After 5 hours flight to the north outside my country, finally my flight landed in that island. Well maybe only few people knew that Hongkong is an archipelago country because have some separate islands. Outside the migration controlled, I saw lots Europeans and some other local people, well didn’t know actually they were local people or another East Asia countries because mostly they had similar faces. Turned on my mobile and busy called some other friends that should meet me in this modern hongkong airport, finally I found them, a France man, a Scotland woman, a Deutsche, and the creasiest coming from England…an Englander. They came from different city; one of them came from Beijing, one from Kuala Lumpur, the others coming from Singapore then me coming from Jakarta. But all of us knew each other and ever lived in Jakarta, my own town.
“Oh shit… why Indonesia flight always delay?” the Englander said. I just looked at him with no motion. “That’s why my friend leave your country and leave you” he continued, now with laugh. “I left him and that’s the reason he left my city because no reason anymore for him to stay” I gave my bag to him; he grabbed my hair as a good friend. The others came to us and we were busy with hugging each other. Yah… 6 months already we were separated by countries, its counted as long time for miss feeling.
Took 1 taxi from airport went to our hotel, along the way full with laugh and kidding. Well actually Hongkong airport have direct express train that will take you from airport to the city but we choose taxi because I wanted to see TsingMa bridge that very popular in Hongkong. For Airport Express they would cost you around 150 thousand rupiah with really nice trip; I can say it because when I backed to Jakarta, from Hongkong island to airport I used that train. Taxi cost us more expensive, open door they would charge 15 thousand rupiah and the price counting so fast, I didn’t know how much actually per km but till the city we must pay 300 thousand rupiah.
Entered the city, I saw TsingMa from the far…really incredible bridge with new modern design in the middle of ocean. I tried to make it a picture but to difficult to make it while I was inside the car.
The taxi still drove away outside the city to the place that little bit quite south of Hongkong. The area was called Cyber port area. We stayed in Le Meridien Hotel, its little bit far from the city, yah… around half an hour from Hongkong city but more quite and the view was nice because we could see the ship in the ocean including the sunset. Hotel in Hongkong was damn expensive, for that hotel we must pay 2,5 million rupiah per night. And the room was small. It was nice and modern but I think it was smaller when I compared it with the same 5 star hotel in Jakarta. From the hotel to the city, they had Trans bus every hour but still they charged us although we were the hotel guest. The charge was around 50 thousand rupiah.
Covered Hongkong in the next day we went around the city. Hongkong is an island. From Hongkong Island you could see Kowloon and any other island was like another country. The distance between one island to others was relative close. It makes really nice view, mostly when you saw it in the night. About transportation inside Hongkong, you didn’t need to worry because transportation there was really good. They covered by underground train in any direction. You could pay the ticket in ticket box automatically that placed in everywhere in station. You just choose the direction where you wanted to go and prepare money. Well I think the ticket box in there was really smart; it even could receive paper money and gave you back the paper money and the coin also. So no need for you to confused about where you could get the coin. I think it’s smarter than the machine that I ever found in Europe, where I need to change my money to coin first then I could buy the ticket. There were some machines that received the paper money but it just limited amount of money. So in every station in Hongkong you would not find ticket counter because everything done by machine. You just only saw the information place that will help you about anything. Nice…
About the architecture, the skyscraper there was designed really nice because mostly building in Hongkong was built on the hill. There was one building that very famous there, it was called IFC (International Finance Centre). That building was very high until you even couldn’t see the top every morning because smoke covered it. On January, time when I went there, winter still coming in Hongkong and the air mostly was smoke. And the weather was around 16 degrees…yah… not too cold for winter I think. But maybe the weather will be perfect on April because it will be 24-26 degrees, a perfect weather for walking. IFC was a modern building with classy huge mall inside it. It related with Hongkong main Train station that looks like an airport; really huge…I think it’s around 5 floors.
