Losing It In Amsterdam: Honkers is Bonkers

It seems ridiculous that I was surprised Hong Kong felt really Chinese. Not only is Hong Kong located in China, but I’ve been there 3 times before so you think I would know. It appears as though my memory of all taxi drivers speaking great English was both selective and wrong.

But Hong Kong has changed quickly and tremendously over the past few years. The Brits have been gone for over a decade, and the Western comforts they had instilled are being replaced by Mainland Chinese traditions. That’s to be expected, but it still felt abrupt. Despite the rapid change, Honkers has more character and vitality than most cities in the world.

There were other surprising discoveries during my time in HK besides figuring out that it's Chinese (ha. ha.) Like you can take a short subway ride outside of crazy Causeway Bay and arrive in peaceful mountain trails overlooking white sandy beaches that make you feel like you're on a tropical holiday.

Diamond Back trail is an easy hike with beautiful views of the beaches below.

I didn't try paragliding, which is a good thing considering my recent string of bad luck.

A traditional Chinese Junk boat

Lamma beach on a crystal clear, sun shiny Sunday...

Sun set after a day at the beach and a dip in the ocean (still warm!)

It is not surprising that HK features the highest bar in the world - at the Ritz Carlton no less. But it is remarkable how quickly you can acclimate to taking an elevator up 108 floors where looking down on high rises suddenly feels normal.

I didn't take this picture from a plane. This was my view from the Ritz while drinking a glass of chard.

But the most impressive thing about Hong Kong were the people I met. After living in many different cities and having to ‘start over’ every 2 – 3 years for the past decade, I was delighted at how welcoming the expat community is in Honkers. The people I met aren’t just friends, they are family for each other. Sue and Paul welcomed me into their home like a sister, finding me a place to live, lending me loads of cash when my wallet was stolen, and then loaning me another wallet which was stolen again...which they thought was funny.

S&P introduced me to their tight knit group of friends my first weekend in HK and we ended up spending many fun nights in SOHO and an amazing Thanksgiving together.

Three peas in a pod, these guys! Sisters Sue, Neha and Rupa.

Neha's Bday with Yummy Champers.

Me and Rupa after splitting a bottle of champagne while getting our nails done. Rupa made the best Thanksgiving meal I have ever had. Someone at the table joked that it had been catered from Harvey Nichols and I believed it.

Lazy Sunday out with Andy, Emily and friends on a junk boat - one of the greatest HK experiences ever.

Happy faces in Happy Valley at the horse race. My wallet was being stolen as this was taken. Smile!

The Philips AVENT HK team!

Special place, that Hong Kong. I'll be back to visit friends, especially to see the new Gratton bambino. But first up is a weekend trip to Rice Lake and then to Amsterdam for my final 11 days abroad...hello jet lag.