I catch my flight from Phnom Penh to Hong Kong. I get in late in the evening so I don’t really do much that day short of checking in to my hostel and finding some dinner close by. The next day I decide to wander around the city on foot. Ending up in Hong Kong Park, I find an amazing park nestled in the city. It is beautifully manicured with fountains, all kinds of greenery, birds chirping in the trees, turtles huddled together on rocks in ponds, waterfalls cascading over rock… It’s actually a remarkable place. A peaceful retreat from the bustle of the city.

After that I take the tram up the hill to Victoria Peak. I hike around the Peak Circle Walk and on one side there is a good view of the city. Great skyscrapers with seas of green weaving through them. This is one thing that really impresses me about HK. Other cities incorporate nature and green-spaces into their urban environments, but none do it as well as Hong Kong. I love it. Urban areas should always be balanced this way.

The next day I grab a bus and head to the southern part of the island and check out Stanley Market. That night I head across the water to Kowloon and go to the night market on Temple street. At this point in my travels I feel like night markets are all about the same, but I keep going just in case that one time it will be like that one magical market in Bangkok.

One day I hike the Dragon’s Back trail. It’s supposed to have amazing viewpoints for stunning vistas of the island but unfortunately the day I go is very overcast. At a certain point in the hike I end up in the clouds. It’s a very cool hike through the mist trails, very otherworldly, but once I get to the viewpoint and look out, there’s nothing. Nothing but white. I’m inside a giant cloud and there is no escaping it.

Another day while walking back from a second visit to Hong Kong Park, I stumble across a market. I’m not even sure what it’s called but it’s some kind of meat and fish market. I get some of my best pictures from HK here.

The last day I’m there I hang out with a Canadian named Alex from my hostel. We go back over to Kowloon and walk down through the Flower Market and on to the Bird Market. It’s amazing to see so many flower vendors on one street and the sheer amount of flowers and fragrance is impressive. All the caged birds on Bird street is interesting if not a little sad. There are all types, singing away in their little cages waiting to be bought up.

After that we find a restaurant to get Dim Sum, which I have never tried before, believe it or not. I have nothing to compare it to but Alex says it’s some of the best he has had.

Following lunch, we take the cable car up the mountain to see the Big Buddha. To me the Statue is impressive but the real excitement, honestly, is the ride up the mountain. The cable car spans such a distance and height that the view is staggering.

The next morning I’m up bright and early to start my 32 hour journey home.