Posted by Seth on February 13, 2008 under Trip Reports | 
I love watching a city at night. The glow of the buildings always has a somewhat eerie quality to me, knowing that they are functional by day and artistic by night. Hong Kong is no exception; it is possibly one of the greatest cities to view at night, with a bunch of buildings lit up, a harbor in the middle with views from both sides and a light show every night.
Throw the Chinese New Year into the mix and you also get a phenomenal fireworks show to add to the fun. The 22 minute show featured 8 “acts,” all set to music. Some of the shells were “special,” showing the character for the olympics or a horse, representing the 2008 olympics and the equestrian events that will be hosted in Hong Kong later this year. They also had a bunch of “8″ shells, a lucky number in Chinese. Regardless of which shells they were, the skyline illuminated by the fireworks was an impressive sight.
I got out on the waterfront promenade at 4pm for an 8pm show, and it was already crowded. And the fact that it was the coldest New Year celebration in 12 years didn’t make it all that comfortable waiting the four hours for the show to start. But it was definitely worth it. I took 300+ pictures in the 22 minutes. These are some of the good ones, with more here.
This one is my new desktop wallpaper. Click on it (or any of the others) to get a larger version.
Posted by Seth on February 12, 2008 under Trip Reports |
One nice thing about visiting cities is that they generally have at least some mass transit options available. In the case of Hong Kong, the question was really what mass transit options weren’t available, not which ones were. There is the Airport Express train in from the airport, the MTR (subway/metro), trams, busses, green mini-busses (green = go) and red ones (red=stop; don’t use them) and the Star ferry back and forth across Victoria Harbor. In the five days I was in Hong Kong I actually managed to use all of them (and a taxi or two, for good measure), except the red mini-busses. The best part about the options in Hong Kong was the frequency of service. I never waited more than 3-4 minutes for the MTR or more than 10 for a bus or mini-bus. I never experienced the crazy crowds on the MTR, though I was there during a holiday period. Things did start to fill up more towards the end of the trip, and I can see how it would be very crowded, but with the frequency of service I’m not sure it’d be too big an issue.
Another nice thing about the HK transit options is that they all run on the same smart card system, called an Octopus card. It is similar to the system in place in Atlanta, Washington, DC and Chicago with a card that you can add value to as necessary and then just tap it on the sensor every time you get on or off one of the rides and the fare is deducted automatically. The card also can be used at all the 7-11 shops around town and a number of other retail establishments. You can get a card at the airport and use it for the duration of your stay. There is a HK$50 deposit that you get back at the Airport Express station when you get back to the airport. When you’re adding value to the card it is done in HK$50 or 100 increments, which I thought was going to leave me with some unused value on the card that would be part of my donation to the Hong Kong Mass Transit system. I was pleasantly surprised when I was actually given the cash back for the remaining balance, in addition to the HK$50 deposit, when I returned the card. When getting the card there are a few options, including a “tourist” pass that allows for three days unlimited use of the MTR in addition to a one way or round trip Airport Express fare. Thanks to a combination of jet lag, confusion and not paying attention, I didn’t realize that the unlimited was actually only for the MTR and not all the Octopus-enabled transit options, which left me in a very confused state trying to get off the tram at one point, though fortunately I did have the fare available in cash to avoid a real problem. I also managed to get an extra day of MTR rides somehow, I think, though maybe they don’t charge for the first day you ride the Airport Express, or maybe I got some special deal because I came in after 9pm or something. Still, at HK$70 for the unlimited MTR for 3 days, and the fact that you’ll get back whatever money you don’t spend, the tourist card is actually a pretty bad deal unless you’re taking a lot of rides (they’re ~HK$4-6 per ride in the main areas of town) or taking some longer rides each day. Others had told me that this was the case, and I should’ve listened to them. Lesson learned.
One thing I wasn’t prepared for is the size of the MTR stations – they’re huge. I think that the largest station in the NYC subway system is Times Square, with three different sets of tracks spanning a pretty large area underground; Hong Kong’s stations dwarf it by comparison. Each station has a number of exits all over the area where the stop is, which is great as you can pretty much stay inside to get to where you are going. On the down side, there are a ton of steps between the various levels and entrances and exits, making it rather difficult to navigate with luggage. Getting from the street on to a train platform could take up to 10-15 minutes it seemed, depending on which entrance you use and how many different levels of escalators you have to use to get there. There were a number of trips on the MTR where I think I walked farther to find my way to/from the trains than I would have if I’d just walked where I was going, though I’m sure that wasn’t really the case.
