Hong Kong Shenanigans

Hello dear readers! I am back and brace yourselves for a lengthy travel post :D I just had, scratch that, we just had our first travel together with my friends and our teacher in Hong Kong last February 22, 2015. We had a five day stay at the Chungking Mansions in Kowloon. So this is us in our post arrival vibe and well, HongKong International Airport sure did amaze me. It was not only huge but it was very well kept and it is wonderful both in its interior and exterior; just like this wide array of man-made garden. Believe it or not, all the flowers and oranges that you see in the picture are real! Another thing that welcomed me though when we reached Hong Kong is the unique smell that the country has. I cannot fully explain the odor but it sure is not accepted by my system because it makes me want to puke.

We arrived in Hong Kong around 10:30 am and we still have to travel for another 45 minutes from the airport to Kowloon because that is where our hotel is located. On our way there, excuse me for being obtuse, but I have never seen tall buildings such as these. From my point of view, I could only imagine how many floors are there in those buildings and are Chinese not afraid of heights? I guess not at all. :P

 So after we finally made ourselves comfortable in our hotel, we decided to start living the tourist life by walking along Nathan Road in Kowloon. So we just walked from our hotel to God knows where to just get used to the place.

And after a few minutes of walking, we arrived in a city square where the malls and shops are located. We stumbled upon a cute cafe where they sell yummy cakes. The cakes that they were selling were like those that I always see in Pinterest and Tumblr. I really want to taste them but nah, I was sick that day. Cough and colds, you are just in time! At least I saved my diet though! :p

 This photo was taken the next day when we were on our way to Fa Yeun St. We had to pass by a mall which was located below the ground! I don't know if that sounds right, haha. But what I am saying is that it was inside a bigger building then you had to ride an escalator before you get to enter the mall. Basically,it was like a building within the building. By the way, the malls in HongKong are much bigger and has more brands to offer compared in the Philippines but you cannot really distinguish the mall from other buildings since all buildings look pretty much the same. So if you decided to wander around HKG, be sure to bring a map. :D

Before heading back to the hotel, we decided to end the night with a visit in the Avenue of the Stars. Avenue of the stars is the street is the place where all the "stars" or plaques of the famous Chinese actors who were remarkable in their fields. The most famous plaque that was placed on the walkway were Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee where they even had their hand print on it. 

In case you do not know, the Avenue of the Stars is a long strip alongside the bay. If you just follow the walkway, you will not noticed that you have already walked a long way. But you will not feel tired at all especially if you stroll around the avenue at night because it is so windy and you will love the cool breeze. It was really cold but I love cold weathers so I don't really mind (haha!). 

 One thing that I noticed in Hong Kong though is that the city lights up at night. The buildings are all covered with LED lights and they all light up together the moment it gets dark. You can see different colors and designs being flashed in front of the buildings. It is such a wonder for a tourist like me because you get to have a first had experience of what a pseudo 'city that never sleeps" looks like. Nevermind me, I am just having another wayward imagination of being in New York. :p

Second day in Hong Kong was well spent. We had shopping at Fa Yeun then the trip to the Avenue of the Stars and a short stop for loo at the Peninsula Hotel (haha!). This is the street going back to our hotel. It was already 12 midnight when we all decided to call it a night! We had to recharge ourselves for another day of adventure!