Hong Kong, China
Mostly Sunny - Mid 70s
Tuesday, December 22nd
Hong Kong is at the Southern tip of China, surrounding Victoria Harbor in the South China Sea. Hong Kong Island proper is just one of the many islands that, along with part of the mainland called the New Territories, comprise Hong Kong.
The Chinese surrendered Hong Kong Island to the British Empire after the First Opium War in 1842 and the colony grew in stages to include the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories by 1898. With the exception of Japanese occupation during World War II, the British reign of Hong Kong was peaceful and prosperous, the Crown Colony becoming one of the world's great financial capitals and a beacon of capitalism at the foot of Communist China, but the British were living on borrowed time. The lease on the New Territories was due to expire and would not be renewed. The Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed in 1984, transferring sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997 with the stipulation that Hong Kong would be governed as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) under the principle "one country, two systems." Hong Kong would maintain its political and economic systems with significant autonomy, extending to all matters except foreign affairs and defense, for the next 50 years of Chinese control. The Hong Kong Basic Law, ratified in 1990, is the founding document and constitution of the SAR. The transfer of sovereignty occurred at midnight on July 1, 1997, marked by a handover ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Under a blanket of fireworks, Prince Charles and the Governor General sailed out of Victoria Harbor on the Royal Yacht Britannia, as the sun set on another front of the British Empire.
Under Chinese control, Hong Kong has remained a vibrant international financial center with low taxes, free trade, and minimal interference under the doctrine of "positive non-interventionism." The judiciary is governed by the Anglo tradition of common law and the legislative and executive branches are partly selected through multi-party elections with universal suffrage.
With a land mass of just more than 1,000 square kilometers and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The population is 95% ethnic Chinese and traces of British rule in language and culture are rapidly receding.
Our flight out of Singapore was delayed, landing in Hong Kong at about 9:30. We had arranged for a car and driver to take us into the city and the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel and Towers. Just two days ago, on December 20th, a new bridge opened on the route from Lantau Island and the airport to the New Territories. The Stonecutters Bridge is the second longest high level cable-stayed span in the world at more than 1,000 meters and was featured on "Extreme Engineering" on the Discovery Chanel. It is a graceful bridge and a stunning introduction to the city.
It is tempting when visiting Hong Kong to think Hong Kong Island is the best place to stay, but the best views are from Kowloon looking across Victoria Harbor to the skyline of the city, which is just a nine minute ride away on the Star Ferry. The Peninsula, Hong Kong's historic hotel, is in Kowloon. The Sheraton is right next door.
We arrived at the hotel tired and hungry at 10:30. We checked in and upgraded to a city view room on the club floor. The view from the room was spectacular. Front and center, with a framed view of the harbor and the Hong Kong skyline. The city is lit-up for Christmas, most of the major towers with light displays. We admired the view for just a minute before rushing downstairs to The Cafe before closing.
The Cafe is a casual international buffet and al a carte restaurant with a little bit of everything. We rushed in just before they closed the doors. In the mood for something familiar, I had my international standard, a club sandwich. Tres had wonton soup, rich broth with noodles, sesame prawn dumplings, and bok choy, spiked with a red vinegar dipping sauce. With just chop sticks and a spoon to navigate, he was covered in broth by the time he swallowed the last slurp. We finished with a traditional Chinese delight, chocolate Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and called it a night.
Wednesday, December 23rd
We are really lucky to have great weather in Hong Kong. The sun is out and it's a comfortable 70 degrees. Even in the sunshine, the pollution filters the light through a heavy haze. There is no sting in the eyes and the back of the throat as there was in India, but there is the omnipresent feeling that your glasses are dirty. We crossed the street to the Kowloon waterfront and the promenade along the water. The views of the Hong Kong skyline are incredible from this vantage, but compromised by the haze of pollution and the scale of the city. You can't take it all in with a single glance or frame of film.
The symbol of Kowloon is the old Clock Tower. There is a museum and arts complex along the harbor including the Hong Kong Cultural Center, Hong Kong Space Museum, Science Theater, and the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Signs along the walk discourage antisocial behavior. Our sentiments exactly.
We boarded the Star Ferry for the ride across Victoria Harbor to Central on Hong Kong Island. These ferries have been plying the waters of the harbor for more than 100 years. The upper deck is reserved for first class passengers, who pay a slight premium for deluxe, roomier seating with better views. The lower deck is for ordinary passage. There is not much difference in the fare or the quality of accommodations, but we traveled first class.
