A few days in Hong Kong

by Alice
The Harbour

Hong Kong, what about it?

24 Nov. 2016 – 3 Dec. 2016, Hong Kong

Trilingual post by: Simone & Alice
Articolo trilingue: Simone & Alice
Article trilingue par : Simone & Alice

Simone:

Hong Kong, what about it? – Hong Kong, che ne volete sapere?Hong Kong, eh bien quoi ?

It all started one day while working, my shift was ending and I decided to quit Paris, so what better moment than this one to just point my finger randomly on the map and decide my next move?
What was just an idea became reality, I found connection for a job, booked two stand-by tickets to Asia and that is how it all began!

Tutto é cominciato una sera al lavoro, avevo deciso che era arrivata l’ora di lasciare Parigi, il locale si stava svuotando quindi qual miglior momento per puntare il dito a caso sulla mappa per decidere la mia prossima casa?
L’idea é diventata realtà, ho trovato degli agganci lavorativi ho comprato due biglietti Stand-by per l’Asia e la mia avventura è cominciata!

Tout a commencé un jour alors que j’étais au boulot. C’était la fin de mon service et j’ai pris la décision de quitter Paris. Quel meilleur moment que celui-ci pour mettre mon doigt au hasard sur une carte et décider ainsi de ce que j’allais faire ensuite ?
Ce qui n’était alors qu’une idée est devenue une réalité, j’ai trouvé un contact pour un job, réservé deux billets d’avion en stand-by pour l’Asie et c’est ainsi que tout a commencé !From Tokyo to Hong Kong

Actually, we first stopped in Tokyo. But that will be another chapter.
In realtà prima siamo passati per Tokyo, ma quello é un altro capitolo.
En fait, on s’est d’abord arrêté à Tokyo, mais c’est une autre histoire.

The first impact that Hong Kong had on me was to make me feel like being inside a couple of super upbeat songs:
Shot Down by the Sonics & •Wolf like me by Local H
Take your time to listen to them (awesome tunes!) and you’ll understand my shock. Not even New York or Mexico City were so crowded!

Il mio primo impatto con Hong Kong mi ha dato l’impressione di trovarmi all’interno di due canzoni dal ritmo incessante:
Shot Down by the Sonics & •Wolf like me by Local H
Se avete il tempo ascoltatele (meritano) e capirete il mio shock, neanche New York e Città del Messico erano cosi piene di gente!

Le premier impact que Hong Kong a eu sur moi fut de me faire sentir comme si j’étais dans deux chansons qui bougent bien :
Shot Down par the Sonics et •Wolf like me par by Local H
Prenez le temps de les écouter (elles valent le coup) et vous comprendrez mon choc. Même à New York et Mexico il n’y avait pas autant de monde !

Buildings Hong Kong

First obstacle to pass: The border control….
No problem with that, I mean we are a young married couple with two backpacks kissing on the queue while waiting, you have to let us in!
Watching the Detectives by Elvis Costello would fit perfect

Primo ostacolo, il controllo passaporti…..
Nessun problema, insomma siamo una giovane coppia di sposini con due grossi zainoni che si bacia nell’attesa in fila, ci devono per forza facci passare!
Watching the Detectives by Elvis Costello calzerebbe a pennello in questo momento

Premier obstacle à passer : le contrôle à la frontière…
Mais pas de problème de ce côté-là ! On est un jeune couple marié avec des sacs à dos en train de se rouler des pelles dans la file d’attente, c’est sûr qu’on va nous laisser passer!
Watching the Detectives par Elvis Costello convient parfaitement pour ce moment.

Getting to the city was pretty easy, direct train to the metro stop Tsim Sha Tsui just right in front our « hotel » at the Chungking Mansions………
Well if haven’t never been there here’s what an article from the BBC

Eyesore, ghetto, jungle, goldmine, little United Nations. These are all words that have been used to describe Chungking Mansions, a building complex that is seen as both a foreign island in Hong Kong and an important part of the Chinese city’s identity.

