Hong Kong roundup pt.1

After tramping around South East Asia with nothing but a small backpack full of clothes and essentials to keep me going, it was a welcome relief to finally arrive at the last destination on our journey; Hong Kong.
It was also where we would make our long awaited reunion visit with a great friend of ours named Snow. We had studied together whilst Snow was in The Netherlands as an exchange student. She’s an awesome girl and after a year and a half since we said our goodbyes it was awesome to finally catch up.

Not only did we have the pleasure of hanging out with Snow and her boyfriend on more than one occasion but we also met up with Cynthia, another friend who’d studied on exchange in Holland but was originally from Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong it seems that commodities are sectioned and sold in various areas. So for example, if you want iPhone covers you go to one street full of stalls selling just that, if you want your fortune to be told then you go to another street full of fortune teller booths, if you want to buy a sex toy you go to another specific street (yes you heard that right – there is a street full of vendors selling vibrators) and so on.
Our time spent in Hong Kong was short but sweet, with three long days packed full of diverse activities. One of the major highlights of the three nights we spent there was visiting the opening night of the new horse racing season at the Happy Valley Racecourse. The atmosphere was electrifying and we arrived just in time to catch the final three races of the night. Unfortunately I’m a pretty pathetic gambler and despite hoping for a slice of beginners luck, all my selections wound up not winning.

The Happy Valley Racecourse is a buzzing place and is also a majestic sight as the perfectly pruned race track sits neatly before a cascade of skyscrapers which occupy the skyline in the near distance.
Another highlight of my time in Hong Kong was just the relaxing nature of hopping on and off a ferry to travel between the islands. It was super enjoyable passing from one side of Hong Kong to the other, admiring the city views as we went. Pretty soon I began to recognise many of the iconic views from my online HSBC banking and for some reason, I found it fascinating that my banks name was on the Hong Kong Dollar currency. So awesome. My cash matched my bank card. It’s the little things that get me 😉
When you’re in Hong Kong you’ve really got to try out the Peak Tram that takes you all the way to the highest 360 degree viewing terrace in the whole city – which can be found at the illustrious Sky Terrace 428. It’s hard to choose between the views at night and the views during the day time. Both are spectacular in their own special ways. You will also find complexes of food halls, shops and entertainment venues all within the Peak Tower.

Whoever tries to tell you that the Peak Tram is not unnerving is a pure liar. At times it almost feels like you’re going on a vertical incline as you pass buildings that look like they’re on a right-angle. Thankfully the service has ran for over 120 years, so I’m fairly sure they know what they’re doing. Maybe I should have stopped to take a look in the museum at the bottom of the tram, just for some additional reassurance.