Hong Kong observations. (Written on iPhone while there).
Vibrant, colorful, electric, fast paced, densely populated, city.
Both traditional and modern elements.
People drive and walk on the left side.
Smoking is more common than I'm accustomed to.
There is a 7-Eleven or Circle K on every corner.
Lots of French tourists.
A Lot of stair climbing. Lots up uphill walking. I walked more than 20 steps and climbed more than 20 flights daily.
In subway cars, 90% of riders are staring at cell phones, the other 10% are talking on them. (just like everywhere else).
Lots of cosmetics and herbs stores.
Lots of queuing up esp. for public buses.
Beware: water drips on you from air conditioning units from above.
Dying hair blonde is popular here too.
The young people are hip and happy and like to hang out in malls. Sound familiar?
Tapwater in the hotel is considered non-drinkable. They provide two free bottles of water daily. I was extremely good about this for the first 2 1/2 days. The last morning, As I contemplated checking out of my hotel, and taking a taxi to the cruise port, I got distracted, and accidentally used the tap water to brush my teeth. We will see what happens…… alert: I just realize I have been doing my sinus rinse every day. I've been using tap water for that. So I have been injecting not drinkable water into my system anyway.
They charge 50 cents per bag (many places) to encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags.
There are more banks per square foot than anywhere I have been!! Also, there are foreign currency exchanges galore!
Victoria Peak is Hong Kong island's tallest hill that provides spectacular views of the city and surrounding areas. The tran station was opened in 1888. At that time, travel to the top took three hours and now it takes only eight minutes. The tram is the steepest funicular railway in the world. I spent an hour walking around the peak soaking in all of the wonderful energy and breathtaking views.
Hong Kong first night --After more than 25 hours of travel, and experiencing a 12 hour time difference, I decided to take the metro from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon to visit some of the night markets. As I had suspected, Hong Kong is a vibrant, colorful, multicultural city. I am loving all the sites, sounds, and smells; Hong Kong is a feast for all the senses. Metro tickets cost HK$10 which is the equivalent of $1.25 US.
Note to self: walk on the left side of the street.
Overseas Travel—Last minute
packers need not apply
(see video below)
If you are planning to travel overseas, and if you are one of those last-minute packers who likes to pack the night before you leave,
there are certain things you need to plan two
weeks or at least one week before you leave.
Here are
some of my suggestions of travel checklist activities you can't leave for the
last minute.
·Ensure you have what you need before you begin to pack.
Write a pack list. Make sure you have everything on the list before you begin packing.
Major categories include passport with all travel documentation, outerwear, clothing,
shoes, underwear, toiletries, cosmetics, medications, workout clothing,
swimwear, pajamas, travel guides, spare glasses, extra luggage tags, cash, Key
electronics and chargers, extra credit cards, antibiotics, umbrella, reading
materials, at least one washcloth for each overseas hotel, and more.
·Carry-on what you cannot do without.
Think carefully about your
carry-on luggage. I always like to
bring everything I absolutely cannot do without, just in case my luggage never
arrives. This includes such items as medications, spare glasses, chargers for
electronics, and some extra underwear and socks.
·Address medical issues and bring key prescription
meds.
Think about any medical issues, any prescription medications you may need,
and contact your doctor. I highly recommend that everyone bring an antibiotic prescription with them. You
never know when you will need it.Also,
find out if there are recommended vaccines
for your destination countries. Arrange to take the vaccines.If you get carsick or seasick easily, bring seasickness medications.
·Notify banks and credit card companies of your
destination countries.
Contact your credit card
and ATM companies/banks and notify them of all of your travel destinations. You
want to ensure that you will be able to use them everywhere and avoid being
flagged because of “suspicious behavior”.Explore if your bank shares
alliances with overseas banks that will waive the ATM transaction fee. Also
find out what fees they charge for international transactions. Often the
transaction fee is 3% of the total.
Make sure you have enough cash in your checking account.
In case of emergencies, you may need to withdraw large sums.
·Bring extra US cash.
Get notes in small denominations so that you won't lose money if you need to change
smaller sums into the local currency. In some cases, (where appropriate) small
denominations of US bills can come in handy for tips.
·Have passwords handy.
Make sure you know all of
the passwords to your key accounts
especially financial and healthcare related.
·Give travel itinerary copies to loved ones.
Make sure your closest
loved ones have copies of your travel
itinerary including all hotel information.
·Procure $150 in local currency.
Never arrive
somewhere overseas without some of the local
currency. Make sure that when you arrive, you have at least enough money
for taxi fare, some food, and other miscellaneous needs. You don't know when or
where you will have your first access to an ATM machine. Large banks will allow
you to order foreign-currency in advance, online. They will ship it directly to
your home or to your nearest banking center. I recommend that you order at
least $150 worth of currency for your first country.
