Uwi in Hongkong (english version)

Uwi in Hongkong
21th - 28th February 2004

Sorry for all write mistakes!


Why Hongkong?
-------------

At first of all there is of course the question, how the hell get somebody
the idea to spent his vacation in a city with 7 million inhabitants?
Basicly i had 2 reasons: Firstly i was already in Hongkong, but just for
a short time in transit to Bali / Indonesia, that means except for the
airport and some views through the plane´s window i didn´t seen as much
of the city - but this was effectual enough to awake my interest. I read
a lot about Hongkong and i resolved to travel there someday.
Secondly, of course i would meet my there living mailpal Py Ho, she
prodded my curiosity even more.
Fortunately i found a new job after almost one year of unemployment,
so that i had, beside my strong sake to go there, also the necessary
money for this travel.
Due to the fact, that Hongkong seemed to me as a relative expensive place,
i decided to make a one-week trip, as a precaution.


How to survive a 15-hours-flight
--------------------------------

The fastest way from Berlin to Hongkong (i use HK from now on) is in
transit via London. Regrettably there are start none long-distance
flights from the biggest city of Germany, so the traveller has to
change at least one time, in my opinion a real evidence of incapacity
for a capital - but it can´t be helped.
Primary you have the choice to go in transit via Paris, Frankfurt
or London. However you decide, it is always a detour, because you
fly in a west-east-zig-zag-course. I decided to use the way via
London, because the stopover time was the shortest one and the
ticket fare of British Airways was the cheapest one.
Okay, could travel even cheaper with some arabian airline in transit
via Dubai and somewhere else - but i wouldn´t overplay my bravery
for a risk...

Normally if you travel abroad, you should be on the airport around
1.5 - 2 hours before departure. But on this afternoon it was in such
way full in Tegel, that it would really sufficient to arrive the
check-in counter a half hour before take off. One reason for the
delayings were the fussy security checks (in principle there are none
objections against that), but the other reason was a african extended
family with 3 or 4 children, which hold up the whole processing.
While the mother rummaged their 32 bags in searching for something,
the kids got out of control and walked around in the airport (even
towards the outside street!) and made sure, that the security officers
became not bored.

Finally the plane was taken off to London with about 30 minutes of
delay and got immediately in displeasing turbulences, which not really
reducted, so i “enjoyed“ a 90 minute roller-coaster ride. The landing
in London Heathrow was accordingly hard, more precisely this knockmobile
fell out of the sky like a stone.

If you wasn´t in London Heathrow before, you will realise amazed, that
the airplane doesn´t dock on a terminal building, but land on the open
air airfield. From there i was carried to terminal 1 with a totally
overheated bus. Arrived there i had to pass a security check again,
then i went to the next bus stop and from there i used a other bus,
which transported in a 10-minute cruising in through the dark to terminal 4.
I realised, that the time for the transit was just about sufficient,
because the boarding for the flight to HK was already running.

Almost of the 11 hours from Lonon to HK i slept. The neighbor seat wasn´t
occupied, so there was a enough legroom for a reasonable agreeable
position. At any time i was awoke by the nasty smell of typical british
breakfast and as i looked out the window, i saw already China in 10.000
meters below.


First encounters with the chinese language
------------------------------------------

The first chinese, that i met, was a add-value-machine. There i tried to
charge my octopus-card. Py Yee sent me this card. Primary it is electronic
ticket for the local traffic. Beyond this this card act also as a multilateral
usable electronic purse, thus it is really practical.
If you approach to this machine, you find 3 slots, one for the rechargeable
octopus-card, one for banknotes and one for credit cards. In fact the specific
necessary steps to recharge are illustrated in some strange english pictograms,
but the display menu is completely on chinese. As i as average european guy
regrettably cannot understand this language, i tried with random pressing of
all buttons until the screen showed me a “400“ and the machine spat out my
credit card. A short test at the next-door standing sensor proved, that the
octopus-card was really charged with 400 HK$. Interestingly i did not typed
in my PIN, i jumped over this actually necessary step?!?


