48 Hours in HONG KONG

There’s a lot to be said about a place when you want to sit down and write something about it, but you can’t, because it’s right there outside your window and there’s so much more to explore! Hong Kong is awesome. Spectacular. Pick a superlative, I’ve run out. The immense scale of the city is at times overwhelming, but at other times, it’s as intimate as you could want it.Contrasts, one of my favorite things to experience and photograph, abound in this incredibly diverse bustling city. I walked for miles this morning, scoping the way to the Victoria Peak Tram. That was easy, but along the way, and on my roundabout way back, I discovered Hong Kong’s beautiful and serene Zoological and horticultural gardens, an oasis of calm surrounded by soaring towers of humanity.That’s sort of the magic of Hong Kong; it’s everything, it’s huge, it’s exciting and overwhelming, but it is also full of tranquil escapes and magical moments. It seems to be designed that way. On every street I wandered (in Central, Western District, Lan Kwai Fong, Wan Chai and Admiralty) I came across sitting gardens, small peaceful places through a gate off the sidewalk, where you can sit, take a breather, exercise, meditate, whatever. Also playgrounds, gardens, fountains, it’s really just a matter of finding them.The best part of the walk was discovering Wan Chai Marketplace. A wonderfully vibrant early morning market full of people just buying and selling wares, from live fish to fresh cut meat to housewares, clothing, spices and more. Amazing and beautiful. I hadn’t meant to find it, I just walked where larger crowds of commuters and shoppers were coming from clutching bags of produce, it seemed like it might be interesting and it was perfect. It reminded me a lot of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the early morning, just people shopping, smiling, going about their day. Every alleyway has a purpose, every nook and cranny in this vast city has a designated purpose, and person, to sit and do what it is they do there - everywhere you turn, there’s someone cooking, cleaning, carrying, making, creating, shopping or sleeping!Taking the ferry or MTR over to Kowloon is a nice diversion. Everything, repeat, everything radiates outward from Central MTR Station, including the ferries, to Macau, Kowloon and beyond. As long as you can find Central, you can pretty much get anywhere you need to go in this city. Kowloon was a bit frustrating, in that I took the train over and ferry back. Ferry was great, should have done that both ways. The MTR train dumps you in yet another gigantic shopping mall train station, just like Central. Unlike Central, however, the entrances I could not find for anything. I circled that place for 25 minutes before finally finding a W Hotel which allowed me to actually leave the mall and reach Kowloon Proper.Best Bet: Star Ferry from Central Ferry Terminal, grab a taxi from the Kowloon side to the Nathan Road/Temple Street Market area. Amazing hodgepodge of markets, shops and restaurants. There’s a big no-man’s land construction zone between the ferry and the fun, so best to cab back and forth on the Kowloon side, unless you like circling endless Malls!For the complete story: 48 HOURS IN HONG KONG, Please buy my new book: Around The World In Eighteen Days, featuring 48 Hours In Hong Kong, Singapore, Cairo, Istanbul and 96 Hours Across Europe By Train.Click here for more information…