China: Hong Kong - Kowloon

Across the bay from Hong Kong lies the Kowloon Peninsula, home to most of the population of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region. It's not as sleek and clean as the more popular tourist destination of Hong Kong Island, but Kowloon is to many people much more representative of what Hong Kong is all about.

Tall buildings house both buinesses and residences in tight quarters, and visiting some of the cheap lodging options like Chungking Mansions will challenge your notions of just how spartan of accomodations you can handle. The streets below are all buzzing with activity day or night, which, once you've grown accustomed can be fun and exhilirating. For an area that was once under British control, it's surprising how few people speak English in Kowloon, but that can add to the excitement of visiting a place that didn't seem so exotic upon first arriving but is indeed quite a different world than back home.

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Unlike Hong Kong Island, the subway system throughout Kowloon is fairly comprehensive and should get you to any desired destination on the peninsula. Taxi cabs are also prevalent and not that expensive to employ.

I knew that Hong Kong was one of the most expensive cities in the world as far as accomodations, but I was still surprised to find no reasonable prices offered through hotel web sites and discount travel agencies. Needing a place to stay when I first arrived in this foreign city I eventually gave in to paying $89 a night at the Utell Pearl Garden hotel advertised on Travelocity. It was a large Asian chain and centrally located, so I figured it couldn''t be too bad.

And in hindsight it really wasn''t such a bad hotel. Right off Nathan Road in the heart of Kowloon, it was an easy location to walk to and from many of the popular attractions in the area. But there are a few reasons I wouldn''t choose to stay there again, at least not for the rate I paid. I had "gauranteed" a non-smoking room with a queen size bed, only to be told that all the non-smoking rooms were unavailable and that a short length single size bed constitutes a "queen size" in Asia. They also charged a 16% "state" tax, more than double than what I paid for at the other three hotels I visited in China. And the postcards that I sent from their front desk were never received by my friends and family.

One of the funny things about hotels in China is that you have to leave your room key in the wall to activate the electricity. My first morning in Hong Kong I left the hotel without my key, and not until I was halfway through breakfast did it occur to me that I no longer had access to my room.

Hopefully I got the translation of the name right. This popular noodle chain has locations all over Hong Kong, and they seem to be busy day and night with eaters on the go. While you do sit at a table and are served by a waitress, the efficiency of this place matches any McDonald's in getting customers in and out the door. I had breaded chicken and thick noodles served in a simple broth. Hardly exciting Chinese cuisine, but it was one of the few things I could figure out on the Chinese only menu. With a soda my meal came to about $7 (53 Hong Kong dollars).

This large art museum is situated right on the harbour's edge, and it's entirely possible that you're highlight from the the visit will be sitting on one of the comfortable sofas and staring across the bay at Hong Kong Island. Though I paid a mere 10 Hong Kong dollars (around $1.30) for entrance to the museum I was quite disappointed to find out after walking inside that the permanent exhibit was closed for the next half year. Why they don't tell you this before purchasing a ticket is irksome, but the few galleries that were open with travelling shows were of some interest.

I saw an exhibition featuring drawings of Hong Kong and Macau that was somewhat informative on the two cities' early years. Another exhibit focused on the paintings of Guangdong region of China from the Ming and Qing dynasties. A quite pleasing grey marble gallery housed an exhibit on Wu School painting which I imagine is of interet primarily to serious art scholars and fans. The modern art display was quick to pass through after viewing the classic paintings upstairs.

If you can pass yourself off as a student, the Hong Kong Science Museum costs a mere 5 Hong Kong dollars (maybe 65 cents in US currency). It probably has little appeal for those who are not young students, however, and can probably be avoided unless you are toting along kids. The exhibits are not much different than what you'd have found at a science museum in the States twenty years ago. But the admission price includes some surprisingly fun virtual reality games that were intended for arcades (they still had glowing coin slots). The astronomy exhibit upstairs is not worth climbing the stairs for.

Maybe it's because the hotel I stayed at was located right off the street, but I imagine that I will always associate Hong Kong with Nathan Road. Walking out of the hotel my first evening in the city I was overwhelmed by just how foreign it all seemed. I think I am an adventurous traveller and have always felt comfortable jumping into new environments, but Kowloon was strikingly different than anywhere else I had previously been. Despite Hong Kong previously being a British colony, Nathan Road felt entirely unfamiliar.