Calculations
------------

The Euro was already really strong before my departure. Anyhow i decided to
divide all HK$-prices by 7, later i realised, that the exchange rate was even
at 1 : 9,65 - however i kept my calculation base and so could evaluate the
price relationships quite good.
So 7 HK$ are 1 Euro.


Pui Yee
-------

At this point i want to say again thank you to Py for spending a part of
her anyway scanty spare time for and with me. For her understanding it is
absolute normal for a HK-chinese, to work almost 50 hours a week, to attend
training courses on the weekend additionally and to have a vacation of only
one week per year - unimaginable for us!!
Furthermore she is bankrupt now because of my guiltiness, but i really didn´t
got a chance to pay back. Already before and also during my stay in HK she
given me a lot of usefull hints and in any case she is at least so much that
nice in person as i know her from the internet.
Let´s hope, that we will meet the next time here in Berlin and definitely i
am then he who will say “forget about it“!!!


Public transportation in Hongkong
---------------------------------

The airport express-train is with ticket fare of 100 HK$ the most expensive
transport vehicle of the city. But you can take the name literally, because
this train is really damned fast and take the traveller to the Hongkong
central station in exactly 23 minutes.
The infrastructure in HK is very good. There are 4 subway-lines(MTR), a net of
rustic twin-level tramways, ferries to the mainland and to the outlying
islands and one million busses, which go in every corner of the city.

I realised, that the public transportation of HK is really dirt-cheap.
The reason is just about the mass of passengers, the MTR is really crowed
out at every time of day. But i wasn´t bothered by this, because the trains
are very fast and - just as all busses - they are air-conditioned.
A ride with the MTR costs about 4 - 10 HK$, depending on the distance.
The operation is fully automatic by using the octopus-card, so you don´t
have to spend a mind about tariff zones or similar things. Just present your
card to the sensor on the entrance and also on the exit of the destination
and the accordant amount will deducted. This works in a similar kind in the
busses or in the ferries. One trip with the old tramway costs always laughable
2 HK$ and it doesn´t matter, how far you go! But the routing of the tram remains
mostly as a secret of the native people.

In addition there is the KCR, a kind of regional train / city train, which goes
among other things to the northly lying New Territories up to the chinese border.
Sadly i hadn´t enough time to use this train.

The MTR stations are very huge, clean and bright. Service-staff is present
everytime and extreme helpful. Some of the stations are deep under the earth
and have a countless amount of escalators and many confusing entrances and exits.
But everything is signposted really good. If Uwi had eyed the signs a little
more, maybe he had lost his way 1 or 2 times less.


Lost in Hongkong
----------------

If you step out the protective station into the amazing tower-jungle of HK,
you will be thunderstrucked inevitably.
My first impression was: ´Wow, it´s really loud here!´
And at second: ´Wow, damned high buildings here!´
I have been warned by Pui Yee: Buildings, buildings and buildings again,
as far as you can see and none building with less than 30 levels. I felt
totally lost in this first moment.
After overcoming the first shock, i attempt a trial to orientate myself,
that´s not easy if you see just giant buildings around you. But the city
Victoria on Hongkong island is quite narrow, on one side is the water and
on the other side are the mountains. All big main streets lie more or less
parallel to each other, so you can negotiate your way quite good after some
time. But in the tangle of smaller side roads you can lose your way anyway.


The traffic
-----------

On the 6-track main streets it is really loud. The traffic flow is more
or less good, in the morning and evening rush hour hardly ever. The air
pollution was quite livable, but i don´t want imagine the muggy summer
season with 35 degrees or more. I can understand, why the poeple wear
breathing masks then. But if you enter a side street, the noise level is
alright and in the parks amidst the city it is even really silent.
In Hongkong obtain left-hand drive and the car drivers sit on the right
side - of course i sensed either as absolutely wrong!
As a result i looked always in the wrong direction, if i would cross
a street. But the car drivers of HK are so friendly to give you a short
honk before they knock down you - no, no, just a joke. If you don´t run
on the street completely pellmell, you haven´t to fear nothing. The car
drivers are everything else than reckless speed merchants, but you should
be attentive. Often i found helpful signs on the street, which show the
right-hand traffic wont tourist with “look left“ and “look right“, from
where you have to expect the metal avalanche.
The private cars, that i´ve seen, were just the fattest limousines,
without exception. Beside this i saw taxicabs, busses and sometimes
scruffy chinese trucks. The benzin / petrol is very expensive in compare
to Germany, also you often have to pay extra fares for using a express tunnel.
On this account and because of the really well-priced and efficient public
transportation system, it is totally insane to rent a car. Above all you
would spend a lot of time in the traffic jam.