Central is the heart of Hong Kong Island. The International Finance Center (IFC) has two office towers, one the tallest on the island, and a sprawling mall. We caught a taxi here to take us to the Yung Kee restaurant for lunch. The streets of Central are tight, steep, and crowded with traffic and commerce. It was a fun ride, but my cold has progressed from head to chest I am prone to uncontrollable fits of coughing. I had one in the cab and we thought the driver was going to stop the car and jump out the window. The Chinese are very germ-conscious and the panic grew on his face with each cough I couldn't stifle. I survived and we made it to our destination.
Yung Kee is legendary in Hong Kong, an institution for 70 years, famous for roast goose, and has won every award there is many times over, including a Michelin star. The concierge at the hotel recommended Chinese sticky rice as well as the roast goose, and gave us a cheat sheet so we could order in Chinese. Yung Kee is in every guide book, but popular with locals too, we were the only Westerners in the house. We placed our order in halting Chinese and added sliced beef with rice noodles that looked good at the next table over. The noodles were great, similar to dishes we had in Malaysia and Singapore, but the Chinese sticky rice was the surprise treat of the meal, sweet and soy salty with preserved sausage and dried shrimps. And the roast goose was amazing. Our first ever Christmas goose, roasted crispy juicy and chopped on the bone, including the head. The skin crackled between your teeth, giving way to a luscious layer of fat, then the succulent flesh of the goose. The skin was the most bacon-like non-bacon we have ever had. Tres is in love.
Dating from the early colonial period, the place to live in Hong Kong has always been the Peak and for more than 120 years, the Peak Tram has delivered the well-healed to the top. We rode the tram to the Peak Tower at the top. Architecture and food are the passions of the people here and they are not impressed with the Peak Tower, which they derisively refer to as "The Wok."
The architecture didn't bother me, but the dizzying heights did. After riding the tram to the top of the Peak, we rode countless escalators to the top of the Wok and the Sky Terrace. Terrifying!!! Views from the Peak are the best in Hong Kong, looking out over the skyline of the island to Victoria Harbor and Kowloon beyond.
Riding tram, taxi, and ferry, we made our way back to Kowloon by early evening, the lights of the city coloring the dusk sky and murky waters of the harbor. We walked by the Peninsula all decked out for the holidays en route to the Sheraton.
Every night at 8:00 Victoria Harbor comes alive with a laser light show. Buildings on both sides of the water light up and lasers cut through the inky darkness of the night sky. The show is more fun than spectacular, but we enjoyed the spectacle from our room before heading to dinner. Cantonese is the cuisine of choice in Hong Kong and the Sheraton is host to one of the very best Cantonese and dim sum restaurants in the city.
"The Celestial Court, with its modern Chinese decor accented by warm burl wood panels and luxurious raw silk tapestries, is renowned for authentic and exquisite Chinese cuisine and hand-prepared dim sum. With the innovation and flair of its decorated chef, the restaurant has been selected as a Hong Kong Best Restaurant for the past decade. Award-winning Chef de Cuisine Chan Sui-kei takes pride in matching his menus to seasonal ingredients. Everything is done in the traditional way, but with a few contemporary touches to bring things into line with modern trends. Celestial Court showcases its versatility with seasonal menus that feature fresh, crunchy vegetables, savoury meats and succulent seafood. “I treat my job as an interest and entertainment. It’s enjoyable. Here, we give clients sophisticated creativity and variety – that’s vital.”"
We sat down to a wide, round table and set out to fill it up. We started with barbecued pork that was absolutely nothing like the sweet, hard, patent leather red chunks of loin served in America. This was soft and luscious roasted pork with crispy skin that squirted with fat and juice with every bite. Then, a series of dishes that would be recognizable to the American Chinese palette, but at another level of taste and quality. More roasted pork, this the house specialty suckling pig; crispy chicken; tender giant shrimp, barely cooked through in a garlicky sauce; a beef dish almost like a Cantonese steak Diane; and a standard fried rice, a step down from the Chinese sticky rice we loved at lunch. It was an incredible meal, just a sample of the vast menu from which we wanted to try everything. Authentic, yet comfortable, The Celestial Court is a celebration destination for locals, a first stop when returning home for expatriates living abroad, and an introduction to true Cantonese cuisine for travelers.
