Hong Kong Phooey

On the way back from the UK, we took advantage of not having to rush back for work and decided to stop off in Hong Kong for a short break. We took advantage of the Virgin Limo service to get into town (it’s a nice touch, but really not sure it’s worth the extra cash for an upgrade) and were dropped at our hotel on Hong Kong Island – the Marriott. The room had fantastic views over the harbour & I was relieved, very relieved, that not all hotel rooms in Hong Kong stank of cigarette smoke (I had a bad experience on a previous trip).

By the time we got to the hotel it was late afternoon and so we decided to chill for a bit and then hit the town for food & a few drinks. Braving the intense humidity for the first time, we headed to Lan Kwai Fong – a warren of streets full of bars, restaurants & shops – complete with travelator to take pedestrians up the slopes & save your shirt from at least a little bit of perspiration. We stopped off at ‘Yung Kee’ for food, the roast goose was particularly impressive, and then explored some of the bars. Quickly realizing that the addresses given in the Lonely Planet actually related to a main street & not the tiny side street that the entrance was actually on, the search for bars really did become an adventure! Of the many bars that we ventured into, two spring to mind; Dragon-I - which was a bit chav like, but had a huge aviary in the middle & then several other birdcages complete with canaries. And venturing down a small, dark alley we discovered the little treasure that is the Gecko Lounge - dark, cavern like, with room for about 20 people & decorated with various Moroccan style rugs & cushions

Afterwards, we headed to Wan Chai – but just about the only bar that was open at 2am was Bar 109 (even that was closing up just after we arrived) and even with a super friendly bar man, and some very cheesy music videos on the big screen we didn’t stay for long. One thing that there was plenty of though was strip clubs & hookers on the street… but the pull of bed was too great.

On the second day we had breakfast on the 33rd floor of the hotel, overlooking the harbour and been very confused by reflections. Again braving the humidity, we headed for the Star Ferry & took a trip over the magnificent harbour to the Kowloon side. Dodging a wide variety of people who were trying to sell suits, watches & perfume we eventually made it to the Hong Kong Museum of History. An interesting set-up, the museum took us on a chronological journey of Hong Kong from pre-historic to modern times. Most fascinating was the modern history section, and the rapid development of one of the world’s great ‘trading cities’.

On the evening, we again headed to Lan Kwai Fong, and a fantastic Sichuanese (basically a LOT of chili) called Shui Hu Ju. Heading up the street, we walked past the restaurant at first – it was just two large wooden antique doors with a couple of red lanterns outside – but then back tracked and swung open the doors to find a dark space, furnished with antiques & lit superbly. The food was as good as anything I’ve tasted in a long time, the service was wonderful & drinking beer out of clay pots was a great touch (if you go to Hong Kong, then make sure you go to this place). Afterwards we headed to Club Feather Boa – which looked like a squat from the outside, but we opened the door & pulled back the drapes to discover a fabulous bar with a ‘burlesque’ look & serving awesome daiquiris – then onto Gecko Lounge until 4am.

On our last day we were up ‘early’ at 9am for our trip to ‘The Peak’. The Peak is Hong Kong’s biggest tourist attraction, and at 550m above sea level it’s highest point. Getting to the tram station to discover a huge queue, we decided to take a break from the heat & head to the top in a taxi (it was cheaper too). I thought Lucy’s hands were going to make an imprint in the seats as she was holding on so tight as we went around some of the bends, but apart from nearly going into the back of two buses it was a good trip. When reaching the top of the Peak, we were treated to some amazing views of the City & the harbour, and managed to escape some of the humidity for a while – you can see why it’s the number 1 tourist attraction. Unfortunately, it’s also about the only piece of green space in the City, even the park is predominately concrete, and I’m sure that would drive me crazy if I lived there.

After taking the tram back down the hill, we headed to the Man Mo Temple – which had the lovely aroma of incense floating around inside – and provided an interesting look into another original. We then went in search of a coffee whilst waiting for our lunch table & you would not believe how few coffee shops there are in Hong Kong – lots & lots of shops, particularly designer clothes, but no coffee shops – just as we were about to give up (after 50 mins) we came across a Starbucks – where I had a disgustingly sweet watermelon drink. On to the Luk Yu Tea House for dim sum – which reminded me of Wong Kee in London’s Chinatown with service so bad it was good – which was superb. Indeed, the Lonely Planet description is amazingly accurate in this case - “Most of the staff have been here since the early Ming dynasty and are as grumpy as an emperor deposed. Still it’s the place for tasty dim sum.”

Attempting to dodge yet another rain storm (it actually rained heavily each afternoon that we were there) we made it back to the hotel for a shower and then headed to the airport. The worst rain was to come though, and as we were driving in the limo the rain was so ferocious that you couldn’t see out of the windscreen, never mind the car in front. Really not sure how we made it to the airport in one piece….sheer madness really, but then I’m not sure what else the driver could have done.

How would I sum up Hong Kong? Well, it’s an interesting & amazingly vibrant city with a great mix of east & west and definitely a great place to visit for a long weekend. However, the humidity, the afternoon rain-storms & the lack of green space mean that I wouldn’t want to live there. A magnificent end to our vacation & lovely to be able to share the experience with Lucy.

P.S. How good was Hong Kong Phooey? - Number One Super Guy, Faster than the Human Eye. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see him wondering the streets!