Posted by Seth on February 12, 2008 under Dining, Trip Reports |
My first few meals in Hong Kong were decidedly on the budget side of the ledger, with street food being a major component. After a few days of that, however, I decided to give some real restaurants a try. In the SoHo (South of Hollywood) neighborhood on HK Island there are several block packed with restaurants of just about every regional cuisine I could think of, and the mix of patrons was similarly diverse. I tried two of them, an Italian/tapas restaurant called enoteca and a steak place called CraftSteak.
enoteca has a lot going for it, including seats at the bar (my preferred dining location when on the road alone). Upon taking my seat I was surprised to see Prosecco draught:
I’m not sure why that is so impressive to me, but it is. Beyond that the menu is a collection of small plates – about 20 to choose from – ranging from garlic bread to steak cooked in a chili and garlic sauce (delicious and tender). There was a feta & zucchini something that tasted very little like feta nor zucchini, and the blackened salmon was prepared with a collection of spices that I’ve never experienced before, but it was all rather tasty. And, in a nod to the type of service I like to see, it was obvious that the bartender and the floor manager both knew their regulars and made sure they were taken care of. The prices were fair for the food provided and the overall atmosphere was definitely enjoyable.
Following that dinner would prove to be rather difficult. For me, CraftSteak was the attempt, just a few doors down from enoteca. I had a twinge of regret about eating there when I realized that there was no bar to sit at. Still, I took a seat at a table for one and settled in for my meal. The steak – an Australian ribeye – was delicious and cooked just right, which is to say barely at all. They also have a choice of ~10-15 different sauces that you can add to the steak, including a shallot butter that melted on top quite nicely. The appetizer and side dishes, however, were a bit blah. Considering the price I was a bit disappointed in the meal overall, but wouldn’t skip if I was looking for a decent steak and didn’t want the Morton’s or Ruth’s Chris experience in Hong Kong.
Posted by Seth on February 11, 2008 under Dining, Trip Reports |
A couple people told me about it, I’d read a bit about it online and I went in with pretty high expectations. And the men’s room at Felix’s bar on top of the Peninsula Hotel is absolutely, totally and completely that cool. While I was in there three women actually came in, past the protesting attendant, just to catch a peek. Basically the bathroom has one of the best views on the Kowloon peninsula, a floor to ceiling wall of glass almost thirty stories above the ground. The night I was there it was still a bit hazy, but the view was still pretty amazing. And, Yes, that is a urinal in the foreground.
You don’t have to actually buy a drink to visit the bar and see it for yourself. Actually, the bar is pretty small and crowded (though it also has decent views from its windows) and the drinks are on the pricy side so I wouldn’t plan on spending much time there at all, but it is completely worth going up the elevator ride to visit the loo.
Posted by Seth on February 7, 2008 under Dining, Trip Reports |
In addition to street food, there is something to be said for comfort food, especially when traveling. After 8 days in India, there was something refreshing about showing up in Goa, the old Portugese territory, and finding shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic on the menu. I’m certainly not far enough into this adventure to be really jonesing for some comfort food, especially when the street food is so delicious. Still, when one of my friends who lives here recommended a brunch place run by an American expat, and I had some time to kill, I decided to give it a try.
I’m sitting on a leather chair in The Flying Pan on Lockhart Road here in Hong Kong, enjoying Challah French Toast – and it is the real deal. The menu is decidedly American bruch, with eggs, waffles, pancakes, french toash, blintzes and all the breakfast meats you can handle. As an added bonus, there’s a reasonably well stocked bar and draft beer available.The food reminds me of a decent diner in NYC, though without the surly staff or extra grease normally included in an order.
This particular location is the second one they have here in Hong Kong, and it is in the middle of the Wan Chai neighborhood, which is known for the hostess bars, among other things, so I would assume that the business remains pretty steady even into the night; they are open 24/7/365 (why isn’t it 24/7/52? but that’s a different rant). They’ve got a juke box with a pretty good music selection and free WiFi, too.