Listen to •Roots and culture by Mickey Dread
It took us a while before understanding that our hotel was in this huge gigantic complex. We were not happy about it… Even less when we got to our room… (see video below)

View from the staircase of the Chungking Mansions

View from the staircase of the Chungking Mansions

Arrivare in città è stato facile, treno diretto alla fermata metro Tsim Sha Tsui giusto di fronte al nostro albergo nella Chungking Mansions…….
Bene, se non sapete di cosa si tratti date un’occhiata a questo articolo.

Pugno in un occhio, ghetto, giungla, miniera d’oro, piccole Nazioni Unite. Queste sono tutte le parole che sono state usate per descrivere la Chungking Mansions, un complesso di edifici che è visto sia come un’isola straniera a Hong Kong che come una parte importante dell’identità della città cinese.

Ascoltate •Roots and culture by Mickey Dread
Ci abbiamo messo un po’ per comprendere che il nostro albergo fosse in questo gigantesco edificio, non ne eravamo felici, ancor meno una volta entrati nella nostra stanza…

Back Alley - Chungking Mansions

Back Alley – Chungking Mansions

Arriver en ville était plutôt facile. Train direct jusqu’au métro Tsim She Tsui juste en face de notre « hôtel » dans les Chungking Mansions……. Si vous n’avez aucune idée de quoi il s’agit, cet article de la BBC les décrit comme

Une horreur, un ghetto, une jungle, une mine d’or, des petites Nations Unies. Ce sont tous des mots qui ont été utilisés pour décrire les Chungking Mansions, un groupe d’immeubles qui est considéré à la fois comme une île étrangère dans Hong Kong et une part importante de l’identité de la ville chinoise.

Ecoutez •Roots and culture de Mickey Dread.
On a mis un moment à comprendre que notre hôtel se trouvant à l’intérieur de ce complex gigantesque. Nous n’étions clairement pas ravis… Encore moins quand nous sommes arrivés à notre chambre à 50€ la nuit.

View from our room

View from our room

Getting to know the city – Alla scoperta della cittàDécouvrir la ville

My first stop was the bar where I was supposed to work located in Soho, in the H.K island. Soho is the place where all the bars and restaurant of the financial district are located. Skyscrapers, shops, western world look alike, expats,… where the f@&k am I? I wanted a taste of Asia and it was pretty clear that I was not going to have it there.

Primo fermata il Bar dove avrei dovuto lavorare a Soho, nell’isola di H.K.
Soho é l’area del distretto finanziario dove sono dislocati tutti i bar ed i ristoranti, grattacieli, negozi, sembrava il mondo occidentale, dove c@&$o sono finito? Volevo un assaggio di Asia, ma era chiaro che non ero nel posto giusto.

Je me suis d’abord arrêté au bar où j’étais censé travailler à Soho, sur l’île de Hong Kong. Soho est l’endroit où tous les bars et restaurants du quartier des affaires se trouvent. Gratte-ciels, magasins, miroir du monde occidental, expats,… où est-ce que je suis?!!! Je voulais un air d’Asie, et ce n’était clairement pas là que j’allais le trouver.

Buildings in Hong KongCrowded Hong Kong
To get to the bar, I had to take the famous central-mid level escalator that goes up, up up, and up…. It’s actually the longest outdoor escalator in the world!
As i said before the area is full of night attractions. If you like to party hard, very hard L.K.F (Lan Kway Fong) is the place for you, but here is my reflection: if you are a traveller you have seen places like this in every city you have been, every city has the « wild party district », so why loosing time here?
Pick your bar or club wisely, ’cause to be honest there are some amazing bars or clubs that needs to be seen. My personal choice: Stockton
Imagine by dr Dre, Snoop Dog, D’angelo.

Per arrivare al bar ho preso la famosa scala mobile che collega central e mid level H.K, si va su, su, sempre più su…. È attualmente la scala mobile più lunga al mondo!
Come detto in precedenza é colmo di attrazioni notturne, se ti piace fare festa, festa esagerata, L.K.F. (Lan Kway Fong) é il posto giusto per te, ma ecco la mia riflessione: se sei un viaggiatore hai sicuramente visto posti cosi in ogni città visitata, ogni città ha il suo « quartiere festaiolo » , quindi perché perdere tempo qui.
Scegli il tuo bar o il tuo club saggiamente, perché a onor del vero ci sono dei posti incredibili. Mia scelta personalissima: Stockton
Imagine by Dr Dre, Snoop Dog, D’angelo

