Wow wow wow—what a fun but exhausting string of nonstop action this has been! Two friends of mine from Villanova, Lisa and Tak, have been here in Hong Kong for the past six days, and they are currently en route to Beijing to continue their two week vacation in China, which concludes in Shanghai.
I’ve had friends in town before, like when Jamie was working in Singapore and fit in a long weekend in Hong Kong, or when Courtney and Christie came to town with their family on a half business/half sightseeing vacation and we got to meet up. But Lisa and Tak’s visit marks the first time that friends have planned a trip from the USA to visit me here, and I took advantage of the opportunity to show off the city that I've fallen in love with over the past eighteen months.
I met both Lisa and Tak at the very beginning of our freshman year at ‘Nova. There was only one other person from my home town (Old Bridge, New Jersey) in our incoming freshman class. Her name was Brianna, and although I did not know her very well, we had met before school started. And since we had our calculus class together, we became friends pretty quickly. We were also partners on the semester long math project, which involved lots of after class work, usually done in Brianna’s dorm. It just so happens that Brianna was roommates with Lisa in St. Monica, and that is how we first met and became friends.
Tak and Lisa were in the same orientation group, and they also became friends very quickly. I can still recall one lunch in the Pit way back when, at the beginning of freshman year, when I first met Tak. It’s funny, but I bet none of us ever would have guessed back then that in six year's time, we’d be in Southeast Asia together. But fastforward to 2011 and here we are.
Believe it or not, I didn’t really have much forewarning about this impending trip. Lisa only gave me the awesome news in April, so it all happened very quickly! In fact, they didn't even tell me they were thinking of coming. I just found out one day that they had booked their tickets and would be in town from May 21st through the 26th!
For the past few weeks leading up to their arrival, I could think of little else besides their imminent visit. Unfortunately, the weather decided it was not going to make things easy. There was more than a fair share of rain and clouds, but we got pretty lucky on numerous occasions. So much so, in fact, that at one point we joked that the whole trip had been “an amazing series of narrowly avoided disasters.” Everything wound up working out pretty much perfectly in the end, but I was definitely nervous at several points.
They landed just after 7:30pm on Saturday night, about four hours after the torrential downpour had started. I went to the airport to meet them and, luckily, their landing wasn’t really delayed by the weather. After a quick trip home to freshen up after the sixteen hour flight, we caught a tram and went to SoHo, one of my favorite parts of town. There’s this series of escalators there that snakes its way uphill for about a mile, and lining both sides are dozens of bars, cafés and restaurants. Although there are actually twenty-nine escalators in total, Hongkongers simply refer to the area as “the Escalator.”
So Lisa and Tak’s first drink was had at a bar called Staunton’s, on the Escalator. Luckily the rain had diminished to a faint drizzle, so we were able to stand outside and watch the parade of people pass by. My friend Long was there with one of her friends who had just moved to Hong Kong, and it was the perfect introduction to the city. And it wasn't long before Lisa made a new friend of her own: nothing says "welcome to Asia" like a cockroach crawling over your foot, but she laughed it off and took it all in stride.
I met both Lisa and Tak at the very beginning of our freshman year at ‘Nova. There was only one other person from my home town (Old Bridge, New Jersey) in our incoming freshman class. Her name was Brianna, and although I did not know her very well, we had met before school started. And since we had our calculus class together, we became friends pretty quickly. We were also partners on the semester long math project, which involved lots of after class work, usually done in Brianna’s dorm. It just so happens that Brianna was roommates with Lisa in St. Monica, and that is how we first met and became friends.
Tak and Lisa were in the same orientation group, and they also became friends very quickly. I can still recall one lunch in the Pit way back when, at the beginning of freshman year, when I first met Tak. It’s funny, but I bet none of us ever would have guessed back then that in six year's time, we’d be in Southeast Asia together. But fastforward to 2011 and here we are.
Believe it or not, I didn’t really have much forewarning about this impending trip. Lisa only gave me the awesome news in April, so it all happened very quickly! In fact, they didn't even tell me they were thinking of coming. I just found out one day that they had booked their tickets and would be in town from May 21st through the 26th!
