Final Day in Kowloon
Friday 8:00 a.m. Hong Kong time, Kowloon
Up early from a very restful stay at the Dorsett Hotel, Kowloon.
I decided to wander around a bit more in Kowloon before my checkout time of 11:00 a.m.
My day started out with a yummy “Ham and Cheese Sweet Roll” from a bakery I came across during my wandering, with the added treat of a nectarine from the fruit stand I passed by, found another Kowloon neighborhood park and enjoyed breakfast. The Ham and Cheese Sweet Roll seems to be a breakfast staple here in Kowloon, as I noticed form the very conspicuous number of people eating one as they scurried off to wherever they were going. I did have the option of a hotdog stuffed sweet roll by just couldn’t bring myself to eating a cold hotdog for breakfast.
I tried to find the famous “Flower Market” but managed to get turned around and never found it, perhaps next time I will have better luck…
“Once again I am awestruck by the businesses on every block. All seeming to be grouped together by a common theme. If you need plywood you go here… If you need metal sheet goods you go there… In between this bewildering maze of business you will find restaurants, herbal shops, dentists, massage parlors, bakeries, and produce stands. You may never have to leave your neighborhood to find what you need.” – quotes from my travel journal
Bamboo for miles!
Wandered around for a few hours with no purpose other than to see what was around the next corner.
It amazed me to see the scaffolding structures they use in Hong Kong – all bamboo! From time to time you would see piles of bamboo sticks piled on the back of trucks or lying on the street.
Looking up at the construction going on around you and seeing multi-story scaffolding structures clinging to the side of buildings, defying logic as I know it, to safely enclose the workers climbing its embrace.
On my way back to the hotel I came across a pastry bakery and picked up a “Chocolate Twist Roll”, just because …
Back to the hotel to check out, easy process due to the excellent staff at the Dorsset Hotel.
Heading to Hong Kong
From the hotel, I retraced my route back to the MTR station to catch the metro train to Hong Kong Island “Wang Chai” station which is only a brief walk to my final two nights stay at the Cosmo Hotel.
I took me about 30 minutes to find my hotel from the “Wang Chai” MTR station, partially from the shock of being surrounded by so many people and the confusion of finding my bearings in downtown Hong Kong.
My hotel is very nice and located just off the main downtown area but close enough to walk everywhere or catch one of the many buses whizzing through Hong Kong. I received a hotel room upgrade because of booking through Expedia.com, but for the life of me, I couldn’t tell you what the upgrade included.
I did have a spectacular view of Hong Kong Times Square from my room window.
After a quick but much-needed nap, I ventured out to see the sights of the “Wan Chai” district which is centrally located in Hong Kong business district. It is a busy chaotic mess of people all in a rush to go somewhere. Don’t stand to still or you might get swept off your feet in the streaming press of people moving by.
My first impressions of Hong Kong where the same as Kowloon, just many more people in a tighter space. There where still the amazing array of shops supporting the communities living above, with an ever-increasing number of consumer items filling the doorways to entice you inside.
Wang Chi Park
Places to rest are far and few between in central Hong Kong but I was fortunate to find “Wang Chai Park”. An isolated jewel, enjoyed by the locals, to take a much-needed break.
“If you close your eyes you can hear the sounds of children playing in the distance, closer yet are the sounds of men playing their favorite board game under the shade of a gigantic tree in the center of the park. The street traffic is still there but the fountain shooting water into the soothing pond helps to down out the surrounding noises. Pigeons wander around you feet looking for food as a basketball bounces somewhere to the side and abruptly sirens blares bringing the madness and excitement of Hong Kong back to reality” – quotes from my travel journal
It is easy to wander in circles on the maze of streets forming the “Wang Chi” district. I had, on my way to the hotel, passed by an interesting “hamburger” restaurant which was located on a side street somewhere. As it was getting late in the day, rain was misting down on everyone, I decide to find this potential jewel and give it a try.
Time to Eat!
After wandering around, I finally came upon it again – called the “Burger Home”. With some very interesting combos and what seemed to be fair prices. I entered to try my first Hong Kong hamburger.
Located at: Shop 12, G/F, 51 Pao Woo Mansion, Cross Lane, Wan Chai
The menu was quite varied and it took me a few minutes to decide, seriously, I wasn’t all that hungry. Many hamburger choices to choose from: Kimchi burger, mushroom burger, fish crunch burger, cheese pork burger, bacon pineapple burger.
I finally decided upon the classic bacon cheese burger combo, which includes fries and a soft drink. Service was fairly fast and certainly the staff was friendly, my order arrived quickly, fresh off the grill. I can’t honestly say that I was overwhelmed by how good it was. I can say that nothing was appealing to me anyway, so that had some influence on my taste buds.
It was packed generously with the typical lettuce, tomato, plus the bacon, and cheese with a 1/3 pound burger patty. Burger was cooked well done, which sucked all the juiciness out of the patty that you would expect to find. French fries were excellent, burger bun was A+, lemonade A+, but the burger was just a so-so meal.
By the time I finished the burger, it was somewhere around 8 p.m. Hong Kong time, I decided to head back to my hotel room and call it a day. My body was aching, my chest was feeling heavy and I needed some rest.
Much more rest than I thought I needed … but that is tomorrows story!
Don’t forget to check out my other adventures visiting Hong Kong!
Hong Kong | My first ever vlog!
