It’s my first trip to Hong Kong. And it’s funny because I’ve been to other parts of Asia but not in Hong Kong. It’s one of those countries visited by Filipinos when they first go out of country much like Singapore and the Filipino community is strong there. Probably because I’m not much enamored with a city full of sky scrapers that’s why it’s not on top of my list. But I was given a chance to visit the place so I kept an open mind as always when visiting a place for the first time. I didn’t have any specific itinerary for our free time but just allowed myself to see where my feet would take me this time.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) was our entry point coming from Manila. It’s a huge and busy airport found on Lantau Island. Its design very much reminds me of Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou. We didn’t have problems going through the immigration. I thought at first we needed HK VISA but Filipinos can enter without a VISA.
I texted Nina who was ahead and thank God my roaming was working well there. After changing a few currencies we met her at the exit. Og and I were thinking of taking the Airport Express Lane Train but thought twice on its HK$100 per person fare to Central where our Hotel was located. Nina suggested taking the bus for HK$40 and already asked the information desk for directions. How efficient.
We walked out of the airport to the transport terminals. That’s what I like about this airport it’s so easy to get out and into the city. There are clear signs leading to the Terminals. There’s the MTR service, the Buses and also the taxis. We bought a CityFlyer Bus Ticket to Central for HK$40. We had a little trouble finding the bus though but we only took a wrong turn to find it on the other side of the waiting shed.
It didn’t take long for the bus to arrive while perusing our maps (I took Japanese map by mistake). We took our places on the upper deck. The seats were comfortable and the air was cool. What’s better was the on-board wifi. It sure did amuse me from the almost 45minutes road trip to Central. From the 32km stretch to the city, it was an interesting transition from the rural environment of the New Territories of Lantau to the amazing structures and architectures of the city.
It was easy to find our hotel at the Central. As soon as we checked-in and left our bags in our room, we looked for a place to eat. We ventured inside a nearby street and found this hole-in-the wall eatery serving a variety of dishes along with the crispy lechon hanging along the doorway. We were hesitant to enter at first until we heard someone say “Pasok kayo! (Go inside guys!)” in Filipino and signaling the empty tables. Her name was Nida one of the OFWs there taking a lunch break before he goes to her 2nd job.
The food was a combination of several viands, which is basically a combo meal. I had crispy lechon and asado with a few vegetables on rice. Along with a drink, the whole meal cost only HK$23 but it was real good and the serving was more than enough. If this is an indication of things to come, I’ll love it in Hong Kong.
—
All photos from this post were shot with a Nokia N8. Get Ironwulf En Route OVI App for your Nokia Phone for your mobile content.
Join our Backpack Photography Photo Tours and Workshops for early 2011. Banaue Photography 101 for beginners on February, Bewitching Siquijor Photo Tour on March 2011 and Batanes Island Hopping in April 2011
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