The natives
-----------

In Hongkong live about 7 million people - and in my european eyes they
are all looked something identic.
In honesty, although i known the look of Pui Yee, i never had detected
her in the crowd. Whereas i attract attention in the milling mass of
chinese people like a checkered dog, so she had apparently no effort to
indentify me.
HK is like a big ant-hill, a unbelievable mess. But generally i didn´t
sensed the crowd as insomuch thronging, because the chinese people are -
quite contrary to the germans - very considerate. What look as hecticness
at first view, emerge often as real calmness. Even in the thick of it i
was never jostled.
Every (relly every!) native carry along a mobile phone on the ear or
ready to hand on the body, of course only the newest hitech-models.
In the subway was always a nutty twitter and of course i didn´t understood
one word of it. Also other electronic toys are very popular, e.g. pocket
computers.
The clothing of the chinese people range from perfect fittet tailor-made
suits over casual jeans-and-shirt-vogue to the shrillest costumes, whose
abnormal colour combination reminded me on the wild 80ies.
The most chinese people speak a good english, at least i had no bigger
understanding problems. Beside this, the most spoken languages are
mandarin and cantonese, but i really couldn´t keep apart them.
In any case the natives are friendly, they behave more reserved than
obtrusive. Blandness is self-evident and all kind of service is very
important.

I had a special experience in a McDonalds restaurant, where i would buy
something to eat, but i hadn´t enough cash. They don´t accept the
octopus-card (i wondered why?). Just in the moment, as i would leave
the restaurant to search an ATM, an american man appealt to me in front
of the counter. He just bought a ice. He asked me, what did i like to
eat and i answered, that i would buy a McChicken meal but hadn´t
enough cash along with me. Suddenly he said, that i would be his buddy
now and he would pay for me! Before i could protest against that, he
ordered the meal and put the money on the bar. Of course i told him,
that he would get back the money and i figured, that he would wait until
i got cash on the ATM. But this guy just said, it´s alright. I could just
about ask him, where are he from and he told me, that he is in fact an
american, but live here in HK already since 20 years. Some seconds later
he went to exit, called anything like “see ya!“ and disappeared! I taken
my food and followed him, but i couldn´t see him outside on the street.
I saw just a departing jeep. This dude just gave 20 HK$ for a totally
unknown person! Such a thing is absolutely unthinkable in Germany!

One of the most favourite activities of the chinese people is Tai Chi.
In almost every quiet place you can watch them in really oddly slow-motion
movings and nothing can disturb them.
Regrettably i have no idea about this recreation technic, but i´m sure,
would i try this Tai Chi here in a public park, i would probably arrested
under suspicion of drug abuse.

The people in Hongkong are just stunning.


On the way in Hongkong
----------------------

Due to the fact, that i booked only one week, i decided to use every day
as best as possible. I left the hotel at the latest around 10 o´clock and
was back seldom before midnight. The weather was ideal to roam, with
temperatures about 20 - 25 degrees just comfortable warm. Temporary it was
bit cloudy or misty, but this seems normal in this season.

You are wrong if you think, Hongkong is only a metropolis of business
without any sights! There is so much to see an the city offers a lot of
possibilities for all kind of untertakings.
If you want to the beach, just take the bus to repulse bay - of course
the water was too cold in february. For hike there are roomily country
parks. If you want to do something for your education, you can visit one
of the countless museums. If you like action, just go to the ocean park,
a big amusement park at the southside of the island, but the prices there
match more to the european proportions.

