Holy Hong Kong, Batman!

Living on Saipan has changed me.

I learned this as I traveled to Hong Kong for the first time.

A mere three months ago I couldn’t wait to have a one-day layover in Tokyo so I could see and experience city life again, but, while I enjoyed Hong Kong, everything about it and everything I once loved about city life overwhelmed me.

Once I got off the bus from the airport and arrived on Kowloon Island I immediately experienced sensory overload—my head hurt from the bright neon lights, my ears ached from the car horns, the exhaust smelled terrible and the smog in the air irritated my skin and eyes.

But a mere four days earlier I had been experiencing island fever, so I was determined to enjoy my time as I navigated through buses, men hawking fake designer bags and tourists snapping photos.

As I walked out of my hotel I ran into a fellow female traveler, who was in Hong Kong for the first time during a four-day layover from New Zealand back to her native Germany. With a new friend made and plans set, I was ready to explore Hong Kong.

I took the Star Ferry for $2.20 Hong Kong dollars ($7.80 HK dollars to every U.S. dollar) from Kowloon Island to Hong Kong Island. There I walked through a street market that was not for the faint of heart or vegetarians. Fish flopped around as they were pulled from the water and strewn right in front of me. Pig legs hung from wires as butchers prepared meat right in front of the buyer. Walking—something I’m almost always in the mood for—was my next task. I walked across the island to Victoria Park, described as Hong Kong’s equivalent to NYC’s Central Park—a description I found quite accurate as I looked around at the green trees, joggers, children playing and looked beyond to the skyscrapers.

The next day was a busy, but exciting day. I met up with my new friend and we headed to the Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha Statue by boarding the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island, then transferring by another ferry to Lantau Island. Once on Lantau, I felt like I was in another country. The pace was slower, shops were smaller, and people seemed more relaxed. We hopped on a bus to the other side of the island and arrived 40 minutes later.

The 25-minute Ngong Ping Cable Car ride was a great way to see some of the island, as well as other parts of Hong Kong before walking up the many steps to the Tian Tan Buddha Statue, which is a site to behold. It can be seen from miles away. And with the Po Lin Monastery nearby, monks are seen roaming through the tourist friendly shopping village close by. I’d wanted to get a picture with a monk all day, but was too ashamed and embarrassed to ask. Thankfully, Miriam, my new friend, was not afraid to ask two monks for me. They happily obliged. I laughed a little as they whipped out their own digital camera so they could take their own picture of us.

The day ended with a ride up the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak. The peak, right in the middle of Hong Kong Island, provided great views of Hong Kong and Kowloon islands. (33 Hong Kong dollars)

I guess the 110 foot tall Tian Tan Buddha Statue wasn’t enough for me, because the next day I headed to the Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas, which actually has 12,000 Buddhas and significantly fewer tourists than the giant statue. The area was very calm and relaxing. Although I walked up hundreds of steps lined with Buddhas, I thought the temple name was misleading. There was no way there were 10,000 Buddhas, I thought to myself. That was until I got to the top and saw rooms filled with mini-Buddhas lining the walls.

After a quick power nap, my next task was shopping. I was excited to shop in a mall for the first time in a long time. But, once again, the bright lights and large variety of goods overwhelmed me, and I was only able to muster the strength to buy a shirt. Oh, Saipan. How you’ve change me.