HK: initial impressions (favourable!)

Weather outlook had potential thunderstorms most days, though I have yet to see more than a 5-second trickle of of a shower, though it was cloudy and hazy yesterday.

Today (the 2nd day here) it’s sunny so just some quick random impressions of Hong Kong from yesterday so I can get out and explore in the sunshine (more details to come):

  • Easy to get around – English and Cantonese bilingual signs everywhere, and efficient transportation system
  • Lots of people. Duh! Although not at 9:00 on a weekend where the streets are empty and most stores aren’t open yet
  • Tall buildings. Well, not insanely tall (besides a handful of buildings), but definitely a vertical city
  • Good food!
  • Some areas (little local street markets) are very reminiscent of Chinatowns in North America :-)
  • There are no toilets in the MTR (subway) – say what!?
  • Even outdoor public parks (which can be small concrete areas with benches and such) are non-smoking! Come to think of it, haven’t seen many cigarette butts on the ground, as most garbage cans on the street have big ashtrays on the top.
  • There are paper/plastic/metal recycling bins around town
  • The double-decker (wood-sided) tram (aka streetcar) is funky and apparently the only one in the world (not sure if it’s the “wood-sided” makes it unique or not – I’ve never seen a double-decker tram/streetcar anywhere else)

And some random notes from things I’ve read:

  • There are 44 (almost) daily newspapers here –  a boon for crossword lovers??
  • Given how expensive land and rent are here, it’s amazing how cheap food can be (esp. when people can be paying half their salary in rent).
  • HK has a “flat” income tax rate of 16%, though with credits for low/regular income, very few people (1% of population) only pay that maximum rate.

HKG airport, hotel

Not surprisingly, HKG airport is modern, clean and efficient (the immigration line was long, but it did move quickly).

Going into town, the Airport Express MTR line (HK$100/US$13) is fast (~25 minutes to Central) and only has a few stops. It even has wi-fi if you have signed up for that service.

As expected, there is English on virtually all signs (even in the city), so it’s easy to get around.

I should have bought my Octopus Card (the stored value transportation card) at the airport, which would have given me a free connection to the MTR subway (as I arrived too late to use the free hotel shuttle bus at Central for Airport Express passengers). Oddly, you can’t buy the Octopus card from a machine (though you can check the balance and add value from machines, once you have one). I ended up asking the 7-11 clerk who sent me back upstairs to buy one from the MTR customer service desk.

The Octopus card costs HK$150/$20, though a third of that is a refundable deposit. Like other decent transportation systems with smart cards, you touch a reader on entry and exit of subway stations and buses (though not the fixed price double-decker tram)

My hotel in Causeway Bay was easy to find, just a 5 minute walk from the MTR station of the same name. It’s a small (about 8×8 feet, including the ensuite bathroom, by which I mean picture a large shower stall with the toilet and sink thrown in there too) windowless single room (small twin bed with a thin but firm mattress) in a good location. And a TV – with only a dozen Chinese channels – woohoo! All for the bargain price of HK$400/US$52 a night!).

SFO: One leg down, 3 to go

After a painful 4:45 alarm. Gotta like 4 hours of sleep. Upgraded on 3 of 4 legs. Watched “we bought a zoo” – predictable but cute – and a good episode of Suits.
Also finally started reading HK history. Didn’t realize that the British got the Chinese addicted to opium (from India) and won HK as a result of the opium war of 1840.

Singapore vs Taipei street food

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/singapore/travel-tips-and-articles/77041

“Though without question a festival for nose and tastebuds, visually speaking most of Singapore’s centrally planned communal eateries have only slightly more charm than your average parking garage.”

Hmm. Well, I was a little disappointed with Taipei street food, but in a few weeks I’ll be able to compare Singapore (and Hong Kong) street food.

Update: having returned from Singapore now, I definitely give Singapore the win over Hong Kong, which in turn wins over Taipei, for street food.