You can't help but notice that although there are many upscale boutique stores along the street, the apartment buildings looming above look like slums. The housing projects in New York City look much classier, at least on the outside. These residential buildings aren't upscale, but are probably homes for middle- income families. Scaffolding that supports all these buildings (hopefully getting facelifts) is made of bamboo, which makes you think twice when walking underneath the long stretches of construction.

Nathan Road has tons of photography and electronics stores up and down the street, but you'll find that the prices are surprisingly more expensive than back home in the United States. A better shopping choice may be to stop in China Arts and Crafts, which sells Chinese made goods at somewhat Western prices. But you can find some unique souvenirs to bring home for under $10 each. If you are heading into mainland China later in your trip, though, save your money and purchase the goods in small towns where the real bargains are to be had.

One of the most frustrating things about Asian cities is the thick air pollution. Thankfully Hong Kong has a number of parks that offer a respite from the haze as well as the constant buzz of car horns and Cantonese pop music.

Kowloon Park is a fairly large tract of land that houses zoological exhibits, a few gardens, fountains, art displays and playground areas for children. All of the attractions are free and open during the park's operational hours. The aviary exhibits were noteworthy, and climbing up the hill near the northen edge of the park afforded me pleasant views of the surounding area. When I stopped by in the early morning the place was overrun by older folks practicing their early morning movement exercises and a number of black and white colored birds that had an exotic sounding call.

A number of the guide books I read in preparation for my trip talked up how the wonders of the Temple Street Night market, but there relatively few surprises or pleasures to be had. Row after row of the exact same toys, trinkets, counterfeit compact discs, clothink knock-offs and luggage sets were presented to eager Western shoppers. Nowhere to be found were the unusual food stuffs, streetside doctors and destists, or spontaneous Chinese opera performances. While there were countless stores that I missed along the road, and I was shopping during an off-season, I was still underwhelmed by the homogenous and lackluster display of goods. The hotel staff encouraged me to try visiting the market again the next night, but I was more interested in pursuing new and more lively evening activities.

Lots of people visit Hong Kong primarily to shop, which has made the Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa a top tourist attraction. I don't get it, as there is really nothing special about this overgrown outdoor shopping mall. Situated firmly in the center is a gigantic cruise ship themed building, housing multiple stores and a well-reviewed restaurant. I checked out the prices and opted to forgo the nearly $40 prix fix lunch.

Surrounding this bizarre ship are a number of satellite shopping malls, each with a merchandise theme. You have Book World, Music World, Fashion World, Sports World, etc. It didn't seem like the theme was too prevalent in determining which merchandisers were selected as tenants, however, and the whole concept seemed to have been an afterthought by the developers.

Western restaurants were everywhere, each charging ridiculous prices for consierably smaller portions of the food we love back home. My Pizza Hut experience was the clincher, and I caught the first taxi I could find away from the remote Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa back to the preferable craziness of Nathan Road.

The New Wally Matt bar may not be too exciting compared to happening gay bars I'm used to in New York City, but it was a lifesaver on my first day in Hong Kong as they provide free high speed internet access once you purchase a drink. Granted there is only one terminal for the whole place, but I arrived early and there was no one waiting for a turn. The drinks were fair in price and strong enough to merit a repeat order. But the local fellows (and it is a local bar I would gather) seemed rather unsocial and low-key. Perhaps it was my being foreign, but other bars in Hong Kong proved to have friendly, outgoing guys who were happy to strike up a conversation.

The atmosphere in the original Wally Matt bar is less bare bones beer stop than the New Wally Matt bar; in fact it could be argued that it's in a European cabaret style. But that didn't draw the boys into the place, and after an akward cocktail listening to Cantonese pop karaoke with four or five other fellows, I took off to search for more happening bars and clubs. It might be a good idea to ask at the New Wally Matt when is the best night to visit either location. If you do choose to visit the original Wally Matt bar, it can be a challenge to locate. Granville Street is located behind the rear of the Ramada hotel in Kowloon, so just keep walking until you see the decorated door.

So many of the street markets in Kowloon seemed interchangeable, and I was disappointed that my visions of shopping in Hong Kong were completely off the mark. But I had read that the bird market was noteworthy in that many exotic species that are not so commonly viewed in the United States were on display or for sale. While the market is now more of an outdoor show and tell session for proud birdowners, there were still some beautiful creatures on display. The market would be a good place to visit with a Chinese speaker, as I kept wanting to ask questions about the birds. I had a tough time finding the place, but it is just north of the stadium across a busy intersection. If you get lost and no one can help you, try asking for the more popular flower market, which is nearby the birds.