Hong Kong Report

[andyfox]

1) The most spectacular city in the world, including everywhere. The most incredible architecture, the best food, and the view from The Peak is unmatched.

2) They put too much starch in the napkins.

3) Air-conditioning rules. The cabs are usually a constant four degrees, and each driver thinks he's Richard Petty.

4) There's a market for everything. Just this morning, we visited the flower market, the goldfish market, the jade market, and the bird market. Spoke to a minah bird that spoke English, Cantonese and Mandarin. A multi-lingual bird.

5) If there was ever a city where the old poker axiom "money talks and bullsh*t walks" applies, it is Hong Kong. Mercedes is the car of choice.

6) There are more malls than cars, and there are a lot of cars. Shopping is the most popular sport, by far. Speaking of sports, all they show on TV is rugby and snooker. I've watched snooker every time I'm here and I still can't figure it out. You pocket a ball and the guy in the tuxedo with the white gloves takes it out. And you could play polo on that big table.

Oh, they also showed horse racing, but they run backwards, I didn't like it. (Well, not backwards, but clockwise around the track.) Damned English.

7) The greatest bargain in the world is the Star Ferry from/to Hong Kong to/from Kowloon for about 30 cents American.

8) In the space of an hour, the three of us spent $300 dollars for lunch at the coffee shop at the Peninsula, and then I bought three pairs of 100% cotton (supposedly) socks for $1.50 at a street market. While all cities have remarkable contrasts between the haves and have-nots, it's particularly amazing here. You can be in a skyscraper that looks like it belongs in the 23rd century and five minutes later feel like setting your watch back six hundred years.

9) It's a long, long flight from the USA. Fourteen and a half hours. The first twelve and a half breeze by, it's the last two that kill ya.

10) The subway's great. Clean, quick, easy to navigate. And they announce, like in London, "Mind the gap."

Cool place. If you have the chance to go, do.