Hong Kong Day 1: Center of the World

Summer has come and gone, and with hardly an update from me. If you assumed that was because I was traveling, you'd be right. I spent two weeks this summer tromping about Asia, and even though it's been about half a month since my journey ended, I still don't feel like I've fully processed all that I did and saw. I look over my photos now, selecting from over 3000 which to upload here on my blog, and I can hardly believe that the places I see in my pictures are places that I visited. Then the reality sets in, and the memories come flooding back to me, and I start to daydream about my next adventure.

My first stop was Hong Kong. I've heard Hong Kong referred to as one of the centers of the world, and after staying there for five days I completely agree. More than just an Asian city, it feels like a global city, with peoples of all races and cultures filling the streets. It's also very distinctly a Chinese city, but with a strong English flavor left over from it's time as a British colony. I was more than impressed by Hong Kong, and it's easily become one of my favorite cities.

I arrived in Hong Kong on a Monday around 4 pm and spent the afternoon getting myself situated: I picked up some Hong Kong dollars, purchased a SIM card for my phone, bought a transit card for the metro and bus and found my hostel. I stayed at the Yesinn @ Causeway Bay, a small, narrow hostel located on Hong Kong island. For the price and location, Yesinn was perfect. The sleeping arrangements in the room were interesting, with nine people sleeping on bunk beds that were three beds high, but I liked it. After finishing all of my errands and dropping off my bags, I had some time to venture out into the city and explore in earnest.

Hong Kong feels like no city I've ever been to. It's crowded, it's narrow, it's completely vertical while stretching out horizontally as far as the eye can see. It's alive, it's organic, it doesn't sleep and there's always something to do. I had no real destination when I left my hostel; I simply wanted to wander the streets and explore, get a little lost, and definitely try some local cuisine. I did all of that, and very quickly I discovered that I love Hong Kong food. Wonton noodle soup is now one of my favorite dishes, and I wish there was an easy way to get it here in South Korea.

I got to bed early that night. I had a busy week planned, and I was going to need all of my rest.