Pour aller au bar, je devais prendre le célèbre escalator « mid-level » qui monte monte monte….! Il s’agit même de l’escalator extérieur le plus long du monde !
Comme je le disais, le quartier ne manque pas d’attractions nocturnes. Si vous avez vraiment faire la fête, L.K.F. (Lan Kway Fong) est votre quartier. Mais voilà comment je résonne : si vous êtes un voyageur, vous avez vu des endroits comme ça dans toutes les villes où vous avez été, chaque ville à son quartier super fêtard. Alors pourquoi gâcher du temps ici ?
Choisissez donc votre bar ou club avec attention, parce que pour être honnête il y en a qui valent vraiment le détour. Mon choix personnel : Stockton.
Ecoutez •Imagine de Dr Dre, Snoop Dog, D’angelo.

Simone in Soho

The city has a lot to offer in terms of food, I would avoid all the spotlighted expensive restaurants. If you are still in central HK, I would recommend to walk along Hollywood Road and Wellington Street, believe me you’ll find great traditional cuisine at a cheap price.
If you are in Tsim Sha Tsui, and your budget is limited, well don’t be afraid to try the food in the « infamous » Chungking Mansions, actually the best indian food we had in the city was at a simple kiosk inside the building!
Or you can also go to the supermarket located in the mall where the MTR (the metro) is, where you can buy sushi and sashimi for a ridiculous price!

La città ha molto da offrire in termini di restaurazione, io eviterei i posti troppo rinomati e cari e se vi trovate ancora al centro vi suggerisco di camminare tra Hollywood Road and Wellington street, li troverete la vera gastronomia locale a prezzi giusti.
Se invece vi trovate a Tsim sha Tsui , e il vostro budget è limitato, beh non siate timorosi e provate ciò che vi é offerto all’interno del « poco raccomandabile » Chungking Mansion, il miglior pasto che abbiamo avuto é stato quello che abbiamo mangiato in un chiosco indiano proprio li.
Oppure, andate al supermercato dove c’è la fermata metro, sushi e sashimi a prezzi ridicoli!

La ville a beaucoup de choses à offrir en ce qui concerne la nourriture, j’éviterais donc les restaurants chers à la mode. Si vous êtes dans le centre de Hong Kong, je vous recommande de marcher le long de Hollywood Road et Wellington Street. Croyez-moi, vous trouverez de la très bonne cuisine traditionnel pour peu cher.
Si vous êtes à Tsim Sha Tsui et que vous avez un budget limité, n’ayez pas peur d’aller essayer la nourriture à l’intérieur des « infâmes » Chungking Mansions. C’est à vrai dire là-bas que nous avons mangé la meilleure cuisine indienne, à un simple stand au RDC ! Ou vous pouvez aller au supermarché qui se trouve dans la station de métro, où vous pourrez acheter des maki et sashimi frais pour un prix ridicule !

Veggie Dumplings

Veggie Dumplings

Outside restaurants

Outside markets

Hong Kong skyscrapers

Alice:

Seeing the beautiful things in Hong Kong – Voir les endroits qui valent le détour

Garden of Stars

While Simone was trying to understand if he was going to be working in Hong-Kong or not, I spent most of my time in our room so I could get some of my own work done. I had loads of it and a tight deadline so I didn’t have much time to spare. When we accepted that Hong-Kong was not for us and that we’d have to find somewhere else to settle down for a while, it was time to see the beautiful sights the city had to offer. Honestly, I wish I had read that guide of the most Instagram friendly places in Hong Kong at that time, because we missed a lot of good spots, so don’t make the same mistake!
Simone took a walk from our hotel to the harbour. Along the waterfront, he spent some time in the Garden of stars located in East Tsim Sha Tsui. The view is beautiful and the statue of Bruce Lee was a must see for him!

Mentre Simone stava cercando di capire se accettare il lavoro o no, io ho speso la maggior parte del mio tempo nella nostra stanza affaccendata a finire tutto il lavoro arretrato che avevo.
Nel momento in cui ci siam resi conto che Honk Kong non faceva per noi, e che era arrivato il tempo di trovare un altro posto, abbiamo deciso di goderci ciò che questa città aveva da offrirci.
Simone è andato a fare una passeggiata verso il porto e il giardino delle stelle a Tsim Sha Tsui est, lo splendido panorama e la statua di Bruce Lee erano una priorità per lui!

