If you find this post, either you’re searching on the web for cheap places to eat in Hong Kong, or trying to find out how cheap it really is. In my opinion, I found this comment to be one of the biggest disappointments before arriving in Hong Kong for the first time in the summer of 2009. This isn’t to say you can’t “find” cheap food in Hong Kong, however don’t expect too much, because in the end you get what you pay for. However, I have to say Hong Kong truly is a food paradise. In this article, I’ll try breaking down my foodie experience in Hong Kong.
Tag: Hong Kong
Day 35: Departure from Seoul Olympic Style
I know this post is way overdue. Terribly sorry for the lack of posting lately, just having way too much fun in Hong Kong. But, I didn’t forget about my blog. I still have a bunch of photos from my last day in Seoul. Wanted to show you guys the awesome Olympic Park in Seoul. It could definitely become a favourite photography site for those who are really into macro shooting as well. There’s a really nice garden in the centre of the park and a lot of different types of flowers to look at, if you’re into that kind of stuff.
The park has a set out trail you can follow which will take you on for a walk for about 2.5 km or longer if you decide to get lost in the forest like I did. So definitely, be sure to keep hydrated throughout the walk. It’s not a crazy hike but doing the walk in 35+ weather leaves room for craziness to happen. I actually walked around the park for about 4 hours, taking photos and stopping along the way. But it was too hot for me, so I ended up passing out for an hour under a tree. Not exactly the smartest thing to do with a Canon 60D sitting around my neck. The park itself has some really funky statues and art and I mean really funky. Like look at this piece, it’s a giant thumb. Dogs are actually allowed in this park so it’s definitely a good place to take your pet for a walk. Actually, if you skip over the ropes that serve as borders on the trail, you can actually find some nice spots inside the forest and lay back on the ground and stare up. It’s like a roof top of leaves and branches with sunlight barely breaking through. I think you get what I mean.
Probably my favourite bit of the park is the vending machines like usual. I love Milkis! It’s definitely my second favourite drink in Seoul after Soju of course. Mixing the two together isn’t a bad idea either.
Aside from the awesome scenery, you also see some Ajummas (Aunties) cleaning or gardening around the area. Much different from the usual guys I see tending to the plants in other parks, like I saw at Guanghwamun. And there were these funky pumpkins that looked really tasty! You can take a look at the photo at the bottom of this post.
Check out this building too! At the end of my walk, I saw this church across the street from the park. Looks like some church of the future! It’s like completely glass and it looks like there’s office buildings inside too! Not sure what the deal is with this building but definitely won’t find a church like this anywhere in the western world.
After my trek for 4 hours, I went back to my friend’s and started packing. I was leaving the next day to head back to Hong Kong; my landing pad in Asia. If you’re ever planning on flying from Hong Kong to Korea, I definitely suggest taking Jeju Air. Probably one of the best airlines I’ve been on and it’s cheaper than the other bigger ones. Spent my last night having dinner with my friend’s co-workers. They were having a going away party for one of them. Sweet Korean Grill Again! Overall, I have to say I loved Seoul. Favourite things here were definitely the Saunas, the Grills, the Parks, and most of all the Magic Number. I’ll have to explain in another post what the Magic Number is. But, in short it’s a free number you can call that has an English interpreter on the other line. The possibilities with this number are ENDLESS. Definitely another Travel Tip worth talking about. So, look out for it soon.
For now I take my leave, and hopefully you’ll enjoy this new set of photos. I’ll be gone for Singapore pretty soon, so I’ll probably be posting while I’m there. In terms of Hong Kong posting, I’ll be doing something a little different compared to my other posts. I’ve been to Hong Kong before, so I might do a sort of comparison to what’s changed and how it compares to Toronto. Granted not everyone agrees with my opinions but then again it’s MY OPINION and you’re not obligated to agree.
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Day 22: Hong Kong Landings & Troubles
No photos for a while but I wanted to make an update post. I landed in Hong Kong on the 7th of July. Travelling here from Holland made me feel like I lost a day, which I kind of did.
Anyway, start my voyage to Hong Kong from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam Airport) and then caught my connecting flight in Paris (Charles de Gaulle). Border checks in Europe are a breeze, so fast, but Paris security check is such a freaking hassle. So for my carry on, I have one backpack, that literally holds all my valuables, like my laptop, camera, lens, mics, filters, batteries, etc. And they literally made me unpack my entire bag. You don’t understand how nervous I was. I had like $3000 worth of gear laid out for the world to see. Granted I’m in an airport and I doubt anyone wants to get tackled by security, but still. What if someone stole my lenses, I’d cry.
During my one hour flight to Paris, it had the worst smell ever, and the most annoying Spanish kid I’ve ever met. Some guy at the beginning of the flight decided to throw up, so we had vomit smell the entire way. Also, there was this kid beside me who wouldn’t shut up and had a laugh that was so annoying. Once I landed in Paris, I literally only had time to go through security and catch my flight. This was when I had lay out all my equipment. I had to run to catch my flight. When I got there they were already half way through boarding the plane. Then began the 11 hour flight to Hong Kong. I really hate planes. I know I’m taking a lot of them, but I still can’t stand being in one. I got so nauseous during my flight. I had a headache so massive. I could barely sleep. My nerves were absolutely racked. I ended up watching a couple of movies. I watched Rien à Déclarer, Ringo, and a Korean one. The rest of the time was either eating something, or listening to music on my phone.
Finally after 11 hours I landed in Hong Kong. I forgot how long the border checks are here. Visitors check is like literally a 30 minute wait time. For residents its like 1 second. They just swipe their thumb. Once I got through I started stressing! I couldn’t find my luggage! I went to the luggage enquiries desk and asked and what do you know, my luggage is stuck in Paris. The guy made me fill out some forms and told me that I’d have to wait the next day for my luggage to arrive. He also said they’d deliver it to me which is a nice gesture but only if my luggage really does arrive tomorrow.
Anyway, I headed out with just my backpack. So at least I have a laptop and my cellphone. I bought SIM card at the local convenient store and called my cousin. I’ll be staying here until I find something better. His place is a lot better than what I expected and his area is really quiet during the day and night. It’s in Kowloon too, so not too far from everything. Until the evening, we chilled at his place, and asked each other random questions that you’d normally ask someone when you first meet them. Yeah, this cousin I’ve never met before, but my uncle insisted that I stay with him. Had lunch with him at a local restaurant. I’m not entire sure, but it was like the best meal I’ve ever had. I think it’s because I’ve been dying for Asian food. I haven’t had any in like a month. French fries really don’t cut it after 20 days of having it. Later in the evening I went out for a sushi dinner with a friend, whom I haven’t seen in a couple years, and went shopping for a few things I would need since I didn’t have my luggage. Bought some toiletries, camera bag, some clothes, enough to get me by for a day.
That now brings us to today. Today I will sit at home and wait for my luggage. I called the airport earlier this morning and they said it would take somewhere around 3 hours. If it’s not here within 3 hours, I will either rage, or starve to death. I guess I could call McDonald’s and ask them to deliver me some.