For the past few weeks leading up to their arrival, I could think of little else besides their imminent visit. Unfortunately, the weather decided it was not going to make things easy. There was more than a fair share of rain and clouds, but we got pretty lucky on numerous occasions. So much so, in fact, that at one point we joked that the whole trip had been “an amazing series of narrowly avoided disasters.” Everything wound up working out pretty much perfectly in the end, but I was definitely nervous at several points.
They landed just after 7:30pm on Saturday night, about four hours after the torrential downpour had started. I went to the airport to meet them and, luckily, their landing wasn’t really delayed by the weather. After a quick trip home to freshen up after the sixteen hour flight, we caught a tram and went to SoHo, one of my favorite parts of town. There’s this series of escalators there that snakes its way uphill for about a mile, and lining both sides are dozens of bars, cafés and restaurants. Although there are actually twenty-nine escalators in total, Hongkongers simply refer to the area as “the Escalator.”
So Lisa and Tak’s first drink was had at a bar called Staunton’s, on the Escalator. Luckily the rain had diminished to a faint drizzle, so we were able to stand outside and watch the parade of people pass by. My friend Long was there with one of her friends who had just moved to Hong Kong, and it was the perfect introduction to the city. And it wasn't long before Lisa made a new friend of her own: nothing says "welcome to Asia" like a cockroach crawling over your foot, but she laughed it off and took it all in stride.
The next stop of the night was at Neway, a karaoke bar around the corner from my apartment. One of my other friends, Iris, also had friends visiting, and we all got together for a fun night of singing. The karaoke bar was ridiculous—almost one hundred private rooms scattered around a maze-like mess of hallways in a basement underneath the Novotel. And perhaps most ridiculous of all were the videos accompanying most of the songs. Instead of the actual music video, often we would watch young women strolling around a park on a sunny day, or lovers walking hand in hand by a lake, or simply scenes of Australian wildlife. Random is the first word that comes to mind to describe the place. Awesome is the second.
Karaoke in Wan Chai
Another funny part about the karaoke was that the words on the bottom of the screen weren't always the accurate English lyrics. At times it was very obvious that a local Cantonese speaker listened to the song and typed out the words as best he could. Somehow, a rabbit played a part in the lyrics to Livin' on a Prayer and other mistakes were similarly hilarious.
After karaoke, we grabbed a quick kebab from Ebenezer’s and then went to Dusk tlil Dawn, one of the coolest bars in town. Instead of your typical DJ spinning current chart toppers, a Filipino cover band plays the songs live! The band is great, and the place gets packed. It certainly lives up to its name, as it was bright out when we walked home.
Sunday began with a delicious brunch at an Italian restaurant called Isola with my Italian friends Chiara and Claudio. Chiara sells wine out here, and she's got connections at pretty much every restaurant in town. Although she had booked a table well in advance to ensure a prime spot on the waterfront balcony, the rain forced us to sit inside. Still, the food was out of this world. It works like this: you have unlimited access to a wide array of appetizers and antipasti from a buffet table, you order your main course off a menu, and dessert is a similarly limitless buffet spread. Everything, from the mozzarella and prosciutto to the fresh seafood and salad, was delicious, and I can hardly remember ever feeling more stuffed than I did at the end of the meal.
After a quick crossing back and forth on the iconic Star Ferry, we met up with my friend Jamie to hit up the Jumbo, the giant floating restaurant in Aberdeen. Although the Jumbo is at its finest on a balmy summer’s day, we decided to go for it anyway, regardless of the less-than-perfect weather.
We often remark out here that once you cross over to the south side of Hong Kong Island, the weather can change completely. A dreary day in Central can translate into sunny skies in Shek-O, and if it's rainy in Wan Chai, it could very well be lovely in Repulse Bay. So it wasn’t really that surprising when it was brighter and more pleasant in Aberdeen. At one point, we even saw some patches of blue sky, and kicking back with a nice “Jumbo margarita” helped us forget that the weather could have been better.
After karaoke, we grabbed a quick kebab from Ebenezer’s and then went to Dusk tlil Dawn, one of the coolest bars in town. Instead of your typical DJ spinning current chart toppers, a Filipino cover band plays the songs live! The band is great, and the place gets packed. It certainly lives up to its name, as it was bright out when we walked home.