Definitely worth a visit if you’re in town and looking for some comfort food. Don’t just take my word for it, either. The NY Times agrees, and so does this reviewer.
Posted by Seth on February 7, 2008 under Trip Reports |
I get the feeling that going to China for Lunar New Year is a bit like tourists coming to New York and sitting in Times Square for the ball drop on December 31st. The folks here are in to it, but I get the feeling that none of them are local. That being said, they put on a pretty impressive show for the celebration. Around mid-day the lion dance teams started performing. I caught a show at the Excelsior hotel completely by accident (right place at the right time, I suppose) and these guys did some amazing work. They were leaping all over the place, including up on to those platforms that were about 6 feet above the ground, and then jumping between them with coordination and accuracy that was quite impressive. The same troupe was also at a department store a couple hours later and in the annual parade at night.
Speaking of the parade, it was definitely interesting. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but for some reason Salsa dancers from Spain werent’ part of my expectations. Neither were the San Francisco 49ers cheerleaders nor the UCLA marching band and dance team.
I think I was expecting a bit more of this sort of stuff – local folks dressed up and dancing for the crowd.
Not quite local, this group is from Thailand:
It is the year of the rat, after all, so Mickey & Minnie were right at home in the parade.
Another local dance troupe.
And one last dragon to close out the show.
Happy year of the rat. May it be prosperous and joyous (at least I think that’s what they were all saying).
Posted by Seth on February 6, 2008 under Dining, Trip Reports |
One of the things I love about travel in Asia is the street food. We have it in New York, but dirty water dogs and the chicken & rice guy doesn’t have the same appeal to me as the options I find in Asian travel. Maybe it is that the serving sizes are so much smaller, allowing for more options in a tasting, that I have no idea what I’m doing when I order or maybe just that the food is better. Either way, I’m a huge fan.
Tonight is the eve of the Lunar New Year, and the Causeway Bay area is a zoo. From what I can tell the party runs all night over there – it certainly showed no signs of stopping when I left at 11:30pm. Tons of people out on the street, along with vendors of trinkets, toys, clothing, flowers and -most importantly to me – food. After a 15 hour flight where I was subjected to airline food
Suffice it to say I needed something more (though the banana bread for dessert wasn’t terrible).
I found my way to the hotel, dropped my bags off and set out in search of something more satisfing. I found this vendor, among many others
and that was where I got my fix. They had a number of options, including octopus, liver (I think), meat balls of some sort, duck (I think), fried chicken, mini-hot dogs, fried dough, “yellow” dumplings and seafood dumplings. My general approach was to point, pay and then eat what I was given. It has served me well in the past, and it did again tonight.
I’m not really sure what was in the yellow dumplings, but it sure was tasty.
Posted by Seth on February 5, 2008 under Trip Reports |
The short flight is done (JFK-LAX) and I’m enjoying a drink waiting for the long flight (LAX-HKG) that leaves in about an hour. The first flight was empty – I had a whole row to myself, as did several other passengers. Sadly, the next flight is not the same, with many empty seats but no empty row. I could always buy up to E+ for $120 to get my own row, but I’d rather spend the money while I’m there, and I’ve got a reasonable amount of space as it is, so I’ll (hopefully) be OK.
The hard part is going to be adjusting to the jet-lag so that I can start to enjoy the celebrations immediately when I land. It’ll be the eve of the new year when I get there, and the markets are supposed to be pretty exciting through the night; I hope I don’t fall asleep in the middle of one.
Sunrise on takeoff coming out of JFK:
Posted by Seth on January 19, 2008 under Trip Reports |
Sure, there are parades in New York, San Francisco, Vancouver, Sydney and many other cities around the world, but why not celebrate in Hong Kong, considered by many to be the original parade celebration. Business travel drops off around that time, as no business gets done in the few weeks leading up to and following the celebration, so airfares drop. Continental offers up some pretty impressive sales on their BusinessFirst seats, as low as $2300 round trip. If that’s too rich for your blood (and it is for mine), there is always United’s sale on coach seats, with fares from about $600 r/t from JFK.
So I’m going. The price is right, and I’ll get there for the last day of the New Years markets and then for the parades. Should be fun.
