Found In Ceylon

Suddenly Singapore

So I spent several hours today exploring the Pearl of the Orient, Hong Kong. Thoroughly worn out and wearing a different shirt that wasn’t soaked with sweat, I got on the next flight. Instead of finding myself in Colombo, however, I’m in Sinagpore.

Go figure. You know how sometimes the airlines show you a “direct” flight, but it actually includes a layover where you don’t have to change planes? So I’m back in Singapore for the next hour, and recognizing that Changi Airport does a great job of including ferns and palms in every possible cranny, including in between the urinals in the men’s bathroom.

I had a pretty good tour of Hong Kong. The best part was the Airport Express train, a 25-minute ride from the international airport to Kowloon and Hong Kong. I was sitting by the window, my environment still illuminated by artificial light as it’s been for the past 24 hours. Suddenly, the train shot into bright daylight, and I gasped as beautiful views of lush, green hills above still blue waters filled my window.

Much of the Hong Kong territories is still untouched high green hills carpeted with tropical flora, just like how Kauai looks in my parents’ photos. Then the train approached Kowloon and the hills were replaced by hundreds of apartment buildings, straining vainly to meet the same heights as the jungle heights surrounding them. And then the famous Hong Kong skyline came into view; all those distinctive skyscrapers.

After a confusing walk through downtown Hong Kong, I took the funicular train to the top of Victoria Peak. I say funicular because all the printed and online literature I read up about Victoria Peak prior to the visit kept saying, “funicular train,” as if it is as common an adjective as “blue.”

Well, I just found out via Wikipedia what a funicular train is, and you should, too. Wikipedia: Funicular

That was a fun and steep ride, and the views atop Victoria Peak are really great. I saw the classic Hong Kong skyline, but not much more since it was a pretty hazy day (I really, really wanted to see as far as Shenzhen in mainland China), you know how it gets so cloudy in the horizon that the ocean melts into the sky and you can’t tell where the South China Sea begins?

After a hourlong nature walk around the Peak, I descended the mountain on foot (and have the shaky knees to prove it), stepping through the Mid-Levels and their famous escalator system, back into the Central district. I got lost for a hour trying to find a dim sum restaurant mentioned in the guide book, and when I found it, I realized I didn’t have enough time to eat and then return to the airport.

So ate at the airport I did, and some e-mails, and that was Hong Kong for me. I loved the hot, humid weather. The city is highly friendly to visitors, with colorful tourist signposts installed everywhere I turned. The people are interesting–everyone dresses Western style, and the stores are all high-end chain boutiques with English signs, so I didn’t feel very foreign. And that’s the problem with Hong Kong. It’s just another city, which means I have to be sure and work hard to see the interesting parts of it next month on my way back to America.

Now it’s on to Sri Lanka, for real this time!

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