Go East Young Man

Go East Young Man

Well, I can’t really describe myself as young and maybe not even young at heart (although juvenile sometimes fits).  But I am going east, way east, although curiously it involves a lot of going north, then west and then south -- the flightpath of my Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong.

I have embarked on a roughly two month-long journey to Asia, primarily Southeast Asia and points south leading up the a finale two-week hike in the South Island of New Zealand.  Both because my itinerary is not yet fully confirmed and to keep the element of surprise in play - which doubtlessly will captivate my  legions of loyal readers -  you will learn of my locations as they occur.  Sort of “Where in the World is Matt Lauer” but without Matt Lauer, a private jet or the sour looks of the Today hosts who got left behind.

My sole prior exposure to Asia came four years ago when I took my younger son Chris to the Beijing Olympics, where my older son Eric was working as an intern for NBC Sports (Chris followed in his footsteps in London this past summer).  We stopped in both directions in Shanghai, which proved serendipitous because I found it to be more appealing than Beijing, where the presence of government casts an overwhelming influence (and some shadow) over that vast city.    Southeast Asia struck me as a more welcoming option for my next foray in the Far East since it is full of natural beauty,  great food and happier faces.  That said, starting my trip with a short stay in Hong Kong seemed like a good transition from the insular and intensely striving Chinese mainland that I had seen a little of to a more cosmopolitan and diverse greater Asia.  Whether these theories prove correct is something I’ll report on, notwithstanding the admonition of Emmanuel Kant that nothing is true in theory that is not also true in fact (all else being mere speculation).

These past months have taken me far, at least physically, but I am hoping that I am prepared to be transported in various other dimensions on this trip, which I am eager to embark on.  My hope is that the very new and different (to me) context of these places and their cultures will make it easier for me to let go of my past and difficulties, facilitating a more personal journey, destination unknown.  And, I hope, I’ll have a lot of fun in the process, including the writing of this blog, whatever its readership.

Hong Kong, October 8: Trains, Planes and Everything But Automobiles

Approaching the end of my first day in Hong Kong, I am glad to finally have a moment's rest to gather my jet lag-addled brain.  After stepping off a 15-hour plane ride, I have been on a train, several subways, two buses, a ferry, a tram and a lengthy cable car ride.

The plane ride, courtesy of Cathay Pacific was about as good as it could be in economy.  How people do such flights regularly, though - even up front - I'll never know.  Arrival in HK (as we cognoscenti refer to it) was smooth and in short order I found the high speed train, got off 22 minutes later in Kowloon and walked through an upscale mall attached to the station to my hotel.  After indulging in a massage, I had a nice but somewhat fuzzy dinner before retiring to my room and a not bad six hours of sleep.

My plan for the day was pretty basic.  Head to Hong Kong island and go to the Peak to literally get an overview of the place.  Kowloon is across Hong Kong Bay from Hong Kong island, where this city first developed.  HK's history is surprisingly short, having been a sleepy coastal port until the British took control of it in 1841 following the Opium Wars.  Today it is a true megalopolis, stretching across a string of islands and onto the mainland with phalanxes of commercial and residential towers strung below, and sometimes up into, the hills and ranges that give this coastline an unusually undulating topography.  While considerable remnants of the colonial era remain, including a substantial expatriate community, the growth of the last 30 or so years has transformed this trading post into a powerhouse of commerce, finance and media.

I found HK to have an impressive infrastructure, with transit facilities that put those of most other cities to shame.  The need is obvious, because as dense as the area is with massive 40 to 50 story apartment complexes, it is also spread out, with whole sections cut off from others by water, highways, train yards and parks.  The high speed train, two subway rides, two bus rides, one tram, one cable car and one ferry together cost about $40.

The subway to "downtown" - Central - took just a few minutes; navigating through the enormous underground web of trains and exits, though, took longer but mostly because of the sheer size of the place and the thousands of rapidly moving locals heading back to work on this Monday.  I found my way to the tram station and took the steep ride up the mountainside to The Peak (formerly known as Victoria Peak).  At the top, I found a cheesy, half filled mall, a Madame Tussaud's and some spectacular views of Hong Kong, Kowloon and the harbor.  Regrettably, the day was very humid and this left a haze that, combined with the pollution, limited visibility and rendered it tough for pictures.  That's my excuse anyway.  Here is a view from the Peak.

I decided to skip the wax museum and take the walk that circumnavigates The Peak, a very pleasant walk mostly under cover with occasional glimpses of the exceptional sights below.  Along the train I enjoyed the subtropical plants and trees, particularly these ropy vines.

On the tram down, I considered the options and decided to make a pilgrimage to a monastery, although it was really to see Big Buddha.  About 20 years ago, a group of Taoists decided that HK should have its own large-scale Buddha and constructed one next to a monastery on the island of Lantau.  So, after a bus ride to the ferry terminal, I got on a ferry that, 45 minutes later, deposited me on Lantau, the largest of the outer HK islands.  HK has an elaborate system of ferries (one of which crashed into another boat last week, killing almost 40 people), including numerous high-speed twin-hulled vessels.  The ride from HK took us past Kowloon, where entire buildings are billboards, as the "Zegna" building demonstrates.

Our route also took us past Kowloon west and the gigantic International Commerce Centre; my hotel is the skinny building to its left.

  

A harrowing bus ride up and down the winding roads of Lantau brought us to  the Po Lin monastery and the adjacent Big Buddha, which sits atop a nearby hill.  A long walk up a staircase leads to this truly magnificent Buddha, cast of bronze and about 100 feet tall surrounded by lovely bronze goddesses conveying offerings.  Although the haze kind of blew out the pictures, these capture a little of the special feeling of this place.

I also noted that, despite the long association with the British, translations in Hong Kong remain a work in progress; I have yet to see someone on foot threatening a car.

The area around the Big Buddha and the monastery is fairly wild, full of hiking trails, one of which - the Wisdom Path - led to a grouping of tall wooden poles carrying translations of early Buddhist sutras. A nice place for contemplation on a languid, if glarey afternoon.

Walking back on Wisdom Path, I found this skinny water buffalo; although appearing headless, it was just diving into the bushes for some goodies.

Leaving the cemetery, and not being very interested in another long ferry ride, I hoped onto what has to be the world's longest cable car, which stretches several miles as it bobs down and across Lantau Island to Tung Chung, near the airport, and a subway ride back to my hotel.

Tomorrow will be more focused on Kowloon during the day but a planned dinner with a colleague (and friend) here in HK will put me back on the water.