Pendant que Simone essayait de comprendre s’il allait pouvoir travailler à Hong-Kong ou non, j’ai passé le plus clair de mes journées dans notre chambre à travailler. J’avais beaucoup de travail et une deadline serrée, donc je n’avais pas beaucoup de temps pour faire autre chose. Une fois que nous avions accepté le fait que Hong Kong n’était pas pour nous et que nous devrions trouver un autre endroit où s’installer pour quelques mois, il fut temps de découvrir les chouettes endroits à voir.
Simone a fait une balade du côté du port. Au bord de l’eau, il a passé du temps dans le Jardin des Stars du côté Est de Tsim Sha Tsui. La vue y est magnifique et il ne voulait surtout pas manquer la statue de Bruce Lee !

The Harbour

Garden of Stars

Garden of Stars

Bruce Lee Statue

Bruce Lee Statue

MAN MO TEMPLE

Then he went to HK island to check out the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road. It’s a monastery located in this chaotic example of urban clutter.

È poi tornato sull’isola per dare un’occhiata al monastero Man Mo Temple, perfetto esempio della speculazione edilizia di questa caotica città.

Puis il est allé sur l’île de Hong Kong pour visiter le temple Man Mo qui se trouve sur Hollywood Road. C’est un monastère qui se trouve un milieu de chaos urbain, à voir !

Going to Man Mo Temple

Man Mo Temple

Man Mo Temple

Rooted Tree

STREET ART

Of course, just exploring the less crowded parts of the city and checking out the street art is something that you should consider if you want to understand all the sides of chaotic Hong Kong.

Ovviamente, esplorare le vie meno affollate e ammirare gli innumerevoli murales, è cosa da tenere in considerazione per capire bene ogni lato di questa caotica città.

Bien sûr, explorer les endroits moins bondés de la ville et découvrir tout le street art qui façonne ses rues est quelque chose à faire pour comprendre tous les côtés qui constituent cette ville chaotique.
Hong Kong Street

Street art Hong Kong

Street Art street

Beautiful Street art Hong Kong

victoria peak

Two days before leaving, when I had finally passed my work deadline, we dedicated the day to the Victoria Peak. Some people hike there, and it sounds like a lot of fun, but we decided it would be best for us to take the special tram that goes there. To be honest, even just the way to get there felt pretty refreshing, even though it was surrounded by skyscrapers. After spending all of your time in the Chungking Mansions, I guess anything feels refreshing. What was not a breeze, however, was the line to get to the tram. It felt like we waited forever for our turn to get in, and it was badly organised. The ride was pretty beautiful, I had my eyes opened wide to take all of it in! But if you have a sensitive back, the very steep ride might not make you feel too good…

Due giorni prima di partire, finalmente terminati tutti i miei doveri, dedichiamo la giornata ad una delle attrazioni più conosciute di Hong Kong: Victoria Peak. C’é chi cammina fino alla cima, ma noi la nostra scelta la avevamo gia fatta: il trenino. Ad essere sinceri , gia il panorama durante il tragitto, nonostante i numerosi grattacieli presenti, era bello e riconciliante. Dopo tutto il tempo passato tra le 4 mura della Chungking Mansions, tutto quanto credo possa apparire fantastico.
Unico lato poco positivo la coda per salire sul trenino, tanta e male organizzata
Il percorso é da lasciare senza fiato, ho aperto i miei occhi il più a lungo possibile per godermelo tutto!
Ma se la schiena è il vostro punto debole, beh sappiate che la salita è ripidissima….