Of course HK is THE shopping paradise! The streets are full of stores and
you can really buy everything. And also of course there are many giant
shopping malls, which are often connected toghether, so you can walk and
walk many kilometres from building to building without entering a street.
In price i found everything from super-discount to mega-expensive and
of course all well-known designers are present in orotund dimensions.
And it smells! If you walk around in one of the small side streets, you
will be overwhelmed by new smells: Tea, pastries, suddenly dead fish,
then joss sticks, grilled something...
In tiny stores they sell dried mushrooms, spices and herbs, partly even
Pui Yee didn´t knew everything.
Next to a ATM in shadow of a skyscrapper somebody arrange a wok and start
to cook, indefinable see-animals - indeed this food is not really dedicated
for european gastrics. But you can´t starve in HK, because there are so
many different restauants. Mostly you find all kind of fast food, that
means e.g. that you get at Yoshinoya a really big bowl of rice, vegetables
and pork meat for only 18 HK$. I just managed this big portion.
In near every street is a McDonalds. There are nice little restaurants,
which have only a chinese-printed menu and you can to simplify matters just
type on the plastic example of the food to tell your wish to the only
cantonese speaking cook. Of course there are also very posh noble restaurants,
where you have to wait for a free table, then you´ll placed like in the
former GDR.
In the pharmacies it seems you can buy there only virility-raising chinese
wonder-medicine. In one of the countless tailorings you can order a suit
upward from 200 HK$. I think, i don´t need to say, that you can buy the
latest technical gadgets everywhere.
You can buy quality eyeglasses for a fraction of the german price, whereas
e.g. books are clearly more expensive than here.

Well, on what you should have a look? In any case the Hongkon Park, a green
oasis amid the city. Also very recommendable is the zoo, the entry is free!
A part of the zoo was closed in precaution of the bird flu. Time-honoured
buildings in victorian style became rare and are often - just like the many
temples - very hide in the skyscrapper´s spinney.
The spectra of architecture range from rather prosaic standard-design to
the odditiest constructions and everytime, when i meant, that i´d seen the
craziest or highest building, i found a even crazier or higher one around
the next corner.

At all places i saw processes of renovation, reconstruction or new construction.
In a tiny little gap, wherein seeming never match a house, they build up a
framework of bamboo and climb around there without great protection like chimps
and just 15 months later you find a new building at this place, with at least
30 levels!

Whoever decide to visit Hongkong should not have acrophobia. One of the tallest
buidlings is the central plaza with more than 70 levels. I used the express lift
from the main lobby up to the sky lobby in the 46th level, it´s a really turbo
elevator, which handle this distance in few seconds. You can enjoy a fantastic
view there.

Also interesting is the Victoria Park, in which the people indulge some weird
sports. For example there is a foot massage path, made of different spiky stones
and the people walk on this ways without shoes - really strange...

Furthermore you should take a look into the across from the park located
worth seeing central library.


The peak
--------

This is the name of the whole mountain area, which is located straight on the
city. Following a commendation i was up there twice, once on the day and once
on the late evening. The fastest and most comfortable way to enter the mountain
is the peak tram, a stone-old cable railway, which accomplish the distance from
the city centre to the 500 meters high located peak tower in only 10 minutes.
Of course you can use the very practical octopus-card there too, just present
your wallet to the sensor and let´s go!
The train goes every 15 minutes until midnight! You sit not very snugly in this
train, because of the wooden benches and the rise of 17%. Also the panorama
during the ride is noway so exhilarating, like my guide book wrote about.
But as i said, it´s just 10 minutes to go and the view from the peak tower´s
terrace is just breathtaking, particulary in the night! Inside the tower are
good restaurants, some terrible tawdry souvenir-shops, the museum of curiosity
“Believe it or not“ and one of the well-known exhibits of Madame Tussaud´s
wax figures. It looked interesting, but i considered the entry fare of 90 HK$
as to much. Of course there is also a McDonalds on the top of the mountain.

I decided to walk back, so i used the “Green trail“, which led me through
the forest / jungle down to the city. The way end on the lower station and
near this point i saw the once and only graffiti of HK - somebody sprayed
a “happy st. valentines day“ on a wall.

