Hong Kong Adventures

Confusion, Crowds, Chaos

Those are the three things that characterized my very first impression of Hong Kong.

Regardless, I was determined to immerse myself in what it feels like to be part of Hong Kong!

My entry into Hong Kong International Airport (affectionately known as HKIA) brought on a lot of confusion. If I landed on one terminal, why am I going to the next terminal to check in to immigration and pick up my bags? It then occurred to me – HKIA is massive! Fact: HKIA operates one of the world's largest passenger terminal buildings and operates twenty-four hours a day. In 2008, Hong Kong International Airport was the second busiest airport in the world in terms of cargo traffic, handling 3,656,724 tons of cargo. It was also the 12th busiest airport worldwide in terms of passenger throughput. Wow! To handle such huge capacity, it had to be massive!

And speaking of confusion – I believe it anyone can successfully navigate Kong Kong’s MTR system – they are more likely a whiz rocket scientist! MTR, or Mass Transit Railway, is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. The network includes 211.6 km of rail with 150 stations, including 83 railway stations and 68 light rail stops. Holy cow! The MTR system is a common mode of public transport in Hong Kong, with over 4 million trips made in an average weekday.

Here is an interesting tidbit about the MTR - Unlike many other metro systems around the world MTR stations do not have toilet facilities available for public use, although their installation has been contemplated. The folks running the line said it would not consider retrofitting existing underground toilets because of the challenge of installing new piping and toilet facilities. Jesus Christ! If you can build an under and over ground complicated transit railway system that serves 150 stations – I’m sure you can come up with a way to install a porta-potty in each station! As you can probably tell, I have been screwed over when I’ve travelled long distances on the MTR with a Venti Starbucks Tea Misto! :P

But I digress!

This brings me to my next point about Hong Kong – the crowds! You know, when you have a day off from work or a vacation day and you can easily go to Superstore or stroll along HWY 1 with little to no traffic? This is NOT the case with Hong Kong. There is no such thing as an “off-peak” time. EVERYTIME is a “peak time”. A small tidbit of information - With a population of 7 million people but land area of 1,108 km2 (428 sq mi), Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. So there are people coming out of the wood works (or more ethnically appropriately) out of the ying yang ALL THE TIME!

And this results in chaos. But, I believe having been to Hong Kong, there is such a thing as good and bad chaos. Bad chaos is what I was traditionally accustomed to when I visited the key night markets in Hong Kong: Ladies’ Market, Temple Street Night Market and Jade Night Market. Note, most of these are night markets which is not surprising since Hong Kong well-known for being a city that does not sleep.

Good chaos, in my mind, is an interesting harmony of sorts. You know, when you visit cities and there is one or two things special about them that you always cherish? With BC it’s the Nature; Australia’s Great Barrier Reef; China’s Great Wall? With Hong Kong, it has everything. In one of my pictures taken from the cable car ride to Lantau Island – I saw vast mountains covered with natural forests cuddled by huge bodies of water. And encapsulated in its midst – the city! Skyscrapers galore! Hong Kong, in its humility, has everything to offer! Jeez – I swear this is not a plug for the Hong Kong Tourism Board – honest!

I came away from the travel experience with three things I will remember the most about Hong Kong:

Cosmopolitan, Charismatic, Crazy

Except when you need to use the bathroom urgently while on the MTR!

I heart Hong Kong!