Deux jours avant de quitter la ville, quand j’eu enfin passé ma deadline professionnelle, nous avons passé la journée à Victoria Peak. Certaines personnes font une randonnée jusqu’en haut, ce qui a l’air d’être vraiment sympa, mais on a décidé qu’il était mieux pour nous de prendre le tram spécialement dédié à ça. Pour être honnête, rien que le chemin pour aller là-bas m’a semblé un bol d’air, malgré l’omniprésence des gratte-ciels. Après avoir passé des jours enfermé dans les Chungking Mansions, j’imagine que tout a l’air rafraichissant…! Ce qui était moins sympa en revanche, c’était la queue interminable pour prendre le tram. Après ce qui nous a semblé une éternité dans un endroit très mal organisé, nous avons pu entrer dans le petit tram. La vue pendant le trajet était assez incroyable, et j’avais les yeux grands ouverts pour essayer de tout voir ! Mais si vous avez le dos sensible, vous allez sentir la montée très très très raide…

Simone on the way to the tram

On the way to the tram

View on the way to the tram On the way Tram queue View from the tram Tram Tracks

Once at Victoria Peak, there’s plenty of things to do! We decided on following the many indications to one of the paths around the peak, and started walking. Our first stop was at the Mount Austin Playground, a beautiful garden. Then we had some fun while walking along the luxury residences and ended up in the Victoria Peak Garden. This place is famous for wedding pictures and we actually stumbled into a couple wedding photoshoots. I found this place a bit boring, so I was delighted when we went a bit more uphill and found a place from where we could have an amazing view! Descending back from there during sunset was a delightful experience and I highly recommend it. You’ll have amazing views of the city and the sun, giving you the feeling that you’re in a totally different place. Less delightful, the queue to get back by the tram. I don’t think I’ve ever did so much queue in my life. It took us more than an hour to get from the bottom of the line to the tram. Not fun, but the beauty of the place was worth it!
For other great lookouts, check this post on where to catch the best views in Hong Kong!

Una volta arrivati a Victoria Peak le cose da fare sono moltissime! Noi decidiamo di incamminarci per una delle innumerevoli strade che portano alla cima.
Primo stop: gli splendidi giardini Mount Austin Playground.
Siamo poi arrivati nei più famosi Giardini del Victoria Peak, luogo ideale di tutte le coppie di sposi per il loro album fotografico.
A mio parere noioso, per questo sono stata felicissima quando, dopo aver camminato ancora per un po’, abbiamo trovato finalmente il posto dove ammirare lo splendido panorama della baia di Hong Kong.
Il nostro tragitto di ritorno accompagnato dal tramonto é stato qualcosa di davvero speciale.
Meno appagante, è sicuramente stata l’ennesima fila per riprendere il trenino, abbiamo passato più di un’ora in coda, ma la bellezza del posto ce lo ha fatto dimenticare!

Une fois à Victoria Peak, il y a plein de choses à faire ! Nous avons décidé de suivre les nombreuses indications d’un des chemins autour du pic, et commencé notre balade. Nous nous sommes d’abord arrêtés au Terrain de jeu du Mont Austin, un très joli jardin pour tous les âges. Ensuite nous nous sommes amusés sur la route en passant à côté des maisons de luxe et avons atterrit au Jardin du Pic. Cet endroit est connu pour être là où se font beaucoup de photos de mariage et ça n’a pas loupé, nous avons déboulé en plein pendant une séance photo. J’ai trouvé cet endroit pas passionnant donc j’étais ravie lorsque nous avons trouvé, un peu plus haut, un endroit d’où avoir une vue incroyable sur tout Hong Kong ! Retourner du côté du tram pendant le coucher de soleil était une expérience particulièrement agréable, que je recommande de tout coeur ! Vous aurez le plaisir de voir des vues magnifiques sur la ville et le soleil, vous donnant l’impression d’être dans un endroit complètement différent. Moins sympa encore une fois : la queue pour reprendre le tram. Je ne crois pas avoir jamais fait autant la queue de toute ma vie. Il nous a fallu plus d’une heure pour faire toute la queue. Pas drôle, mais la beauté de l’endroit en valait la peine !

