From Hong Kong to Home

We arrived in Hong Kong on March 2nd, acutely aware that the journey which began one year ago was coming to an end. We wanted to make sure we made these last precious days count, so we filled them by taking advantage of all that Hong Kong has to offer, which was much more than we expected.

As a fan of urban density and efficient transport I marvelled at how three times the population of Toronto (plus triple the number of tourists) fit into an area less than twice of ours. Every square inch of space was utilized to house, feed, move or amuse people. That tightly compact nature of the city meant our $200/night apartment (ten times the price of our Vietnam accommodation) was barely bigger than our tent, so we spent most of our time outside of it.

The city's diversity is astounding. On the one hand sleek skyscrapers jut into the clouds,

a nightly light show fills the skyline with colours and lasers, 

and elevated expressways lend a Bladerunner feel, but on the flip side Hong Kong retains links to a lower tech way of life. Scaffolding fifty stories high is made of bamboo,

(I was always nervous watching Tom careen around the base of these stacked wooden poles) and laundry hangs to dry out of every window and in more unusual places with no residence in sight.

Getting around the city was effortless. With our Octopus transit cards we could take ferries, buses, trains and buy pineapple buns at the bakeries. We never waited longer than 15 minutes, and usually less than 5, for whatever mode of transit we were taking. And once in motion our journeys were fast and easy. 

The massive public urban infrastructure never ceased to amaze me. Transporting commuters between Central and Western districts was the longest outdoor escalator in the world, the Mid-Level escalator, 800 metres long and 135 metres high. The series of movators was thronged with people day and night.

Even with all the growth there was still natural beauty and peace and quiet to be had. Banyon trees brought life into concrete,

and in the middle of the city were huge parks, 

with outdoor swimming pools, aviaries, 

ponds full of pink flamingoes 

and turtles.

Multiple playgrounds gave ample opportunity for games of tag and hide and seek with new friends,

.

and public rest areas with benches and trees were liberally sprinkled throughout the city. There was even a skating rink that we had mostly to ourselves one morning.

Should one need a respite from all the activity in the centre there were mountains, 

temples 

and beaches all just a bus, train or ferry ride away. We hiked up to Victoria peak to get a view over the city and watch the sun set, 

then raced back downhill through Pok Fu Lam country park as the skies darkened, just the other side of the city but not a single person on the path with us. 

We ascended the peaks of Lantau, completely shrouded by fog - our hair was wet with mist by the time we reached the top. Through the fog we glimpsed from afar giant Buddha looking down on the city,

then joined the throngs of people (who'd ascended via gondola) for a closer look.

On the hottest day of the week we ascended Dragon's Back. The hike is rated Asia's best urban walk and it seemed that all of Asia was there to enjoy it. 

The crowds thinned once we branched off the main hike, and we cooled off afterwards with a couple of hours at Big Wave beach - a last bonus swim in the ocean for us.

Nights were as bright as day and there was no need to seek entertainment since it was all around us.

The cornucopia of amazing food meant we ate most of our meals at restaurants. We dined on roast goose and noodles, claypot rice with pancake oysters, dim sum, peking duck and plenty of dumplings, with plenty of bubble tea and fresh coconut juice to wash it all down. One night we went to have Indian at Chung King, a former luxury complex turned rundown tenement turned guest house, restaurant and market. for South Indian curries so spicy that we were gasping for relief - the kids stuck to the na'an and rice after the hot food - spiked with far more chili than we were used to - made their eyes water.

Night markets sold their wares to throngs of people, and professional buskers set up elaborate sound systems to blast ballads. I was surprised by the age of the singers, many of whom looked to be in their sixties or older. One septuagenarian did the moonwalk to Billy Jean as his act.

All in all, it was an action-packed week. Interestingly, the contrasts of Hong Kong brought together in one place much of what we had seen during our year abroad. All the elements of the trip were there - vibrant street life, modern design and historical architecture, diverse culinary delicacies, peaceful forests, mountain peaks, waterfalls, and the surf and sand of the ocean, not to mention the transportation modes knitting them all together.

We had travelled so far, and as our plane took to the skies we knew we were ready to come back to our family, friends and home. Still, we all felt sorry to be leaving this incredible of year of adventure behind us. Any last words - written here from Toronto - seem anticlimatic somehow, so instead I will close with the official trip tally, and thank all of you who were on this trip with us, either in person along the way, or by sharing our adventures through this blog! We love you!

***

Climenhaga - Meier World Trip Tally (in no particular order, and all figures approximate...)

Kilometres travelled (round trip): 70,000

Kilometres cycled: 4500

Kilmetres hiked: 2000

Countries visited: 14 (United States, Belgium, Turkey, Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Hong Kong)

Amount of oatmeal consumed: 35 kilograms

Number of songs on iPod: 1000

Number of songs kids played on mini speaker: 100

Percent of songs played that were from Pitch Perfect soundtrack: 75

Items lost: 

- 1 phone (dropped in the ocean after kayaking in Vietnam)

- 1 football

- 1 set of pots and pans

- 1 set of car keys*

- 1 bag full of papers*

- 2 hats

- 2 soccer balls

- 2 sweaters

- 3 water bottles

- 3 bathing suits 

- 4 pairs of sunglasses

- 5 titanium spoons (plus camping knife)

- 8 baby teeth and 1/2 an adult tooth

*Items recovered: 

- Car keys - dredged out of the bottom of a river - story in the Darwin issue of the blog

- One bag full of papers, including Jacob's journal. We had unknowingly left it in the Wellington airport, and three weeks later received the following email from a police officer "Hi Paul, I’m trying to locate the owner of a Diary that was handed into Wellington Airport Police. I’ve flicked through the diary and it appears to be written by a Boy called Jacob. Other names mentioned are Thomas, Aunty Rachel, Alice, Henry and Kyra. If this makes any sense, please email me. I’m determined to find the owner as the diary is a terrific record of a great holiday and by the sounds of it a really nice family."