Hong Kong

On the 22nd of July my journey could finally start! After having said goodbye to all my friends and family, having packed my suitcase and singing a final concert the evening before (for those who didn't know - I study opera singing now), we started off to Düsseldorf Airport. W were there early but still I only boarded just in time.
Somehow it was more difficult to say goodbye than last time. 5 years ago I just thought about the adventure ahead and didn't look back. Now I was also very happy and excited but at the same time I had learned to value what I have here. Especially my friends had become a greater part of my life than before and I felt like I missed them already.
Suddenly I felt a little sick with excitement, realizing just now that this was really happening! And of course with the background of the terrifying news lately... but as soon as I boarded the Cathay Pacific flight I drowned my fear in music and movies. The flight to Hong Kong took more than 10 hours and although I had been flying the whole day and - because of the time zones - the whole night as well I couldn't sleep at all.

Finally, at 6 am in the morning, local time, we landed in Hong Kong. I got 300 HKD from the machine (that was enough for one day) and got a return bus ticket at the counter for the bus drivers themselves have no change. I was a little disoriented in this huge airport but after asking a few people for directions I could make my way to the buses. I would be staying here for several hours and I was keen to get some exercise. For a stop-over like this I did not need a visa either. As soon as i stepped out of the building I was hit by a wave of hot and humid air. I was sweating just by standing there! So be advised to pack short clothes in your backpack and to refill your water bottle before leaving - because I forgot...
Instead of choosing the expensive Airport Express I took the A11 bus to the city center. That took longer but I could have a look around and the bus driver was very friendly and even described everything we saw on the way. Because I didn't have a map I had to ask for directions to the Victoria Peak Tram. That's an old cable car going steeply uphill. It was cool but nothing really special. However, from up there you have a nice view of the city. It was very misty though so it would not have made sense to also pay for the Skydeck.

You see, the city is really modern, not what I would call pretty...
At that time I was so very excited and enjoyed walking the streets with my bug backpack on, feeling free and independent. However, apparently there was a typhoon coming and the streets were deserted. I took one of the last cable cars down and made my way to the Man Mo Temple, which had looked cool on the internet but was just a low building ducking between all those skyscrapers. A little disappointed I walked through the city anyway, enjoying the cooling rain. I couldn't find any nice shops or cafes though so I kept walking aimlessly through wide and narrow streets.
When I couldn't go on in that heat I returned to the airport at 2pm, already exhausted. My flight continued at 9pm and I couldn't wait to finally get to NZ!

The Man Mo Temple

Maybe a hobby of the local residents? Every street was crowded with girls and women sitting on cardboard boxes. No idea why...

My conclusion: Sorry, but I don't particularly like this city. It was far too hot but walking through the rain the whole time isn't that cool either. Everything is far apart and I couldn't find anything impressive. Unfortunately the ferries did not operate with the typhoon warning (although I didn't feel a storm at all). It was also very crowded and although the people were very friendly and pretty much everyone could speak English I didn't feel comfortable there. It was an interesting experience, but 8 hours would definitely have been enough time to spend there!