Hong Kong - what a difference 20 years makes!
Hong Kong, September 2010
Hong Kong was the first city in the Far East that I visited. To say it was a culture shock would be an understatement. It was nothing like I had expected and left me with confused emotions and a room service phobia. Twenty years later I could have easily stayed longer and was annoyed it had taken me so long to go back!
I also don’t recall seeing the narrow tramcars
I was 23 years old and travelling solo when I first saw the skyscrapers of Hong Kong. The approach into Kai Tak airport was unforgettable to say the least.  I’m not surprised it was ranked the 6th most dangerous airport in the world. To this day I can remember the disaster movie approach as we squeezed between high rise apartment buildings before landing in what appeared to be the middle of Victoria Harbour.
Other memories are almost too embarrassing to admit. The first was my surprise that there were so many Chinese people!  Hong Kong had been a colony of the British Empire since 1842 so didn’t that mean there would be lots of Brits.  I also vividly remember my hotel. Having never stayed anywhere with more than 6 floors I found myself in the thirty-seven story Excelsior looking out over the harbour from a dizzy height. Â
Despite the most amazing views, especially at night, I couldn’t take my eyes off the building next door. It was run down, grubby and covered with noisy air-con units. For the life of me I couldn’t understand why it was standing right next to my deluxe hotel. It was the first time I had ever experienced such extreme contrasts.
The tour I took of Hong Kong island was also a shock to my innocent mind. Aberdeen Harbour was nothing like I imagined it to be. I had pictured posh yachts and sailing boats not hundreds of fishing junks where people actually lived. I also don’t recall seeing the narrow tramcars nor did I experience The Peak Tram despite both being in operation since 1904 and 1888 respectively.  Instead, I arrived at the top of Victoria Peak much less dramatically by road and I remember having to pluck up the courage to ask a complete stranger on my tour bus if they would take my photo. Â
I don't recall there being much up there twenty years ago except of course the view. Now there is a retail, entertainment and dining complex with escalators that seem to go up for ever. The very last set takes you to the Sky Terrace and incredible 360 degree panoramic views of Hong Kong, the harbour and Kowloon.   However, you need to pay for that privilege and as there are many places on The Peak where you can enjoy exactly the same view it was an unnecessary extravagance especially, as we were caught in a torrential downpour two seconds after stepping outside.
My worst memory of being in Hong Kong on my own was the evenings.  Two of the nights I ordered room service because I was too scared to go out by myself.  Not that ordering room service was any small feat twenty years ago.  I probably wouldn’t have picked up the phone if it wasn’t that I was about to pass out with hunger. I remember ordering spring rolls and chicken and sweetcorn soup, as it seemed appropriately Chinese. Â
last set takes you to the Sky Terrace and incredible panoramic views
To this day I can still remember how petrified I was as I waited for that knock on the door.  Looking back the waiter must have thought I was mad.  That memory has transformed into a phobia but thankfully I now have a husband to pick up the phone and answer the door.
On my last night I had booked a harbour cruise followed by dinner at a revolving restaurant which I was surprised to discover still exists today (R66).  I can remember being disappointed that it was the floor that moved and not the actual building! Twenty years later, deciding where to eat in Hong Kong was an entirely different experience as there are so many fabulous restaurants to choose from such as Harlan’s, Aqua, Sevva or Felix and all come with equally amazing views. Â
Having stayed on Hong Kong Island the first time I decided this time I would indulge in some James Bond nostalgia. Not only did we stay at the Peninsula Hotel but we arrived in one of their famous racing green Rolls Royce’s.  The Peninsula is everything I once thought the whole of Hong Kong would be like – colonial, grand and very British.   I loved everything, from the stunning entrance hall packed with people enjoying an old fashioned afternoon tea to the quaint shoe-shine box in our room linked to the corridor. Â
It’s almost impossible to believe that twenty years ago I wasn’t brave enough to go on the Star Ferry. I just had to watch the little green boats chug back and forth across the harbour as they have been doing since 1888.  This time, as we were staying on the Kowloon side we used it every day and it’s wonderful that this epic 10 minute journey still only costs a mere 50p.  Â
at least one night it’s worthwhile skipping cocktails
The one thing I don’t remember was Hong Kong being so green. It’s hard to imagine that behind all the skyscrapers are five country parks with four long distance hiking trails as well as several beaches. In fact about Âľ of Hong Kong island is countryside. Unfortunately, 2 days of monsoon rain stopped us from really exploring the south of HK or any of the 263 outlying islands. Â
In stark contrast to all the greenery are the thousands of brightly coloured cranes and containers in the industrial ports that lie between the city and the airport.  This was something else I didn’t see the first time since the old airport was right in the middle of the city and now is located on the island of Chek Lap Kok, 24 minutes away by Airport Express train.
Since 2004 the highlight of every evening is the Symphony of Lights which starts at 8 pm. 44 buildings on both sides of the harbour take part in this amazing fourteen minute display.  There are several top floor bars to watch the show from but unfortunately you can’t hear the accompanying music.  Therefore at least one night it’s worthwhile skipping cocktails and head to the Avenue of the Stars. Here, you can lean on the railings overlooking the water and listen to what the lights and lasers are dancing to. Of course, depending on what time of year you visit, there is also Mother Nature’s version of the show which is even more dramatic.
Another new addition since I was last there are the Central-Mid-levels escalators which were constructed in 1993 and are the longest covered escalator system in the world.  They will take you half way up The Peak and past some fun pubs and restaurants in Hong Kong’s SoHo (South of Hollywood Road).   Although I experienced several new things this time round I was disappointed that we didn’t have time to go back to Aberdeen Harbour although we did pick up a couple of bargains in Stanley Market.  There just seemed so much to do and I felt we only just scraped the surface and we could have easily stayed another couple of days.
My first time in Hong Kong left such a strong impression on me and sadly not all of it positive which is why it took me twenty years to go back. I couldn’t believe that despite the city being almost exactly as I remembered I now didn’t hate it but loved it.   It suddenly dawned on me that it wasn’t Hong Kong that had changed but me!