Hong Kong sidetrip -- Night 1

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Hong Kong (Nov 12, 2010) -- We visited this bustling city over the weekend post-Hanoi. And what better way to start this part of the adventure than a trip to the famous Victoria Harbour? 

We were staying at the Dorsett Far East Hotel in Tsuen Wan (in the New Territories, north of Kowloon). As soon as we checked in, I did a quick recon trip around the area to know where the train station, the convenience stores, the parks, and the malls were in the vicinity. Later that evening, it was time to test what I'd learned from my walking tour because we were going to eat dinner near the Harbour, to celebrate Tita Dory's birthday.

A few bloopers here and there... but we finally arrived!

Hong Kong Island cityscape after the Symphony of Lights
The lights on Hong Kong island, as seen from the Kowloon side of the city, is nothing short of breath-taking. What caught my attention is the towering 2 International Finance Centre in Central... it was featured in The Dark Knight (2008), one of my favourite movies. The other buildings, I noticed later, were decked with colourful light, welcoming the Christmas season. One thing that surprised me was the presence of a familiar neon sign... there was no mistaking the San Miguel Beer font atop one of the buildings! Whoa! Now that's a global Pinoy brand!

Seeing the lights was just not enough; we had to go there. We rode the ferry to the Wanchai district; that's where the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre is found, along with the Golden Bauhinia monument. It was somewhere close to this spot where the United Kingdom return Hong Kong to mainland China back in July 1997. 

On our way back to the hotel, we were simply spent. The day began so early, what with a morning flight from Hanoi, a long queue at the immigrations section, the evening adventure along the harbour, and the long walk to the train station. 

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