Thursday, December 24th
I was ready for a day of light shopping and heavy rest, but Tres wanted one more cultural adventure, so we parted ways.
One of the great attractions of Hong Kong is to be found on Lantau Island. It is reached by taking the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Central and then the First Ferry from Central to Mui Wo on Lantau. From the ferry dock, it is just a one hour ride on the Number 2 bus to reach enlightenment.
The Po Lin "Precious Lotus" Monastery is a Buddhist temple founded in 1906 by three visiting monks. The main temple houses 3 bronze statues of the Buddha representing his past, present and future lives.
Towering 268 steps high above the sprawling monastery is the Tian Tan Buddha, symbolizing the harmonious relationship between man and nature, man and religion. At 34 meters tall, it was the largest outdoor bronze seated Buddha in the world when it was completed in 1993.
After the grueling climb to the top of the mountain and the treacherous descent back to ground level, and with one last look up at the great Buddha, Tres boarded the bus back to Mui Wo for the ferry rides to Central and Kowloon. The holidays are a traditional time of gathering in Hong Kong and the streets of Kowloon were closed to traffic and filled with throngs of locals out for a stroll on Christmas Eve.
While the locals congregated outside to watch the laser show, we went down the hall to the club lounge for a drink. Same show, but more inspiring with alcohol.
Craving a holiday feast and looking toward home, we had our last dinner in Hong Kong at Morton's in the hotel. Authentic Chinese it was not, but a traditional Morton's experience. The clubby decor would be recognizable to anyone as a Morton's, though the tables were decorated with hats and noisemakers as if for New Year's Eve, not Christmas Eve. We started with colossal shrimp Alexander and broiled sea scallops wrapped in bacon, then USDA prime ribeyes and potatoes, baked and Lyonnaise, finally hot Godiva chocolate cake. This is the most expensive Morton's in the world, though most of their beef is from...gasp...Australia!!! Predictably good and ridiculously rich, we celebrated Christmas Eve in style.
Friday, December 25th
Merry Christmas!!!
A month ago and a world away, we made the pilgrimage to ancient Bethlehem and the very place that marks the birth of Jesus, and now we celebrate the day of His birth in modern Hong Kong. This will be the longest Christmas ever as we travel home, 40 hours with the time change.
We started the day with one last look at the view, and a swim and a soak in the pools, from the rooftop of the Sheraton.
After breakfast in the Sky Lounge, we walked next door to the Peninsula to finish our Christmas shopping.
Hong Kong is one of the great cities of the world and we look forward to returning, but our journey is at an end and it is time to go home.
We were scheduled to fly:
Cathay Pacific Flight 0838
Hong Kong to Vancouver
Departing 4:45 PM
Arriving 12:05 PM
Flight Time: 11 Hours 20 Minutes
Alaska Airlines Flight 2033
Vancouver to Seattle
Departing 3:40 PM
Arriving 4:35 PM
Flight Time: 55 Minutes
The smog was so thick in Hong Kong that our equipment couldn't land. So, we were delayed. One hour, then two... We were lucky to spend the time in the comfort of the Cathay Pacific business class lounge. With plush seats and the Noodle Bar, we didn't want to leave. Finally, our flight was called and we boarded the 747-400 and climbed the stairs into the hump. We have been dreading this flight, but we survived unscathed.
Cathay Pacific has an innovative configuration in Business Class. Each passenger has a semi-private pod, one on each side of the aisle. The pods are in an arrow-head formation, at a 45 degree angle to the aisle. They are claustrophobic with high sides, but the seats lay flat for sleeping and there is full AC power so Tres could plug in the apparatus and get a good night's sleep, along with the rest of the passengers. There is a large wide-screen TV that adjusts to any angle, complete with movies, current TV, and music. The tray table is large and comfortable allowing for mid-air blogging. If you have to fly for more than 11 hours across the ocean and over the pole, this is the way to go.
We landed in Vancouver too late to catch our connecting flight to Seattle. We cleared customs in a breeze with our Nexus cards and waited for the next flight. After circumnavigating the globe by air and sea, we made the final leg home in our sleep.
Arriving home in Edmonds to a cold house and an empty fridge on Christmas night, we set out looking for Christmas dinner. The stores were closed, our favorite restaurants too. So, our Trip of a Lifetime, and the longest Christmas ever, ended with Christmas dinner...at Denny's.
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