escapism

“Sometimes you don’t know where you’re from ‘til you leave.”

from “Sing Me Home” by Tim McGraw

One of travel’s many gifts is the opportunity to leave a zone that may have been too familiar to be doing us any good, for the moment at least, and enter an unfamiliar land that will allow us to live a life in ways we may not even be able to comprehend. Escapism.

Living in a maddening Manila, to go to Hong Kong is a real pause from insanity, and the shift was very sudden. Hong Kong is situated on the southeastern coast of China and spreads out over 1,100 square kilometers (425 square miles) with population of 6.8 million people, which makes it a highly dense city. The main areas are Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories. The weather was pretty warm and humid as hell. Not too bad though. Nothing can ever be too bad on vacation, anyway.

HK is a very modern city. It has lots of huge skyscrapers. With 6 buildings featured in the top 50 tallest skyscrapers in the world, it’s no wonder Hong Kong has the the No. 1 skyline in the world. There are lots of restaurants. When you go to local Hong Kong places that are small and sloppy and you have the chef cooking with all the ingredients in display right next to you, that's authentic Chinese cooking. Shopping is damn good too. If you have the money that is.

Penalties for smoking in a non-smoking area is 5,000HKD, people follow pedestrian traffic lights and policemen is very visible, usually in pairs roaming around, which makes me wonder at first if anything is enjoyable there. Further, how does one enjoy a highly populated, Cantonese speaking city with its locals walking not fast, but very fast?

Seemingly impossible, I was able to find the excitement in HK. Here are top spots that made my trip worthwhile:

The Victoria Peak. The Peak is one of HKs most visited tourist attractions, offering a stunning bird’s-eye view of the surrounding skyline, the world’s famous Victoria Harbour and Kowloon. The Peak can be reached through the Peak Tram, the world’s steepest funicular railway.

Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai has the Forever Blooming Bauhinia sculpture and the Reunification Monument. It signifies the most important occasion in HKs history – the return of HK to China. It is located outside HK Convention and Exhibition Center on the waterfront of Wan Chai.

Jumbo Kingdom in Aberdeen.

The famous giant floating Chinese restaurant.

Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. Hollywood's Walk of fame, HK Style.

Symphony of Lights. A spectacular multimedia event, the world’s largest permanent light and sound show according to Guinness World Records. Lasers, floodlights, searchlights, neon, and special-occasion fireworks are choreographed with music and narration booming out of PA systems at select locations, over the radio, or via a special mobile-phone number!

House of Mouse. Reunited with Mickey in his magical kingdom. The last time I saw him, I was 12. He still looks the same, I grew old. Magic?

on second part: more of Disney, Aberdeen Fishing Village, Harbour City, Nathan Lane, Canton Road and lotsa more.

What I had in HK was short-lived, and to my surprise, equally exciting. I finally can communicate and understand what people are saying after five days of idiotic pointing. Although I have to say, the idiotic pointing did lead to some amusement I wouldn't trade for anything.

STAY LEFT! this is neccesary in Hong Kong. Right hand drive vehicles, left side of the elevator is going up, not down. Traffic there isn't nearly as crazy as Manila. Forget to stay and look at your left, you'll have a double decker bus bearing down on you from the "wrong" side of the road.

In that concrete laid, building laden, humid, hectic and energetic city, there are good finds which invigorates the soul, fascinate the mind, and even put the body in temporary bliss. Not to mention sore feet from walking.

Can’t wait to have my next escape.