Victoria Peak

Victoria Peak

The View from the start of the trail

Mount Austin Playground

Mount Austin Playground

Beautiful Mount Austin Playground

Beautiful Mount Austin Playground

Victoria Peak Gardens

Victoria Peak Gardens

View from the top

View from the top

A kiss at the top

Going back

Going back

Sunset

Sunset

Big Buddha

We saved our last day in Hong Kong to pay the Big Buddha a visit. This gigantic statue actually has a better sounding name: Tian Tan Buddha, but I really enjoyed calling it Big Buddha for some reason, and will keep on doing so (sorry). To get there, we understood that pretty much the only way was to take the Ngong Ping 360 cable-cars. As it was preeeetty expensive, we rode on the cheapest ones, the standard. The more expensive ones are see-through on the bottom, which sounds cool but I think it’s fine to ride the standard one. It takes 25 glorious minutes, and I might have wished it took more than that. The view is breath-taking. I wouldn’t even have minded not going to see the Buddha, because I was so happy to live this experience. I felt like I was flying in a stunning otherworldly place and it only got better when : 1. we realised that you can actually HIKE there 2. Look at this beautiful monastery lost in there! 3. Wow, the Buddha is amazing!!

L’ultimo giorno lo dedichiamo alla visita del grande Buddha.
Questa statua gigantesca ha un nome molto più accattivante: Tian Tan Buddha, ma mi piace troppo chiamarlo il Grande Buddha, e cosi farò. Per arrivarci, l’unica maniera (a dire il vero ci si arriva anche a piedi) é la cabinovia Ngong Ping 360, noi prendiamo la più economica, cioè quella standard. Ci sono voluti 25 gloriosi minuti per arrivare, e non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto fosse di più!a
La vista é qualcosa di impressionante.
È come volare in un esperienza mistica, resa ancor più bella quando abbiamo:
1. capito che si può arrivare camminando
2. date un occhiata a questo splendido monastero nascosto
3. Wow il Buddha è stupendo…

Nous avons réservé notre dernier jour sur place pour aller rendre visite au Big Buddha. Cette statue géante a aussi un nom un peu plus tradi : Tian Tan Buddha, mais j’ai préféré (et continue de) l’appeler Big Buddha pour une raison que j’ignore. Pour aller là-bas, nous avons vite compris qu’apparemment la seule façon était de prendre le téléphérique Ngong Ping 360. Comme c’était suuuuper cher, nous avons pris un ticket pour les cabines les moins chères, les « standards ». Celles qui sont plus chères sont vitrées même au niveau du plancher, ce qui a l’air plutôt cool mais je pense que c’est juste un luxe et que les standards sont largement suffisantes. Il faut 25 sublimes minutes pour arriver, et j’aurais peut-être préféré que ça soit plus long. La vue est in-croy-able. Ca ne m’aurait même pas dérangé de ne pas voir le Buddha, tellement j’étais heureuse de cette expérience. J’avais l’impression de flotter dans un autre monde et ça en devenait encore meilleur quand : 1. on a compris qu’on pouvait arriver là-bas en faisant une randonnée 2. regarde le beau monastère perdu dans la montagne ! 3. Wow, le Buddha est tellement chouette !!

Cable cars in the sunset cable car with big buddha The temple in the shadow

When we got out of the cable cars, we arrived in what felt like a small village that had this slightly-traditional super-touristy feeling, but I kind of liked it because it was in way smaller proportions than everything else is in Hong Kong and I definitely needed some of that. We walked happily to the statue and looked up at the 268 steps it takes to reach it. Well, not a problem! We climbed the stairs and were rewarded not only by the impressive Big Buddha but also by the 6 Devas. Once we got our fix of beautiful statues, we went down and continued our way to the Po Lin Monastery. There we took time to relax on a bench while observing everything that was going on, happy to have seen these beautiful sides of Hong Kong before our departure.

Usciti dalla cabinovia, ci ritroviamo in un piccolo villaggio tradizionale ma allo stesso tempo super turistico, avevo assolutamente bisogno di qualcosa di più piccolo rispetto ad Hong Kong.
268 gradini per arrivare alla Statua, no problem!
Finito di ammirare il grande Buddha e le 6 Deva, ci dirigiamo verso il monastero di Po Lin.
Qui ci rilassiamo , felici di aver visto questo splendido lato di Hong Kong.

Lorsque nous sommes descendus du téléphérique, nous sommes arrivés dans une sorte de petit village à la fois traditionnel et super touristique, mais je m’y sentais bien quand même parce que soudain tout avait des proportions bien plus humaines que dans tout le reste de Hong Kong et j’avais vraiment besoin de ça. Nous avons marché avec plaisir jusqu’à la statue et contemplé les 268 marches qui nous y emmèneraient. Eh ben pas de problème ! Nous les avons montées pour être récompensés pas seulement par l’impressionnant Buddha, mais aussi par les 6 Devas. Une fois que nous avions bien profité des magnifiques statues, nous sommes redescendus pour aller au monastère Po Lin. Nous avons pris le temps de nous détendre sur un banc pour regarder les gens s’affairer autour de nous, heureux de découvrir ses côtés agréables de Hong Kong avant notre départ.

