I'd just come home today from Hong Kong. After I got home, I took a nap, cuz I was lacking sleep. Went to sleep after midnight and had to wake up at 4 AM cuz of the flight back to Manila.

It was a great trip of firsts for me. My first time to ride a plane, first time to go to another country, first time to Hong Kong or any part of China, of course, and my first time to be a real tourist, rather than travelling with another purpose, like I'd always done, albeit only in the Philippines.

I made a lot of wonderful memories with my sister (her website). She was such a wonderful host and tour guide. Thanks to her, I have wonderful memories of not only Hong Kong, but my first trip to another country.

Anyway, on to the main topic of this post. I'll make a list of THE TOP 10 THINGS I'LL MISS ABOUT HONG KONG, with #1 being the best.

#10: The MTR
The MTR is very similar to the LRT2 here in Manila, but with significant differences. I'll miss the stations particularly, because the stations are very well organized. There's even glass and a door, to prevent people from accidentally falling or dropping things into the tracks. It also makes the whole thing very classy.

#9: Hong Kong Ocean Park
I enjoyed the HK Ocean Park a lot, but we went at an unfortunate time, where there was probably the most people since it's a holiday (for most of the world), so it was crowded and there were long lines for everything and almost no seats anywhere.

#8: Kowloon Park
Kowloon Park is such a beautiful place. They had interesting birds, ponds and plants, and a lot of places to take pictures, including a castle. Very refreshing, and you can spend an entire afternoon here just walking, jogging, or just sitting around for some fresh air. It's also a short walk away from the Avenue of Stars and the harbor.

#7: Mong Kok
Despite how I hate shopping in such crowded places. As a guy, I do my shopping differently anyway. But I did love the airsoft area. I got to buy a couple of things, including a German WWII hat (M43). :D Also, there was a boatload of stuff you don't see in the Philippines, which makes me wish it were that easy to get those things here...

#6: Walking Around the City
I walk a lot, and I like walking, but the Philippines has made it a barely enjoyable thing due to excessive heat and humidity, and pollution, danger, etc. But Hong Kong was very well suited for walking. People walk all the time around the city, and you can't blame them. It's a very wonderful experience, to be able to walk around a city and not worry about dying of heat stroke...

#5: The Bus and Traffic System
Seeing a wonderful traffic system where it barely ever congests, even at stoplights, where all the drivers and the pedestrians are disciplined: priceless... The busses are predictable and you know where they go, because the bus numbers are actually route numbers. So you can even choose which route you wanna go by. They will never pick up a passenger in the wrong bus stop or in the middle of the road, nor will they let anybody off anywhere but the correct bus stop. And most of the bus stops have bays, so the stopping or slowing busses do not usually disrupt traffic at all... It's so beautiful.

#4: The Octopus Card
The Octopus Card really makes life easier. I put mine in my wallet, and it felt so cool just passing my wallet over the sensors in the bus, MTR, and other places. I'll miss that feeling and the beep.

#3: Central/Hong Kong Station
The place called Central, a.k.a. Hong Kong Station, is one of the most important waypoints. You can get a bus to practically everywhere (I think) from here, and the MTR is also underneath this place. There's also a lot of shops, restaurants, etc., in the area. It's a very familiar-looking place now to me, due to the number of times we got a bus the MTR from there.

#2: The Cantonese Girls
A lot of pretty girls. A city teeming with them. Walking around, in the malls, on the transport systems, in tourist spots, restaurants, etc... Zettai Ryouiki and Meganekko prone, as well. The fashion sense, though clearly trend-based, is interesting yet not overboard, if you ask me. Very nice.

#1: The Weather/Temperature!
Yes, and a very clear NUMBER ONE THING I WILL MISS ABOUT HONG KONG is the weather! It's the spring time at the time of our visit, so it's very fresh, still cold but not bitterly so. And I'm sure it gets hot in the summer. But hot is not that big a problem in a place that isn't friggen humid. I can imagine people are still walking on the streets in the summer, appropriately dressed for the weather. Something completely unthinkable here in the Philippines unless you're already very dark-skinned and therefore protected from the sun (or otherwise protected from the sun). You also don't need air conditioning, unless you need it for heating...


All in all it was such a wonderful trip. I'll definitely try to come back ASAP. :)