I went to some other places in Hongkong Island. Some places that must go during in Hongkong Island are a museum so you can understand how Hongkong were built. The Scotland woman and Englander didn’t go with us to the museum, because they still busy with shopping in IFC…hmm… And then there was big park that be called Victoria Park, but for Indonesian be carefull there were a lot Indonesian worker there or Indonesia local people called them TKW (Tenaga Kerja Wanita) because mostly the workers are woman. I went to that park and found lot women that speak Javanese language, my mother language... haha I run away. One thing for you that like shopping will enjoy during you are in Hongkong is shopping time. Well there, you could find a lot shops with SALE on the window, you could find from famous brands till local product. I so enjoyed that. So don’t forget to bring enough money for shopping. There were a lot shopping centre, in the mall and others just small brand boutique along the street. So you entered from one boutique then went out and went to another boutique in the next door. It’s not same like Singapore where the boutique placed inside the mall.
For you that don’t like branded stuff, don’t worry you can buy the traditional things that are cheaper. This market called xxxx street (well I forgot the name, I’ll search it later in my handycam) and it’s only open during night till morning. All stuff in that street was quite cheap. I bought one miniature of Geisha only with 50 thousand rupiah, my friends bought t-shirt with mandarin word, he even didn’t know the meaning but he said cool so he took it haha, really interesting. This market was located in the corner of Hongkong, you could reach it by train and just need to walk for 2 blocks.
In the second day in Hongkong we went to the Victoria Peak, from this peak you could see all around Hongkong. And of course the Tsing Ma bridge. My eyes couldn’t stop to see the blue water in the down and nice big bridge on it, really incredible view. Well in Victoria Peak there were a lot places were you could enjoy cup of Chinese tea during watching the view and felt the cold weather. This place is better enjoyed during sunrise or sunset, so you can see the sun. I went there for the sunset. It’s in the up of Hongkong. We sat down in a tea café, talking about anything stupid that we ever done while waiting sun went down and finally disappear.
For night life, Kowloon was the place. It was only 10 minutes from Hongkong, you could reach it by underground train. In Kowloon you’ll find people from all countries. Bar and night club was open till morning and the street would never empty by people. We went there to enjoy music and had fun. In one nice bar I ordered “Virgin Long Island”. Those stupid friends look at me “you know long island right?” the Deutsche asked me. I said yes. “And u said virgin??” he continued and again I said yes. “It’s mean you order lemon tea” the Englander completed the Deutsche sentence with big laugh. I just didn’t care with them, “who cares, I don’t drink alcohol and I think virgin long island will be more nicer name then lemon tea haha” maybe from that they like me because I’m so funny (too confidence). But what I like from those people is they respect about who I’m, and I tried to respect also about who they are. All of us understand about the differences, every people and every country or religions have their own rules and standard about anything. I’ll tell you that one of those people didn’t believe of God but I can’t tell you which one. He said I can’t believe anything that I can’t see. I asked him several question about died or birth and how come those happen without something that control it and he gave me answered about knowledge bla bla so I stopped my questions. But still everybody respect him because finally it depend any of us which life that we want to choose. Anyway that night was fun, there was a nice band coming from Australia, I forgot the name and it was really good performance and we so enjoyed it.
The third day after slept till mid noon, in the afternoon we tried to cover some island outside Hongkong. We went to Lama Island; you could reach some of those islands from ship port in the middle of city. The ferry ticket price was so cheap, nah there you need coin to pay the ticket from ticket box. But don’t worry there are some counters where you can change your paper money to be a coin. I paid 15 thousand for boat trip to Lama Island. The island is not a tourist place, but there we could see how the shipper’s life. And also we can enjoy nice and cheap seafood. My Deutsche friend like seafood very much, so he eats was like crazy. Me… yah so so, I only like the fish, not much on crab. But still it delicious, eat seafood directly from the place while see shipper’s ships.
Almost night when we arrived back to the city, and I already dying couldn’t go anywhere after 4 hours trip in the middle of ocean.