Sunday began with a delicious brunch at an Italian restaurant called Isola with my Italian friends Chiara and Claudio. Chiara sells wine out here, and she's got connections at pretty much every restaurant in town. Although she had booked a table well in advance to ensure a prime spot on the waterfront balcony, the rain forced us to sit inside. Still, the food was out of this world. It works like this: you have unlimited access to a wide array of appetizers and antipasti from a buffet table, you order your main course off a menu, and dessert is a similarly limitless buffet spread. Everything, from the mozzarella and prosciutto to the fresh seafood and salad, was delicious, and I can hardly remember ever feeling more stuffed than I did at the end of the meal.
After a quick crossing back and forth on the iconic Star Ferry, we met up with my friend Jamie to hit up the Jumbo, the giant floating restaurant in Aberdeen. Although the Jumbo is at its finest on a balmy summer’s day, we decided to go for it anyway, regardless of the less-than-perfect weather.
We often remark out here that once you cross over to the south side of Hong Kong Island, the weather can change completely. A dreary day in Central can translate into sunny skies in Shek-O, and if it's rainy in Wan Chai, it could very well be lovely in Repulse Bay. So it wasn’t really that surprising when it was brighter and more pleasant in Aberdeen. At one point, we even saw some patches of blue sky, and kicking back with a nice “Jumbo margarita” helped us forget that the weather could have been better.
Lisa, me, Tak and Jamie at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant
Dinner that night was atop Victoria Peak, perhaps Hong Kong’s most famous locale. We took the historic Peak Tram to the top, and then my roommate Valentine joined us. Sadly, she also unexpectedly announced that she would be returning to Geneva for good the next day! Valentine has lived in the apartment with me longer than any of my previous roommates, and I am going to miss having her around. But it was great to have a very memorable last night together.
High above the bustle of the city
Basically, if it’s foggy out, there’s no point in going to the Peak. Its main attraction is the stunning panorama it offers of the cityscape below. (The photo in the header of this blog—in addition to the cover photo on 90% of Hong Kong travel guides—is of the view from up there.) Although the Peak was covered in clouds earlier in the day, by some miraculous twist of fate, the skies cleared around dusk. We all took the one hour circular walk around the top, showing off Hong Kong in all its twinkling glory. Every time I go up there, I'm even more mesmerized than the time before. It's really got to be one of the best views in the world. The city buzzes below, its lights sparkle everywhere you look, and you are so high above it all that it feels worlds removed. I've still never read a description that fully describes the scene, nor seen a picture that really captures the magic. It's one of those places you just have to experience to understand.
Hong Kong as viewed from the Peak
After the walk, we sat down to dinner at the Peak Lookout, a restaurant with a fairy-tale setting that reminds me of the old Tavern on the Green in Central Park. About midway through dinner, the skies opened up and a massive thunrderstorm ensued. Since the restaurant is mostly glass-enclosed, we had a great view of the lightning and intense rain, making for a very memorable meal. The precarious bus ride back down to Wan Chai was awesome—if a little scary—and in all, the timing of the night could not have been better. One half hour earlier and the fog would have marred the view… one half hour later and we would have been caught in the worst of the storm. But as it was, we had perfect views, a delicious dinner and another great night—without getting drenched!
The Peak Lookout
Macau Monday followed. We got up and made our way to the ferry terminal to catch the one hour jetfoil to the former Portugese colony only about thirty miles from Hong Kong. My first few trips to Macau were fun, but it wasn’t until I really started exploring that I fell in love with the place. I decided on one of my recent visits that it would be the perfect place to take Tak and Lisa to contrast the ultra-modernity and hustle of Hong Kong. With its laid-back, old European charm, Macau was the perfect vacation from their vacation, and I’m so glad we went.
In front of the ruins of St. Paul's in Old Macau
At the old fort
We spent the afternoon wandering the streets and squares of Old Macau, with its winning mixture of European and Asian influences. Ruined Portuguese forts and old churches stand beside Buddhist temples and traditional Chinese mansions. It's the fusion between the two styles that makes Macau truly unique, and the old city has been designated a World Heritage Sight by UNESCO.
One of the most stunning spots in Old Macau is Largo do Senado.
