement of getting our boarding passes, then waiting, then coffee and more waiting (much to Dad's disgust), then some more excitement as we went through the big doors at Melbourne Airport (on the red carpet!) and, surprisingly, no tears. More waiting, some duty-free window-shopping and we were on the plane.
Arriving in Hong Kong, we quickly realised how different it would be. From the spectacular island formations visible from the plane and the island airport to the hazy atmosphere and frantic urbanity, we were miles, both literally and figuratively, from home.
The airport was much like any other, but the bus ride into our hostel was very eye opening. The sheer density of this city struck us immediately. Where Melbourne has a smattering of tall buildings, they are the norm here. The colour scheme is almost exclusively concrete greys and dusty browns, including the buildings, streets, cars, buses, clothes… The ever-present haze only adds to the effect. Not only is it incredibly dense, but a huge percentage of buildings are either dilapidated or under refurbishment. The slums on the way into the city were incredible with the way families had obviously tiny spaces and made do with what they could, such as the many clotheslines hanging out of tenth- plus storey windows.
Our hostel is a bona-fide backpackers – the shower and toilet are in the same cupboard (seriously – it is perhaps 700x700mm), our bedroom (upgraded to a double room!) has barely enough room for the small double bed and the two of us to stand. The mattress is only slightly softer than the floorboards, and I can touch both side walls at the same time. Still, this is what it's all about, no?
After setting up and getting changed out of our plane clothes, we went for a wander, encountering a nice little bazaar outside our hostel which Keeley was immediately taken with, before searching for some dinner. Our pick turned out to be an excellent one, with three courses of delicious food. Keeley was shattered that we had to leave, and is convinced that her experience of Asian food has been forever altered. Noodle Box has to lift its game.
To round out day one of our adventure, we headed down to the waterfront (only a block away) to see the famous Symphony of Light, where lights on dozens of the city's most recognisable buildings pulsate to music. It is truly spectacular. On a side note, Christmas is alive and well here, with a number of skyscrapers displaying some brilliant full-height Christmas lights. The cityscape of this place is just incredible, especially at night.
It's a pity we're only spending a day and a half here, and we have already committed to returning with much more spending money to take advantage of the excellent exchange rate. It's an exciting city and one I'd certainly like to spend a lot more time in.
Photos to follow...
Scott and Keeley
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2 comments:
Ah Japan...the city of love.
Good to hear that you're enjoying your selves. Keep up the good literary work.
Hey Scotty,
Glad to hear you are both having a good time and got half way safely, sounds like fun over there. Hope the rest of the flights go ok and keep up the good blogging.
Fid
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