My second visit on the peak was on the next evening. After the dinner i taken
a walk on the panorama way around the top, which offers the best possibility
to enjoy the nightly view on the city. The guide book described the average
duration for this walk with only 50 minutes - this emphasised as very
unrealistic, i need at least 2 hours until i reached the peak tower again.


The concrete jungle
-------------------

At first sight it acted very embarrassing to me. The direct conterminous
to the city located slopes were covered with concrete. The trees and plants
grow through it resp. are encircled by it. All ways are pave over too and
even in the thickest forest you find concrete water channels. Later i found
out, that this sanction to the nature could be more clever, than i thought
at first. By the description of Pui Yee, it rains in the months of summer
very intensive, lasting for hours - offhand could happen a landslide and
an avalanche of slick would gush into the city!
The nature may develop only with restrictions, but what look like a depletion,
is in a nearer oservation an absolutely necessary protection measure for
the population.


Kowloon / Tsim Sha Tsui
-----------------------

Because i don´t like ferries, i used the MTR through under the water
towards the mainland and get out of the train on the station Tsim Sha Tsui.
There is the start of the famous Nathan Road, which was described in my
guide book as a worth seeing shopping mile. I myself didn´t really like
this street. Definitely, it is a endless shopping mile, full of huge
illuminated advertising signs, which partly hang down so deep, that i was
worried about my head.
But it´s really loud and muggy there. Beside this, you will always spoken
by arabian people, who try to sell you fake rolex watches and similar
waste. It´s easy to get rid of them by a simple shake of the head, but
there were so many, it was really nerving.

The whole eastern area of this district is a terrible big construction
site, they build a KCR extension from Kowloon station.

A very nice array is the Kowloon Park, shortly next to this park you can
take a look on the really expensive deluxe hotels and on the big cruise
ships on the ocean terminal.

The southly waterside is ditto quite interesting, there is the cultural
centre, the space museum and the art museum. From there i had a groovy
view across to Victoria.
But you can delete confidently the more eastern located new world centre
out your sightseeing plan.
On the place in front of the space museum i was spoken permanent by some
very ominous turban-persons, who tried to tell me, how do i get a happier
boy. And barely i sit down on a bench, the next one approached me, but it
turned out, it was just a harmless student, who had to made a poll about
the public transportation system, so i participated in it.


Lantau island
-------------

Of course i want to visit the giant Buddha! The 22 metres high statue is
located in the Po Lin monastery.

Uwi is not a seaman. Anyhow i decided to take the ferry, admittedly the
fast ferry, to keep the time on the water as short as possible.
A ride to Lantau island costs 21 HK$, the much slower ordinary ferry
just the half. The ship need about 30 minutes, even though it got see-saw,
the travel was almost alright.
Arriving Lantau i taken the bus to the monastery, which go firstly around
the half island and snake up then on the mountain from the rear side.
For visiting the Buddha, you have to climb up a long staircase. On the
entrance you have normally to pay a fare of 50 HK$, which also contains
a vegetarian meal. But i wasn´t hungry for vegetarian food and also i
knew already, that i may cheat-through with impunity, i saved my money
and marched upstairs. The statue is truly impressive!! In the socket is
a exhibition about the construction of the Buddha, but there you cannot
enter the rooms without the ticket.
The temples of the monastery are also interestin, particulary the hall
of the hero.
The next-door located vegetarian restaurant aroused to me more the
impression of a canteen for mass-feeding of tourists. The clever ones
follow the self-written signs and find a small way, passing on the right
side of the monastery. Behind a youth hostel i found a very nice and quiet
garden-restaurant, located admid the forest, which offers delicious food
for a good price.
I would take this way in any event, because i saw on the map, that i could
walk about 7 kilometres to the northly located Tung Chung. Regrettably the
way was closed, because of a construction site. So i had to take the bus
again. The bus droven around on the island for almost one hour. The reason
was again, that the street lead first down to the coast, then to the left
and over a pass on the other side of the mountain towards Tung Chung.
So after a second round trip i arrived in Tung Chung, a “little“ suburb
with “only“ 330.000 inhabitants. There live mainly employees of the HK
airport, which is located just some kilometres northly on the island
Chek Lap Kok.
From Tung chung i taken the MTR back.