The fourth day… that was Saturday, the day that was waited because that Disneyland time. Disneyland was little bit far from Hongkong. It was placed in the north of Hongkong as own island. You could reach it by a Mickey train from Hongkong station. I called it Mickey train because everything, train’s interior and exterior using mickey stuff. Even the window use Mickey style. The train ticket I think around 100 thousand rupiah. Don’t shock when inside the train you’ll find a lot young people because a lot interesting games in Disneyland. The trip was around 1 hour. Disneyland was in the hill, so you’ll feel that the train little bit up. Arrived in Disney you’ll find Disney things in all stuff, start from lamp, pot, the gate or even the flowers. Haha my child feeling came up, very funny. The ticket to enter Disneyland was around 300 or 400 thousand rupiah, I little bit forgot. And you could use all games with those tickets. Used the train, they showed us animation animals around the place. Not much interested for me, it’s only for children. Taman Safari Bogor I think was much better. Some games in Hongkong Disneyland were quite boring and only interesting for children. But some others was really good, example Galaxy Trip where the fast train, we called it Halilintar in Indonesia bring you slowly to a cave that was already set like Galaxy that have lots planet then moving so fast around 2 minutes. I screamed and angry with my Englander friend because he the one that force me to join that game. Shit! Ten minutes after and my heart still jumping and he just laughed look at to my stupid face. I found my stupid face in a picture centre, without we knew they took our picture when we used their game and sell it to us. I even didn’t want to see my own face in that camera but the Englander paid for that picture and brought it with him maybe for mouse in his apartment. The other interested game and the most I like was 4 dimension of Mickey movie. They gave us the glasses then we watched the 4 Dimension of Disney movie. Amazing… it was like they brought me with them flying, jumping and any others. Even I could smell the cake and feel the wind. My France man couldn’t stop to move his hand tried to catch something that he saw in front of him. After out from the cinema I always called him stupid and he protested as usual. Ah remembering Disneyland, I remembered a song that sing by Five for Fighting “Disneyland”. That song talk about how happy if we wake up everyday in Disneyland.
In the afternoon around 4 pm, the Disney parade appears. All Disney actors, Mickey, Mini, Donald and others join to the parade and everybody busy with their own camera and clack click tried to catch their pictures. Including me…
After all the day spent time in Disneyland, we backed again to the city. What can I say; I think Hongkong Disneyland wasn’t like what I expected. In my opinion it was standard, lots game that you can find in any other country, only the architecture that really nice with the hill background. Maybe Japan Disneyland is much better, well I’ll tell you more about Japan in other writing.
The fifth day, we spent days covered Cyber port. Walking around in the morning, only 2 people joined me because the Englander and France man still died in their room. We saw Chinese funeral, where everything looks white and plus they put died people’s picture on it. Hmmm… I said crazy when my Scotland woman or blonde (a name that we gave to her) take a picture with one of them.
Cyber port was a quite place; we only enjoyed the cinema and restaurant in that area. Lots nice restaurant there but because I didn’t eat pork so difficult for us to find a restaurant that free from it. One of my friend said “don’t say you’ll bring us to Kebab again” I just laughed. The other day I ever brought them to Kebab because it was free from Pork, and they lost their smile. “You’ll not die with eat Pork, you even don’t eat it… even the pork oil already make you afraid. What is this thinking” he continued. Difficult sometime to explain to them what the reason is why can’t and why can in my believing so I just answered “who cares”. And still follow me to search restaurant. Finally we went to a Chinese restaurant that gave us very big food. Easy for me to eat it because I often eat Chinese food and seems they liked it also. So it’s fair.
The sixth day was the time I should back to my country because my holiday only for 8 days. The France man continued to Thailand for work in the next day, the blonde and Deutsche will stay more 3 days in Hongkong before back to their work place. The Englander came to Jakarta with me, he said afraid if stupid man took me so he should be my bodyguard. That was so not true; the truth was he missed Jakarta. He likes that city very much and that time he took 3 weeks vacation. Actually he asked me went to Vietnam directly from Hongkong because it’s already closed, I said no with reason afraid of war. “Just say you don’t want because no war in Vietnam” haha I just laughed, because the truth reason was I needed to back to work or my company will fired me. He even provoked will teach me painting if I come with him, still I said no. After gave up and said how difficult I’m, finally he bought ticket to come to Jakarta with me with promise I’ll accompany him around Bali and maybe search for him a nice woman to be his girl friend. Huh… I said “nah now you ask me to be Germo” he knew the meaning and answer “its true girl friend, maybe if we matched I’ll marry her” its make me laughed too much when a crazy European man told me about marriage. He hit my head and I screamed “auchhhh”.
Finally after waited the boarding around 1 hour, I left Hongkong with big smile after amazing experience in the magic island.
(IeRn)