Arriving at the Big Buddha village Simone on the way to Big Buddha Gates to Big Buddha Big Buddha in the shadow Simone climbing the stairs to Big Buddha

Hello Bid Buddha

Big Buddha

One of the Deva

One of the Deva

Another Deva

Deva

Big Buddha and a Deva

Big Buddha and a Deva

Simone with another one of the Deva Alice and the Devas

The Po Lin Monastery

The Po Lin Monastery

From Asia to Belfast with love – Dall’Asia a Belfast con amoreDe l’Asie à Belfast, avec amour

Saying that I was sad to leave Hong-Kong would be a lie of epic proportions. Most of it felt suffocating and hard and dirty and expensive, and I know that it would have been the substance of our daily life if Simone had been able to work there. But it’s also true that Hong Kong has beautiful things to offer that shouldn’t be overlooked. If I ever end up in Hong Kong another time, it wouldn’t be as a budget backpacker (and as far as possible from Chungking Mansions), and the thing I would really love to go to the Big Buddha not by the cable car but by trekking all the way there!

Dire di essere triste di lasciare Hong Kong sarebbe una bugia di proporzioni epiche.
La maggior parte di essa era soffocante, dura sporca e troppo cara, e avrei dovuto conviverci giornalmente se Simone avesse accettato il lavoro.
Ma, bisogna ammettere che ci sono delle cose bellissime, se dovessi tornare qui sarebbe con un budget maggiore , il più lontano possibile dalla Chungking Mansions, e con una voglia matta di ritornare a vedere il Grande Buddha a piedi!

Dire que j’étais triste de quitter Hong-Kong serait un mensonge disproportionné. Ca m’a surtout semblé suffocant et difficile et sale et hors de prix, et je sais que ces impressions auraient été la substance de notre vie quotidienne si Simone avait pu travailler là-bas. Mais c’est vrai aussi que Hong Kong a des choses magnifiques à découvrir qui ne devraient pas être snobées. Si je me retrouve à nouveau à Hong Kong un jour, ça ne sera pas en tant que backpacker au budget super serré (et le plus loin possible des Chungking Mansions), et j’aimerais vraiment aller au Big Buddha sans prendre le téléphérique mais en faisant la randonnée à la place !

Dirty Hong Kong Epic Hong Kong

Thats all folks
Ciao belli
Salut!

Ciao Chungking Mansions


A few days in Hong Kong | What to do in Hong Kong | Where to eat in Hong Kong | Visit the Big Buddha in Hong Kong | Go to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong

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6 comments

Aneesha Rai 20 April 2017 - 8 h 05 min

I really love Hong Kong! It’s such a buzzing place and I love the street eats as well.

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Megan 24 April 2017 - 5 h 05 min

Looks gorgeous, and I love all the photos. I’ve heard about those Chungking Mansions from other budget travelers going to HK, it sounds disgusting!

Reply
Cindy's Travel Diaries 29 June 2017 - 19 h 45 min

Super article !! On s’y croirait 😉
Je n’y suis jamais allée mais pourquoi pas un jour, même si ce n’est pas en haut de ma bucket list !

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Lisa 30 June 2017 - 11 h 21 min

Beautiful post, and excellent photos to complement the piece! It brings back good memories of when I travelled there. I also love how you write in 3 languages, that’s a lot of work! Keep it up 🙂

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Simone Cardillo 30 June 2017 - 13 h 10 min

Thank you very much Lisa, writing in 3 languages could be quite hard but we are trying as much as we can to do our best!

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Crystine Polk 17 February 2018 - 8 h 05 min

Loved the honest description of Hong Kong. I have been there twice. Parts were fun and other parts too much of a large packed city. I now live in Taiwan, it is similar but hugely different in that we have loads of natural beauty just an hour or so away. So, you can quickly get away from the city and into some amazing countryside.

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