Lamma Island
------------

This nice island is located just a few kilometres south-westerly to
Hongkong island, but it shows you a complete other image than the in the
range of sight lying metropolis.
The buildings in the little villages are 2 or at maximum 3 levels high.
It is a hilly, green and very silent island and you cannot believe, that
the city is quasi around the next corner. There are no cars.
Of course you have to use a ordinary ferry to reach Lamma island, there
exist none (yet) MTR line, regrettably...
The journey time is about 20 minutes and after the arriving there i need
at least the same time again to dispose the feeling of up-, down-, left-
and right-wobble. I hate this!
Sok Kwu Wan is a small fishing village, there is only one street and
maybe 30 houses, whereby 28 of them accommodate sea-food restaurants.
At the end of the village start several good marked hiking trails. I taken
the “family trail“, which lead you cross the island from south to north
towards to Yung Shue Wan. If you walk slow and make some break, it should
take about 2 hours, so this way is really ably for families. Yung Shue Wan
is also a nice little town with good and cheap restaurants.
The once thing, which disturb the beautiful scenic overall picture, is the
there located big coal power plant.


Hongkong science museum
-----------------------

The museum is located near the KCR station Kowloon, so that means, i had to
pass through the big construction site in Tsim Sha Tsui again. The HK science
museum is the biggest museum of the city, on the oppisite side is also the
museum of history. I found the building complex around 16.30, so originally
i thought, i could manage a visit in both houses. But there were two reasons,
why this didn´t happened: Firstly, the museum of history close at 19.00 (the
other one at 21.00) and secondly, the science museum is as much ingenious,
that i spent almost 4 hours in there!
You can really touch and try everything, play around everywhere, near all
imaginable science topics are explained demonstrative in easy english and
the whole exhibition offers an amazing interaction for the visitor. The
best part is of course the giant kinetic energy machine, which occupy the
half house and run the show every 2 hours.
It is more a kind of adventure playground with interesting effects of
learning, insofar i can give my warmest recommendations for a visit in this
museum. The entry fare costs 30 HK$, included a special space exhibition,
because of the shortly successful conducted mission of the first chinese
man in space. It´s not to oversight, that the chinese people are very
proud of this effort.


Stanley
-------

The departure time for my flight back to Europe was close to midnight, so
Pui Yee and me went to this southly located town on saturday afternoon.
There are some quite interesting things to look at. Firstly of course the
big stanley market, where you can buy e.g. your name worded in chinese
signs. Well, i´m not such a kind of souvenir-hunter, but if you search
for arts and craft, you will find it there in any case.
We went to the old Murray House for lunch and after that we walked around
on the waterside promenade to the military cemetery (maybe worth seeing
for historical interested people). Also we had a look on a goddes statue
and on a nice beach. As i read the sign there, i realised, that almost
everything is forbidden - except drowning.



The return flight
-----------------

The return journey was relative unspectacular, while the long-distance flight
from HK to London i chatted with the 2 chinese girls on the neighbor seats,
so i was in best society.
This airplane was occupied until the last seat. In contrast thereto the
plane to Berlin was taken by only 10 or 12 people. The checkout in Tegel
was done in few minutes.

The airport of London Heathrow made me wondering again, as i realised, that
the video screen didn´t show a departure gate a half hour before take off.
On my question on the british airways counter the woman just answererd
totally naturally, that they would don´t know this so early - pardon???
And then i shall run like a maniac, if i see 15 minutes before take off,
that i have to be surprisingly on gate 60 ?!!
The British are bonkers!

Oh well, finally everything happened, but the transit time in London
seemed to me as very short. The most deflating experience was after the
landin in Berlin, i looked out the window and sah snow - snow again!


Gernal prejudices about Hongkong and the Uwi´s opinion
------------------------------------------------------

Finally i want recapitulating answer some questions resp. i will responsive
to some sayings regarding Hongkong.

