19. Another side of Hong Kong

 When I devised my Taiwan plan back in early February, I was enjoying the convenience and culture of city life in Phnom Penh. As such, I tacked on a five day stopover in Hong Kong for some bonus Asian big city action. 🇭🇰 

In truth, by the time I was set to visit, my appetite for sprawling metropolises had waned. But I had a cunning plan…

The fantastic Warm Showers host team of Katie 🇺🇸 and Dan 🇺🇸 stated a love for the outdoors and hiking in their bio, extolling the virtues of their rural location near Sai Kung with its myriad trails and captivating views. 🥾 

Without hesitation I contacted them and was granted a stay, even though I was now travelling bike less. 

We lucked out massively as, the day they were both free (a Sunday) was gloriously sunny, perfect hiking weather. 🌞 

Before the hike, here we are with a Hong Kong institution, dim sum. With Katie ordering a diverse platter of dishes, I can now confidently say I have had the quintessential dim sum experience! It was mighty good!

Fresh catch brought into the harbour at Sai Kung. 🎣 

We’d toyed with the idea of tackling Sharp Peak. Sharp Peak is the sharp peak you can see in the background. 😉

But there’s no need for such gradients on a Sunday so we settled for a gentler ramble along the coast. Still a decent workout for me, cycling muscles are a bit different to hiking ones so good to take it steady. 

On the trail. I absolutely loved hanging out with Katie and Dan, I felt very comfortable with them. They’re at a similar stage of life to me and, though we’ve lived very different lives, have had many relatable experiences. It was fascinating to hear about Katie’s career working in various international schools and Dan’s prioritisation of travel/life experiences over a safe career. He is also incredibly knowledgeable about Covid! Again, so interesting to hear how Hong Kong dealt with the pandemic. 😷 

Lots of the trails look like this: narrow paths through a wall of vegetation. The excellent maintenance is testament to how many Hong Kongers get out and hike, day in, day out. I saw a lot of walking poles, walking boots and outdoor brands during my five days in Hong Kong. 🦯 🎒 

On Monday, Katie and Dan were preoccupied with something called ‘work’. Unsure of what that was, I went on a solo hike above Sai Kung to this grassy plateau frequented by paragliders, Ngong Ping. Just beyond this is Pyramid Hill. It needed climbing and…

…the view from the top was spectacular. ⛰️ 

Not only did Katie and Dan host me for three days, one day more than the original two days I’d asked for, feed me with delicious home-cooked food (thanks Katie!) and take me on cracking hikes, they also sent me off with great reading material! Dan gifted me a copy of each of his books about his South American adventures. Not out of self-promotion, more that, during my stay, I’d started reading the first book and was pretty hooked. I think Dan sensed I was ‘on the journey’ with him and wanted me to be able to finish the story. Such great adventures, so well documented, fantastic souvenirs to return home with. 📚 

Not wanting to outstay my welcome in Sai Kung, I booked in for one night in downtown Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui. As I walked through the downtown zone, I have to admit my heart sank a little and the beautiful Coleridge poem ‘Frost at Midnight’ came to mind. I’d so enjoyed ‘wandering like the breeze’ along the sandy shores and craggy peaks and, now, these were replaced by ‘cloisters dim’, the towering, soulless skyscrapers, weathered grey and tired by the subtropical climate. 🌀 

Nevertheless, I went ‘all in’ and booked a room in the notorious Chungking Mansions. It’s a labyrinthine building crammed with hostels, restaurants, money changers and God knows what else. It’s a fascinating place, a cultural melting pot but, at the same time, with a distinctly seedy edge. Part of the appeal of staying there is that it evokes the atmosphere of one of my very favourite films ever, Wong Kar-Wai’s dreamlike ‘Chungking Express’. I fully recommend this film for its depiction of Hong Kong and to enjoy the Cantonese language which, to my ear, carries a song-like quality. 🎥 

I’d booked a dormitory room but was given this tiny twin room, no more than 50 centimetres between the beds. Which I had a to share with a total stranger! 🛏️ 

My roommate was a Russian guy 🇷🇺 and, do you know what, it was kind of a great experience to share a room with him. OK, I didn’t sleep too well, the room was a bit stuffy and, having a stranger within arm’s reach is a little unnerving. However, with his limited English, we conducted a conversation through Google Translate and it was really nice to connect with him. Very friendly, warm and cordial. He told me a bit about his life in Siberia, working as an air traffic control engineer and insisted I should visit the region sometime. 

We kept politics and war off the agenda (‘I mentioned the war once, but I think I got away with it!), and bid each other farewell warmly with a firm handshake. 

Low budget travelling creates opportunities like this. 

Is this a junk? 

I don’t know much about boats… 🛶 

Hong Kong, compared to everywhere else I’ve been on this trip, is so expensive! You can find affordable places, this informal place served up bowls of noodles for £3-4, but you could easily bankrupt a trip by spending too long here. 

Even my Russian buddy and I spent around £15 each to share our cell, sorry, room. 🏨 

Though a little sleep-deprived, I managed another hike, at snail’s pace 🐌, across Lamma island. 🏝️ 

Another beautiful day, Mediterranean vibes abounded as I explored the hills and harbours. 

It got pretty warm in the middle of the day, good acclimatisation for my impending return to sweltering Bangkok. 🇹🇭 

Lamma has a wind turbine generating clean, renewable energy. Offset by this ugly traditional power plant which, I think, is coal-powered. 🚬 

Five days in town, I’m glad I was able to spend most of my time in natural, rural environments, exploring another side of Hong Kong.

Seeing countless high rise tower blocks, scars on the visual landscape, can be depressing. I imagine that escapes to the quieter villages and tranquil trails plays a large part in making Hong Kong a liveable place. 🏙️ 

Under neon loneliness. What with the Chungking Mansions-induced sleep deprivation, the hike on Lamma and a trip to the cinema to see Anora (salacious!), by the time I reached the airport in the early hours, I was absolutely beat! ✈️ 

Chungking Mansions - I could have afforded a more comfortable place to stay. Last night in Hong Kong - I didn’t have to crash at the airport. But something within in me craves these low-budget travel solutions. In fact, as the years have gone on, my tolerance for discomfort has probably increased in some ways. I know a day will come when I absolutely will not wild camp, sleep in dormitories, crash on airport floors but, while I’m still willing to do it, I will!

And, I should say that, with earplugs inserted and Buff eye mask deployed, I got four hours of the deepest sleep I could wish on the hard floor! 

The penultimate flight of this trip will take me back to Bangkok. I’ll reunite with Bertha, get her packed up for transit, and, before we know it, we’ll be jetting our way home! 🏠