SEVEN DAYS IN THE FAR EAST

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Well hello there,

it`s been a while, hasn`t it. After months of exams, dissertation and semi-ridiculous attempts to get a decent bachelor`s degree, I`ve finally managed to keep my word by writing up a little something about my time in the Far East. Hong Kong had been on my bucket list for quite some time, so the excitement was - correspondingly - super real when I finally boarded that plane that carried me for eleven dead-boring hours to the other side of the globe. Despite my desperate efforts to get some rest, I didn`t sleep for a single minute, quite in contrast to my mother who missed departure, landing and everything in between. Staying awake paid off though; the first glimpse I caught of the former British colony was a city bathed in golden evening light as the sun was about to set below its horizon. Mesmerised by the picturesque spectacle, I could not but wonder what kinds of adventures were waiting for me over the course of the following seven days.

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Day 1: Art Basel

At 7am sharp, my parents and I jumped out of bed to get ready for one of the main reasons we had embarked on this journey in the first place: Art Basel. Now, for those of you who are a) rather unfamiliar with the concept or b) couldn`t care less about the global movement of contemporary art, the fair could be defined as one hell of a yearly, bougie event where everyone gets all fancy and dressed up, new artists are introduced and old ones are celebrated. Having had the privilege to attend a couple of times myself, I can only confirm that it is truly great fun, interesting and also wonderfully entertaining - provided one allows some space for a healthy amount of cynicism. It really is an exhibition staged by luminaries and wannabes alike and is thus quite something else and definitely worth the experience. I`ll be writing about my favourite Art installations, pieces and galleries in my next post, so watch this space if you feel like it.

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Day 2: Hop-On, Hop-Off

I usually like to switch things up when I travel, meaning that I hardly ever follow the same pattern when I explore a new place. Sometimes I prefer to take the train, or I feel inspired to rent a motorcycle if the scenery is particularly intriguing. On other occasions, I opt for walking to discover a city on foot, or I find myself on random rooftops to get a new perspective. There`s only one routine I`ve been religiously sticking to since my early days of voyaging, and that`s the discovery of a new place en route in form of a hop-on, hop-off bus. Nothing will give you a better first overview of your destination than said double-decker buses, believe me. True, the tickets are a tad more expensive than what you`d spend on classic public transport, but they`re often valid for 48 hours and take you everywhere you truly need to go. The rides are not only cosy, but they`re equally informative and educational (#winwin) and if you`re lucky enough like we were on our second day in Hong Kong, you even get a chance to tan on the deck between stops, whilst enjoying an excellent first taste of the city you`re yet to explore. I mean, say no more.

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Day 3: Ups and Downs

You may already know this (or just not really care) but Hong Kong is particularly known for its unconventional history, its mix of architectural styles as well as for its rather unorthodox geography. You`d think that with over 260 territorial islands and peninsulas, moving around the place would get kinda hard...and it definitely would have been an issue had the system of transportation been anything like the one we have here in the UK. But nooo! The metro has air con (wanna follow suit Central Line?), the buses run on time and the ferries are the most enchanting vessels I`ve seen in a lifetime. Seeing that my parents and I were based in Kowloon Island, we were forced to cross Victoria Harbour by sea each morning in order to get to the main attractions and sites. What seemed like an endeavour at first turned out to be the perfect start to each day: Equipped with three Cappuccinos we enjoyed the 15-minute ferry rides by observing the city`s slow awakening whilst gliding across the water in absolute tranquillity. 

The Harbour seemed like the ideal nodal point from which to explore Victoria Peak, a mountain situated on the western half of Hong Kong Island overlooking the city and its adjacent territories. Let me warn you if you should ever wish to get all the way to the top: The journey itself is a ridiculously straining enterprise, predominantly due to the endless queueing for the Victorian train designed to take passengers to the observation deck offering a stunning view of Hong Kong and its surrounding areas. Don`t get me wrong - it was definitely worth it, but I recommend getting tickets in advance should you truly fancy the experience. 

 

As much as the deck was magnificent, I mostly appreciated the 40-minute walk around the Peak`s nature reservoir. Offering a peaceful and soothing escape from the myriad of people flooding Hong Kong`s streets from morning to evening, the silence of the wood combined with a breeze of fresh air put me in absolute zen-mode for the rest of the day. 

