Thoughts on Hong Kong 1

I didn't get into the habit of keeping a journal from day to day, so instead I'll try to break up my thoughts about certain events and experiences that happened throughout the trip. Generally I try not to form solid opinions and keep an open mind while traveling, so some negative experiences I just didn't think were worth commenting on, as they are just a part of traveling in an unfamiliar country. :)

Right off the plane:

My first thoughts as I stepped off the plane and walked into the airport was “wow, this place is huge…and so clean and orderly!” It felt more like being in a hospital, all antiseptic white with the floors sparkling clean, despite the heavy flow of foot traffic. While waiting for the group to gather and head to the buses, I noticed an elderly man almost robotically walking back and forth with a tong-like device, picking up any trash that littered the floor. Traveling by bus to the hotel and getting to see the city at night was a great experience. The first couple of buildings that I saw reminded me of huge Lite Brite boards (anyone who was a child of the 80s will know what I mean). Other buildings are clustered together in such neat and organized ways that I wonder if the city was designed this way purposely so that it would look good at night. I doubt they would make as much an impact during the day. Aside from all the city lights, I could also vaguely see that there are mountains and hills surrounding the city. I see palm trees and other tropical vegetation, so I’m hopeful for some warm balmy weather! Getting closer to the hotel I saw laundry hanging out of people’s windows. Not really an unusual sight by itself, but multiple that by a few dozen windows in almost every highrise building and it does appear a bit strange. I guess this means that people don’t use dryers, which I suppose would make sense when you need to conserve space and live in a subtropical climate.