Gratuitous use of a baby picture
Friends are great, and I think that ours are some of the best. But friends with spare bedrooms in Hong Kong are amazing! Since we are traveling and living off savings for a year, it is nothing short of a miracle that I have a friend with a spare bedroom in one of the most expensive cities in the world. The hospitality of my friend Mike, his wonderful wife Danae and their 9 month old, super smiley daughter Isla was amazing. After 7 months of sleeping in hostels, hotels, buses, trains and even boats, the break of staying with friends in their home was a welcome one. I can barely put into words the joy that unrestricted and free access to a nice washer and dryer brought to Amy and me. Beyond top rate lodging, the Niederbergers, who have been expats in Hong Kong for the last 7 years, showed us a side of Hong Kong that I am not sure we would have seen on our own. The first taste Mike had waiting for me however was not a local one.
As my previous post on beer indicated, I have generally been less than impressed with the local brews. So my mouth watered as Mike brought out of his fridge ice cold Yuengling Lagers, smuggled back from his last trip home to Pittsburgh. This was just the start of a very fun weekend in one of Hong Kong’s great nightlife areas, Lan Kwai Fong. The great hospitality did not stop with the nightlife.
On a misty Sunday morning the 5 of us hiked the Dragon’s Back, a 6k trail that runs along the lush green hills on the south part of the island. It was hard to believe that this vast green natural space was only a 10 minute taxi ride from the dense urban center of Hong Kong. At the end of the hike we stopped for lunch and a beer or two in Shek O, a small coastal town at the very Southern tip of Hong Kong island. The beach bar there even had a special on Brooklyn Lager for only 20HKD (~$2.60), which in Hong Kong is practically free. By this point I was getting spoiled on good American beers and the expat lifestyle.
At 7 months into our trip this was a great thing. With our arrival in China, Amy and I have started to feel the pull East from across the Pacific. From here on we begin heading towards home, jobs and all that comes with our normal lives (take note here future employers), and that feels pretty good. Much to the relief of my mother-in-law, we never intended this trip to be a transition to lives as digital nomads. For us the trip so far has been what we wanted it to be, an amazing experience. But like any experience it too will end. It is one I would repeat it in a second, and will recommend to anyone. It is something we will treasure everyday for the rest of our lives, but the small taste of a “normal” life in Hong Kong was great. I find myself looking forward to our return to Philly in about 4 months, but not before I have a chance to eat sushi in Japan, dive the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and snowboard in New Zealand. I still have some important goals yet to achieve this year.
Also be sure to check out of selected pictures from Hong Kong here.
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Great post, very well stated. “Home stays” like what you had in Hong Kong are invaluable experiences for a longer-term traveler. For us, couchsurfing has served this purpose, although only if you really connect with your hosts, which luckily has happened more times than not. I also enjoyed your comments about the pull of home. We’re about eight months into our trip and totally get where you’re coming from. We decided to go home in about six weeks, and I do find myself looking forward to it a lot, even if we plan on seeing a lot of things between now and then. Keep up the good traveling (and writing about it!)
Dear Amy and Keith,
Here I am again, music teacher friend of Amy’s mother: my husband and I are flying to Hong Kong on July 14, connecting with British ex-pat friends and then hitting the World’s Fair in Shanghai. We finish in Beijing for an exciting 2-week trip with very good friends. I hope to read some interesting information on your website.
Love,
Gail
Gail – That sounds like a great trip. We are heading to the World’s Fair (Expo 2010) this Monday, so we will be sure to have a post or two about our experiences along with lots of pictures.
Also have you seen our selected pictures from Hong Kong? If you have any specific questions on Hong Kong let us know. You sound like you are in good hands with your ex-pat friends though. Just make sure they take you to some local places, not just the touristy ones in the guide books.