72 Hours in Hong Kong

It was all a bit of a blur - a busy three days in Hong Kong, rushing between airports, the hotel and the conference venue - but it was a very worthwhile visit. I managed to coincide the trip with the 60th Anniversary celebrations of the People's Republic of China, so the city was looking its best and there was plenty going on.

I was attending an International Baccalaureate Conference at King George V School in Kowloon on the mainland area of Hong Kong. The school reminded me of Shore with its old English buildings. This is a view from a balcony over the playing fields.

I was attending Chemistry workshops which I found very useful as I teach the IB for the first time. It was three solid days from 8:30am until 4:30pm, so my exploration of Hong Kong was either early in the morning or late afternoon and into the night.

Hong Kong is high density living with the associated overcrowding, very polluted air and lots of traffic. There are narrow streets and high rises everywhere.

However, the city is also suprisingly green, very hilly and the seaside location produces a cooling breeze. The shot below shows a hazy sunrise view of Hong Kong Island from Kowloon.

The Kowloon waterfront bustles with activity as locals and tourists alike jostle for space as they traverse the promenade. The Chinese version of the Hollywood walk of stars was popular, especially the statue of Hong Kong legend Bruce Lee.

People run, walk, stroll, stand and sit and watch the sun go down behind the mountains of Hong Kong Island. The smokey sky, apparently from the factories up in China proper, made for an impressive sunset.

There is a mixture of old and new, rich and poor, with the local markets as well as the biggest and most expensive brand names. The wealthy go shopping on Canton Road, shown to the left, while there are plenty of bargins to be found on the back streets such as the one on the right.

At night, Hong Kong becomes a spectacular, glittering light show. One of the best vantage points is at the end of the steepest tram ride in the world, up on Victoria Peak. Most of Hong Kong must agree, as they all seemed to have joined us at the very crowded lookout. The view below shows why.

Double decker buses traverse the city, and they are especially concentrated on the main street of Kowloon, Nathan Road, shown below.

A ferry ride on Victoria Harbour is a great way to take in the scene around you. The lights of the hundreds of skyscrapers seemed to dance on the water and the old chinese junk, it's sails glowing red, reminded us of the history of the city.

There is a great variety of places to eat and drink, including the Irish Pub that I visited with the only other Ruamrudee staff member who was at the conference, Jeremy, who teaches English.

It was an exhausting three days but another great experience, both professionally as I learnt more about the IB Chemistry course and personally as I was able to check out the amazing city of Hong Kong. As the sun set over my Cathay Pacific Airbus, "home" and the end of my short adventure, was just another couple of hours away.