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Day 4: Shopping à la Fierce

I don`t know if the same applies to you guys, or whether it`s just mere coincidence that a considerably large number of individuals appears to be particularly intrigued by other people`s shopping habits, but no matter where I go and how long I disappear for, the first question I`m asked when returning from one of my trips is always the same: What. Did. You. Buy? This will forever throw me. You`d think that embarking on a voyage such as flying all the way to China would spark a different set of queries. But no. "How was your trip?" or "What did you see?" appear to have gone completely out of fashion. As a result, I found myself discussing Hong Kong`s shopping possibilities with a random stranger on the tube the minute I got back to London - only this time, it didn`t bother me as much. The truth is, shopping in Hong Kong is fun and an adventure in itself. I couldn`t believe my eyes when I walked into its high-end district where every shop seemed bigger than the previous one and every corner brighter than the one ahead. It felt like my senses were about to overdose, and it wouldn`t stop there as the nights were even busier than the days at rush hour. 

The grandma that I am internally rejoiced silently when I found a little side street off the beaten track that was lined with antiquity shops and vintage stores. Whilst I spent most of my money on rare coins and ancient Jade, I nonetheless suggest you check out the Ladies` and the Temple Night Street market: From books, pricey Adidas, exotic spices to maneki-nekos (waving cats) and fake Louis Vuitton chop-sticks, I promise you - they had it all. 

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Day 5: Temples, Rituals and Other Stories

Judging from personal experience, it is virtually impossible to visit Asia without stumbling upon a temple, a monastery or any other form of spiritual institution by accident. I thus wasn`t surprised when I suddenly spotted a beautiful, yet dilapidated ancient building contrasting against the sea of concrete skyscrapers right at the heart of Hong Kong Island. Lured in by its open gates and the tantalising scent of burnt incense, we decided to enter. The Hung Shing Temple turned out to be a minuscule yet intriguing site. Unfortunately, we were prompted to leave quickly after lighting a few incense sticks due to the disappointingly unfriendly staff. Not ready to give up yet, we decided to continue our search for another spiritual site we could explore.

Famous Man Mo wasn`t hard to find as swathes of heavy incense smoke marked the entrance to the temple premises. Merely lit by candles, this site was considerably larger than the previous one and offered enough space for people to pray and perform rituals. Just as I was about to offer a bunch of incense sticks to a golden Buddha statue, an old woman approached me. Eagerly, she took me by the hand and began to tell me all about the temple`s history, legends and deities - or so I presume, seeing that she kept relentlessly talking in Cantonese at me and I had absolutely no idea what she was on about. Continuously nodding and smiling, I spotted my dad from the corner of eye who was engaging in a similarly one-sided conversation with an equally ancient species. I started to feel strangely light-headed, much to the amusement of my voluntary tour-guide who pointed towards the ceiling where gigantic incense-helixes were hanging from. After what seemed forever, my parents and I finally reunited in front of a particularly rich altar where we were encouraged to participate in a ritual aimed to increase our family`s prosperity, wealth, happiness and success. Thrilled and smelling like three pieces of grilled chicken, we left the temple and made our way back to Kowloon. 

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Day 6: The Zen Got Real:

This might have been my favourite day. Inspired by Man Mo`s spiritual and peaceful atmosphere, we decided to round off our Asia trip by visiting one of Hong Kong`s most venerated sites. I`d read about Lantau Island and its famous Tian Tan Buddha years ago, but still gasped in disbelief when I spotted the gigantic bronze statue enshrined at the top of evergreen Mount Muyu through the glass of the cable car window. A feeling of indescribable elation washed over me when we finally reached the Ngong Ping plateau, which marked the beginning of the official pilgrimage trail. 

It was a pleasant walk. The path was flanked by statues and white arches that led us past the Po Lin monastery where we were lucky enough to observe a traditional ceremony held by Buddhist monks. From there, we continued to follow the streams of visitors flocking towards the colossal figure. The silence surrounding us was remarkable. By the time we`d reached the 268 steps that separated us from the statue, I couldn`t hear a sound but the whisper of the wind. 

A little hypnotised I began to mount one step at a time until I stood in front of Buddha. For the less spiritual among you, let`s just say it was a truly impressive sight. The bright sunshine painted the surrounding scenery in the most gorgeous light whilst the bronze statue appeared even more majestic from up close. For those of you who believe in the energetic power of the moment however, the story goes slightly differently: As I stood in front of Buddha in complete awe, I felt something shift inside of me. It was as though the weight of all the restlessness, stress and exhaustion that I`d been carrying around for weeks was suddenly lifted off my shoulder and a pleasant warmth was spreading through my body instead. I decided to stand there for another ten minutes breathing freely and making sure to soak up as many good vibes as possible before leaving Tian Tan behind. I don`t know what to tell you guys...I guess, the zen got real. 

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Day 7: ...and on the seventh day you shall rest, they say.

And that`s exactly what we did. We spent most of our last day revisiting the places we`d liked the most and concluded our journey with an extended saunter along Victoria Harbour at golden hour before packing our bags and bidding Hong Kong farewell.

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As always, thanks for reading and browsing,
à la prochaine,
 much love,

Hilary Fierce

xx