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Day One: Arrival
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January 19, 2007
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Flew out today at noon. 14-hour nonstop flight from SF into Hong Kong. "United 747s" means "bad food and no seat-back television sets" in Cantonese, we found out.
Joe and I had two different strategies for dealing with the 8-hour time difference. Mine involved being so incredibly unprepared for the trip that I was forced to stay up until 4 a.m. the night before washing clothes so as to have a quantity of underwear suitable for a month-long trip overseas. Joe's had something to do with getting ready for the trip the previous weekend, being well-rested for the trip, and then overdosing on sleeping pills upon boarding the plane. Both strategies seemed to employ, as a secondary measure, liberal application of the free alcoholic beverages served on the flight, however, and despite a conspiracy between the massively uncomfortable seats and annoying passengers nearby we both managed to grab a few hours sleep on the way over.
We landed at 6 p.m. on Friday (after taking off at noon on Thursday; damn you International Date Line!), and though it was 4 a.m. from our perspective we were both alive and kicking. Picked up the luggage and hopped on the train to the island. Transferred to another train, then walked a few blocks to the hotel. Dropped our things off, showered, changed clothes, and headed right back out.
We took the train back up to Kowloon and went to the Temple Street Night Market. This market is a series of large stalls with vendors selling everything from leather goods, trinkets, clothing, art, and many other items. Food was, however, our first order of business. We sat down at one of the restaurants situated at the foot of the Night Market. Joe grabbed the menu and ordered clams in black bean sauce right away, mostly out of fear that might order first and force him to eat something far more dangerous and frightening. Four weeks is a long time, Joe. A lot of things can happen in a month.
We shopped the market. I bought a converter for the power outlets
here, as the one that I had the foresight to purchase last week I
managed to forget to bring. Joe bought a leather wallet with a
representation of Our Great Chairman Mao burned into it. I forced a
vendor to part regretfully with a grooming kit; in retrospect I think
she was only pretending that I was robbing her blind through my
peerless negotiation skills, and in reality she was quite happy with
the arrangement that I'd fought so 
dearly to achieve.
We were both hungry again. Headed back toward the foot of the market, we passed a dark alley in which we saw a woman huddled over a small mobile cooking stand. Several people stood in line nearby. Time and time again I've been told by websites and previous visitors not to buy food from street vendors, so naturally I had to buy food from the street vendor. I'm sorry, but if I get a chance to buy chicken satay from an unlicensed preparer in a dark alley somewhere in Hong Kong, I'm going to take it. Food tastes best when it's illegal.
Back on the subway across the water and into Central Hong Kong. Walked to Lan Kwai Fong, which is a small section of streets where hundreds -- maybe even thousands -- of expats and natives gather to party. The clubs are loud, the women are hot, and...the clubs are loud. It's like a giant frat party in the street. Except everyone's wearing really expensive clothes.
We wandered up to a less populated area and had a couple of drinks at Woolloomooloo, an Australian-themed restaurant and bar. As we passionately discussed changes in the grocery business that we've observed in our lifetime, a completely blitzed Australian woman booty-danced in front of our booth and then tried to sit down right next to Joe. (I thought: wow, they really did a good job making this seem like Australia.) Fortunately, one of her friends came over and rescued us. I mean her.
Back on the subway and back to the hotel. It's 2:30 a.m. local time, and I've been up for 26 hours straight. Despite having only arrived in town 8 hours ago, I feel like I've already spent a full day wandering through the streets and tunnels of Hong Kong. I think we're going to have a great time!
January 19, 2007 in Hong Kong | Permalink
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