·Check the weather in advance.
Be prepared. As you are packing you
will need to know if you need light weight jacket or heavier jacket, a
raincoat, hats, gloves, and any other items for certain weather conditions.
·Bring international adapters and or transformers for
all of your electronic devices.
There are some handy
all-in-one adapters that include components for all the major parts of the
globe. I know that I at least need to charge my cell phone, laptop, e-reader,
camera batteries, and portable extra cell phone battery. Also bring extra
extension cords and chargers.
·Bring copies of your passport and bring two extra
passport photos.
In case you lose your
passport overseas, having passport photos will facilitate and accelerate the
process of acquiring another passport.
·Make sure that all of your devices work properly.
Twice, I discovered before
an overseas trip that my camera was no longer working. I had to run out to my
local electronics store at the last minute to buy another camera. For cameras,
make sure you have extra SD cards so that you won't have a limit on the the
number of photos and videos you can take.
·Pay your upcoming bills.
Also, you might even want
to pay some bills in advance of next month. Use your discretion. Of course it
depends on how long you will be away.
·Research and add international Telecom plan (phone,
data, text, etc.).
Check with your telephone carrier to see what international
plans are available that include phone, data, texting, and other services.
Also, find out which countries are included in your plan. On one of my trips
where I visited Baltic capitals, I discovered that Russia was not included in
my data plan and I had been using data while there. I was required to negotiate
a payment before they would reinstate my services (including free Wi-Fi
access).
Plan to keep track of your data usage. Remember
to reset your data counter on your smart
phone before you leave town. I usually do this after boarding my last
flight out of the United States.
·Notify your postal carrier that you will be away and
of your travel dates.
Finally, write a to-do list for your return.
Sometimes returning home after a long overseas trip can be overwhelming. If you
have a list of important next steps, it will make your transition back home
much easier to manage.
Here am I talking these points: (PS I have a small cold.)
Before the British captured Hong Kong in 1842, it was a
sleepy Chinese fishing village. Eventually becoming a major Shipping port, the
British transformed it into a modern Metropolis and finally handed it over to
China in 1997. Of note 95% of Hong Kong residents are Chinese and 50% were born
there. Cantonese is most widely spoken and because of the 156 year British
rule, English is spoken and most signage is also in English.
For tourism purposes, the city is divided into 4 major
sections each with its own smaller divisions. 1) Kowloon contains Tsum Sha
Tsui, Victoria Harbour, and Mong Kok. Across the harbor is
2) Hong Kong Island which contains Sheung Wan (in the
Western section), Central, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay. 3) The new territories
and 4) The 234 outlying islands.
I plan to soak in as many typical tourist sites as I can
without sacrificing quality time spent strolling the streets where I can see
traditional Hong Kong life.
Top on my list to visit are:
Victoria Peak
A Harbor ferry ride and ride from central to TST
A tour down Nathan Road
A day trip to Macau
The Hong Kong Museum of history and perhaps the heritage Museum on the outskirts of Sha Tin, in the new territories
The Man Mo temple (Sheung Wan) Hong Kong's oldest and most well known temple, and Tin Hau Temple (Mong Kok and Causeway Bay)
Hong Kong park (Central)
A visit to Sheung Wan, (west of Central which retains the feel of prewar Hong Kong)
Markets such as temple street night market, the ladies market, the flower market, the Jade market, and more
Strolls along Victoria Harbor
Stanley Island
Aberdeen for a sampan ride
I will likely buy a two day hop on hop off bus ticket. It includes three routes, a harbor ferry ride, the tram up to Victoria Peak, and a sampon ride
Kowloon waterfront Avenue of the stars--see the nightly
"symphony of lights" light show.
Update:
Hong Kong first night --After more than 25 hours of travel, and experiencing a 12 hour time difference, I decided to take the metro from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon to visit some of the night markets. As I had suspected, Hong Kong is a vibrant, colorful, multicultural city. I am loving all the sites, sounds, and smells; Hong Kong is a feast for all the senses. Metro tickets cost HK$10 which is the equivalent of $1.25 US.
Note to self: walk on the left side of the street.
From the time that Ferdinand Magellan claimed the country
for the Spanish, in 1521, it was ruled by Spain for more than 300 years.
Following Spain's defeat by the United States in 1898, the Philippines became
an American colony, not gaining its independence until after World War II.
Prior to that, the Philippines had been ruled by the Chinese, the sultanate of
Brunei, and during World War II it endured a brutal Japanese military regime.
Today the Philippines is a melting pot of ethnic and
religious tolerance--a meeting point of east and west. Largely a Christian
nation since it was under Spanish rule, it is home to a growing number of
Muslims.
Of note, the Philippines was named for the Spanish king
Philip.
The Philippines official languages are Tagalog, (the
Filipino language) and English.
My visit:
Today, I visited Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
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