Arrival in Hong Kong

My flight to Hong Kong was uneventful. The flight was smooth, and I met three other tour members while waiting to board. After arrival a fourth caught up to us before we even got through immigration, and together we decided to take the express train into town. The shuttle is fast and comfortable, and took us almost directly to the center of Kowloon, just across from Hong Kong Island.

Our first impression was the view from the train. It was very green, and the apartment buildings are huge. Getting off the train we were introduced to Hong Kong air. It is thick with moisture, smells, and sounds. It could take some getting used to. Aside from the population density and thick air, it does seem very western. I feel very comfortable speaking English.

Our first adventure was in trying to choose a place to eat. We had all heard stories about how the food might upset a stomach not used to it, so we were reluctant to experiment too much. We ended up with noodles, topped with pork, steak, or steaming hot vegetables. Nobody touched the soup.

This will be a long day. Not only did we have the flight, but there will be lots of walking. This is the only day we will really get a chance to see Hong Kong. Tomorrow we will be in Macau, and Sunday we leave for mainland China.