Last day! I thought I’d be running out of things to do after a couple of days, but I could easily spend another 5 here. I’ve barely tried shopping, and there’s many other small, old outlying areas I’d love to visit. Today was a quick trip over to Macau with Kenneth and his mum, meeting at 11am. Got a few hours sleep and an early start to explore Central, of which I’d really only seen a tiny part of for drinks on Saturday night.
But this time there are photos of the crazy escalators! Which seem to run downhill when you’re heading up, and uphill when you’re headed down. More brow wiping.
Turns out my ‘markets in the morning, then stuff all until evening’ lesson learnt on the other side of the harbor is true there too. So it was just a morning of pretty, empty places and markets again.
Another in between meal sweet snack, this time an egg thing. Hot and awesome.
Meeting for the Macau ferry went fine, but the sailing we wanted back at 5pm was sold out and we had to make do for 4pm. Which might have been fine… But then we ate another insane meal. Portuguese this time, naturally. It was, like everything else, huge and incredible – but left us only an hour to explore. Oops.
We made straight for the ruined cathedral through the pretty part of town. I may have run in places to make up time. Worth it though. The ruins are beautiful, as is the view – I love that everyone looks so tiny down there.
Then it was leaping back in to a taxi, racing through streets I’d have loved a whole day to explore. It’s even more run down than the crummiest parts of Mong Kok, with buildings just crumbling in the streets.
I left Kenneth and both his parents for the last time in Central. They’ve been the most incredible hosts, going far beyond what I would have thought anyone would have done, and are just terribly lovely people. Thank you so much!
Then it was really just checking the last of what I could off the list. Trams!
I perched myself up top front, and rode from Sheung Wan down to Causeway Bay for another hit of ‘lots of people in small place’. Explored a little down there, but mostly just soaked up feeling like the only European kid awash in a sea of a thousand locals. Which is one of my most favorite things about this place.
And I really wish I had room for one of those Toy Story guys. Claw!
Another tram back to Central and a last ride on the escalator to visit Soho at night time. Once I’d spent a lifetime eating everything at the markets, and another one eating anything local left over, I’d spend my third lifetime eating everything in Soho. It all looks so good!
The last Star Ferry ride across the harbor got me all misty. And as lame as it is to admit to, I’m getting kind of misty now just thinking about it again. I love this place. And I’m pretty sure it’s not just because it’s the first stop. I really had no idea what to expect when I arrived, but it is an incredible mash of culture, history and life that you just get beaten over the head with. I felt alone and out of place most of the time, which is really pretty great.
Then I bought some shorts and had some crazy ass fruit jelly drink, surrounded by overhyped teenagers just before midnight.
And that was Hong Kong.
More photos from Hong Kong, day 5 on Flickr.
From August 11, 2010.