My first day solo in HK was soaking wet. My friend informed me that the Yellow Warning was broadcast for the storm, which meant be careful. I was just glad it wasn’t a Red Warning or worst of all, the Black Warning, which meant you had to stay indoors. It being Yellow meant that I could quite happily walk around under the cover of an umbrella and take in the sights.
I covered a lot of ground that day, taking in all of the tourist sights as well as managing to grab a few bargains at the markets. It was during these walks that I really gained a perspective on normal HK life, as opposed to the more comfortable lifestyle that my friend showed me at the weekend. However it should be said that even with the insane amount of people, and the very busy wet markets, the streets themselves were very clean. In fact, I did not spot a single rodent during the entire time of the visit, which is definitely more than I can say for KL. The side streets and back alleys of HK are what I enjoyed the most, many of them containing interesting Street Art but interestingly no Graffiti tags.
Like a true Architectural pilgrim, I visited the HSBC Building and the Bank of China with my camera in hand and eyes wide open. Surprisingly, the guards at the banks were very hospitable to me taking pictures after I promised not to snap any of the private floors.
It was during my hunt for some great gifts that I stumbled upon a small chalk sign written on the side of a wall indicating a bookshop on the first floor. Eager to check this out, I went up and found the best surprise of HK Island. It was, as the sign suggested, a bookshop, but this was no Waterstones. Containing both Chinese and English language books, it was run more like a charity with a take one / leave one policy and self-service cash counter. While at first this struck me as a little pretentious, I quickly fell for the charm of the place and found myself picking up several books to buy.
Other highlights included taking a ride on the longest covered escalator in the world. I quickly found out that this was a very misleading title, as it was not just one escalator but rather several regular sized ones on a very long stretch, meaning you could easily cut through the heart of the CBD in minutes. From the road level, you were always able to catch a glimpse of the covered walkway as it sinuously flitted between buildings as it crawled further up.
Before long, I was headed to meet back up with Brian, as he was finishing work. My legs sore and my shoes still damp from the days travel, I was eager for a hot shower and the comfort of his sofa.
