When Doug and I arrived at the airport, it was like walking through a mall full of determined holiday shoppers. There was a solid stream of traffic. Doug even tried to walk across the line and it bowed around him, with no drop in speed, as if you placed a brick in a shallow stream. No one stopped, they just... walked around him with no concern. Just like sitting in my car during rush hour traffic, this was something I was going to have to get used to and ignore. Surprisingly, for both Doug and I, sitting in our cars in traffic was the perfect conditioner for acclimating to such public behavior.
We made our way through the airport, to the Airport Express. A magic train that moves faster than superman, with only three stops to get to Hong Kong Island. From there we needed to find the ferry port to take us to the island I would be living on, Cheung Chau. When exiting the Airport Express and as we will soon learn, exiting most train stops, somehow, you end up in a mall. A huge mall. A crazy, huge, complex, stylish, scented air- conditioned, Vegas casino-like mall. Needless to say, after our 15 hour flight and navigating the airport, we were a little flustered trying to get to the ferry. After speaking busted english with a super friendly security guard, we were pointed in the right direction.
As we found the magic exit, I vividly remember the doors opening and feeling the outside air for the first time. Since then, we had been traveling in a massive underground network. We had not been outside or even close to it. It was just about midnight and the humidity in the air was close to visible. There was an instant stickiness to my skin and my clothes felt heavy and wet. There was no relief. We were also carrying all my clothes for the next 6 months. It was rough. We made it just in time to catch the last ferry to Cheung Chau. Easy.
Pulling out of the harbor, we get a better view of the city. As I had mentioned earlier, my dreams were infested with Blade Runner and Fifth Element references, having no idea how accurate they were. The whole city was lit up. There were gigantic barges and ships in the bay, just parked and waiting. We were dwarfed by the freight ships and cranes in the bays. The high-rises grow up the hills behind the city, consuming your space.
It takes at least 30 minutes to clear Hong Kong island. There are small, dark islands with few lights that pop up and disappear. The whole trip from the ferry port to Cheung Chau is about 45- 60 min. We arrived at 1am and my new roommate, Olgierd, was ready to show us to our new home. The ferry lets out right at the heart of the small fishing village. Though most store fronts were closed, there was a couple food stands open and many local fishermen standing around laughing and chatting. To get to the apartment, we have to walk down the main strip- where most of the fronts are seafood restaurants. It smelled faintly of fish, but nothing offensive. You could tell that a few hours earlier this place was busting at the seams.
We walked for 25 minutes, up and down hill, next to the ocean, through some trees and past many staircases. Stray dogs and cockroaches welcomed me on my walk. And though I was sweating more than I ever have, I knew this was the right place for me. Olgierd showed Doug and I to my new home and said farewell for the night. He went to spend the next two weeks with his girlfriend to give Doug and I proper space.
Doug and I fell in love with the place on first sight. It's modest, but spacious in it's own right. There is also a pool, which doesn't hurt. We hurried to find our bathing suites in the clutter that was my frantic packing and went for a peaceful swim with the toads at 3am. I could not have had a better welcome.
*Note: Distance from airport (middle left) to Hong Kong Island, to Cheung Chau (red square)
Go Girl! Adventure awaits - love Twirp
ReplyDeleteAHHHH! Such an adventure!
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