In front of one of Old Macau's quaint European fountains
If the old city represents Macau's glorious past, the astonishing casinos are its face for the twenty-first century. With only a fraction of the hotel rooms found in Las Vegas, Macau somehow managed to earn triple the gambling revenues of the Nevada gaming capital last year! You may have never heard of the place before, but mark my words: you'll be hearing a lot about Macau in the years to come. The casinos are always packed and there are so many to choose from. First we hit the Venetian, which is twice as big as its sister location in Vegas. The complex is unbelievable, complete with canals, gondola rides and even a recreation of St. Mark’s Square. After that, we took a cab to the Galaxy, a brand new casino that had only opened the week before we visited. Glittering from top to bottom, the spotless casino was stunning, and although we were pressed for time, I managed to make a bit of a profit at the roulette table, which always makes a day in Macau even better.
Gondola in the canal at the Venetian
And the weather in Macau was great… There was sun and blue skies—lucky for us, because back in Hong Kong, we found out the day had been miserable and rainy. Again, our timing was just right.
Macau's newest casino, the Galaxy, opened just over a week before we visited!
We barely caught our boat back to Hong Kong (and by that I mean we had less than a minute to spare!) and returned just in time to say goodbye to Valentine as she headed to the airport. We then joined my coworker Kevin and his friends Amit and Grace for Monday night’s ‘two for one’ dinner at Cecconi’s on Elgin Street, another Italian hotspot. We followed it up with visits to the bars on Wyndham Street, and eventually we descended into Lan Kwai Fong! Although it was a Monday night, there were still crowds and plenty of atmosphere, though it was nothing compared its Friday night self. A rather late visit to the Flying Pan, Hong Kong’s attempt to replicate a 24-hour American-style diner, capped off yet another great day.
À bientot, Valentine!
Lisa in LKF
Tuesday was set aside for Kowloon, or the “Dark Side” as we often refer to it. It’s so easy to spend all your time on Hong Kong Island, but if you don’t pay a visit to Kowloon, you miss a lot of the culture and history of Hong Kong. Not to mention one of the greatest views of the skyline! Once again, we crossed Victoria Harbour on the Star Ferry before wandering up the Avenue of Stars, Tsim Sha Tsui's long waterfront promenade.
With Lisa on the Avenue of Stars
After a quick beer at McLovin's Tavern (one of the sidewalk bars in TST East, and yes, it is named after the character from Superbad) we indulged in afternoon tea at the elegant Peninsula Hotel on Salisbury Road. With its doormen, Rolls Royce fleet and graceful gilt lobby, the hotel exudes the sophistication of Hong Kong’s bygone colonial age. As a classical quartet serenaded us from above, Lisa, Tak and I enjoyed tea, scones, sandwiches and delicious French pastries.
Tea was followed by a trip to Mongkok’s famous markets, namely the flower market, bird market, goldfish market and Ladies Market. A quick stroll around the floodlit 1881 Heritage complex preceded A Symphony of Light, the 8pm laser show projected each night from over forty buildings on both sides of the harbor. Rich, my new roommate from London who moved into Valentine’s room, joined for the show and spent the rest of the night hanging out with us.
Tea was followed by a trip to Mongkok’s famous markets, namely the flower market, bird market, goldfish market and Ladies Market. A quick stroll around the floodlit 1881 Heritage complex preceded A Symphony of Light, the 8pm laser show projected each night from over forty buildings on both sides of the harbor. Rich, my new roommate from London who moved into Valentine’s room, joined for the show and spent the rest of the night hanging out with us.
Bright neon lights on the Dark Side
After the light show, we all headed up to Ozone, a bar located on the 118th floor of the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon. Newly opened, Ozone is currently the world’s highest bar, and it sits atop the Ritz Carlton, also currently the world's highest hotel. With a bird’s-eye view over the city, Ozone is not the type of place that is easy to forget. Although drinks are pricey, we figured it was worth the splurge to stand outside and ogle at the buildings far below. There's a rumor that a bar in Dubai will soon top Ozone's record, so we wanted to be sure to visit while it was still the title-holder. Drinking at the highest bar in the world? Check!