One week is to short!
Wrong!
Of course, the vacation seems always as too short.
But in HK everythin is so unbelievable compressed / packed, that you see
more in this city on one day than in 3 days somewhere else. Of course
i couldn´t visit all places, e.g. i didn´t manage a trip to the New
Territories or to one of the other outlying islands, but for a first
travel one week is totally sufficient. Beside this, it´s also a question
of money for me, if i had knew, that this journey would be so cheap, i´d
stay 2 weeks. But there is a next time, for sure!

Hongkong is an expensive city!
Partly wrong!
In relationship to the Dollar the Euro is currently very strong, inasmuch
you can travel HK as an european tourist and exporter of
our currency currently very low priced. There are some things, which are
disproportional expensive, but in the main it´s really alright. Of course
it is essential also in HK: Who search the pure luxury, will fin it!

Hongkong is a dangerous / insecure city!
Wrong!
HK is one of the safest cities of the world and i can confirm this
based on my own impressions. Almost everywhere are police patrols in
pair, you meet private security staff in many places. Also many public
places will monitored by cameras (also all MTR stations and so on).
You can walk around totally unoffended, even in the deepest night.
Of course, who didn´t hear about the notorious triads, which act their
crime in HK and there are also pickpockets or similar freaks - it would
be foolish to call a city with such a high density of population as
complete free of crime. But in general you can carry along your fat
and expensive camera equipment (my cousin asked me) without being afraid
of a robbery - even for this reason, that the most chinese people own
anyway probably a better equipment.

Hongkong is dirty!
Wrong!
If i read right, HK is the city with the highest density of population
worldwide and for such a close populated region it is stunningly clean!
Everywhere are service employees, who sweep, polish or mop something,
they collect and sort waste or cultivate plants. Careless polluters
have to pay high penalties, e.g. 1500 HK$ for spitting on the street!
I really didn´t saw any scribblings (except this one thing) or graffiti!
The tap water of HK is clean, but anyhow not drinkable, because it is
heavy chlorinated. In the most bigger parks you will find free bubblers.

Hongkong is loud!
Right!
It´s true, the noise level in the big main streets is high until the
late evening. In the side roads and in the parks it is much qieter.
In the mountain region of the peak it is a wonderfull silent, so that
you couldn´t believe, that you are in a metropolis.

Hongkong is a poor city
Far from it!
The most HK-chinese are absolutely wealthy. The unemployment rate is
about acceptable 8,7% - i read, that´s a high rate for their relations,
but anyhow it´s the half of Berlin. Of course i couldn´t ignore the
derelict people, who lying on the street, but there are not so many,
as you would propably think.

Hongkong is drowning into the traffic!
Partly true!
The volume of traffic is relative high and primarily in the rush hour
there is nothing except stop and go (more stop than go). But it is
endurable. In contrary to other big asian cities, in HK are not these
thousands of stinky mopeds, but in favor 3 million taxicabs.

Hongkong is a very crowed place!
Partly true!
In fact there is a lunatic swarming at many places, but i didn´t
sensed this as really thronging. The chinese people behave more
considerate and somehow all the mass spreaded e.g. in a station...

Hongkong is suffering under the administration of china!
I cannot confirm that.
The city is a chinese special administration zone and also since
the handing back to china to the greatest possible extend autonomous.
I didn´t realise negative ascendancies by the KPCH and also china
open itself to the west more and more.

All chinese people have brown eyes!
Wrong!
The latest trend are eye drops to change the eyes color temporary
and also coloured contacts are very popular from the youth.

All school children wear a uniform!
Thats true!
Every school has their own uniform with individual colours and emblem.
The fascinating is, that the kids wear their uniform also in their
free time with a totally matter of course. In this german country the
people agitate and get in rage about the simply rudimentary trial of
a potential introduction of a school uniform.

Hongkong is like New York!
Never!!
OK, i wasn´t in NY before, but after all, what i heard about this city
and what i saw in HK, it couldn´t be true! Hongkong is a city with a
amazing mix of eastern and western culture, a city full of gross
contrasts, unbelievable alive and in my humble opinion even beautiful.
It´s the city of life!

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