Next up on the night’s itinerary was a visit to Ned Kelly’s Last Stand, a quirky jazz bar in Tsim Sha Tsui with live music every night. Although it's an Australian bar, the band is made up of both Westerners and Asians, and they play New Orleans-style jazz. I love Ned Kelly’s and wish I would visit more often. The musicians are so talented, and the show they put on is great. And Lisa and I were both feeling a bit peckish, so we ordered some nachos—which turned out to be made with Doritos and were surprisingly delicious... prompting Lisa to announce that she would be making her own Doritos nachos at an upcoming family barbecue. Afterwards, we took a quick walk up to Knutsford Terrace before catching a cab back to the island. A night cap in my apartment brought the day to a close.
At the world's highest bar
Next up on the night’s itinerary was a visit to Ned Kelly’s Last Stand, a quirky jazz bar in Tsim Sha Tsui with live music every night. Although it's an Australian bar, the band is made up of both Westerners and Asians, and they play New Orleans-style jazz. I love Ned Kelly’s and wish I would visit more often. The musicians are so talented, and the show they put on is great. And Lisa and I were both feeling a bit peckish, so we ordered some nachos—which turned out to be made with Doritos and were surprisingly delicious... prompting Lisa to announce that she would be making her own Doritos nachos at an upcoming family barbecue. Afterwards, we took a quick walk up to Knutsford Terrace before catching a cab back to the island. A night cap in my apartment brought the day to a close.
Wednesday was Lisa and Tak’s last full day before heading off to Beijing. Although we had been keeping busy and certainly not wasting any time, there is simply too much to see in Hong Kong to be able to squeeze it all into five days, so we had to make a decision. Ultimately, we opted to go to Stanley in the morning to walk around, have some lunch and visit the beach. I love Stanley, with its charming waterfront promenade lined with restaurants, so I'm very glad I got to show Tak and Lisa more of Hong Kong Island's ruggedly beautiful southern side.
Stanley Main Beach
For the afternoon adventure, we paid a visit Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha at Po Lin Monastery. Unfortunately, Lantau’s signature cable car linking Tung Chung with the monastery was closed for repairs, so we had to take a taxi to the top.
Me, Lisa and Tak with the Big Buddha on Lantau Island
I’d been up to the Buddha twice before, but I’d never seen it like this. It was so empty that there was hardly a soul to be found. I guess it was a combination of the cable car not running and the overcast weather, but in some way, it made the sight much more peaceful and spiritual, as opposed to tacky and touristy, like it usually feels. The surrounding mountains looked surreal in the fog, and the lack of a crowd transformed it into some otherworldly landscape. I'm not going to lie, after my first two visits, the place was not one of my favorite Hong Kong attractions. But experiencing it as it was yesterday makes me think I may have misjudged it.
Lisa at the base of the Buddha statue
Posing with one of the statues on the grounds of the monastery
Luckily, as the rain was starting to get heavy, we just made it onto a bus heading back down to the train station. Back on Hong Kong Island, I took Lisa and Tak to my favorite dumpling restaurant, Crystal Jade, before the obligatory Wednesday night activity—the horse races in Happy Valley. The weather held out, and Lisa even managed to collect some meager winnings on one of her bets! There was a great crowd, and Tak and Lisa got to meet even more of my Hong Kong friends.
With Iris, Rich, Hayley, Tak and Lisa at the races
Me and Lisa at the Valley
Winner!
Of course, after the races, we all went out in Wan Chai for one last night on the town. Wednesday is possibly the most popular night to go out in Hong Kong, owing to the post-racing crowd that beelines to Wan Chai for Ladies Night, when girls drink for free all night long. We started at Typhoon and again finished our night at Dusk till Dawn, bringing Lisa and Tak's time in Hong Kong full circle.
Typical Wednesday night outside Typhoon
I had so much fun showing Hong Kong off to these guys, and I’m really glad they got to meet so many of my friends out here. I can’t believe we managed to fit so much into such a short period of time, and I hope others choose to follow in their footsteps and come out to visit me here! I don't think I'll be forgetting the memories of these past days any time soon. Lisa and Tak's visit is truly one of the ultimate highlights of my entire experience in Hong Kong. Thanks guys for a great time! Hope you had as much fun as I did!
