Hong Kong & Macau: A Culinary Vacation

If you’ve spent time with me at some point during the last 5 months, then you know that one of the things I have been talking about incessantly is food. This was never an issue with me pre-Asia, but after living in Malaysia where, to say the least, food and I do not get along, I pretty much am constantly thinking about either Mexican food or a big juicy burger from In N Out. To make matters worse, since pork is something that does not occur in Terengganu where we live, I have developed a craving for it all the time (even though I could probably count the number of times I’d eaten pork before coming to Asia on one hand).

Lucky for me, I just spent the last 5 days in Hong Kong and Macau, lands of delicious international food and more pork than a pork-deprived girl could ask for. We began our adventure in Macau, a small island-ish country off the coast of China, about an hour’s ferry ride from Hong Kong. We only had 1 day there, so we made sure to use our time wisely. Since we were traveling with Fay and Peter (F&P), and they had been there once before, using our time wisely was very easy to do. After walking the colonial streets (thanks to Portugal) and taking in the beautiful architecture and prevalence of Portuguese AND Cantonese, we hit the casinos and buffets.

A colonial plaza in Macau

Besides being known for being close to China and colonial, Macau is also known for being a huge gambling spot for Chinese and Hong Kong tourists. Fay and Peter had a great time observing them and eating buffet food the last time they were there, so we let them be our guides. We ended up at the Sands Casino, where after an incredible splurge on a $30 buffet (endless sashimi, desserts, Chinese food, and BBQ PORK!!) all four of us cashed in about $2.50 each and hit the roulette tables. Needless to say, we all walked away $2.50 poorer. Thinking about it now though, I probably gained about 5 lbs that night, so I think I came out ahead.

Fay enjoying all-you-can-eat sashimi

After this very exciting and eventful day, Fay and Peter lead the way to the Hong Kong ferry, and we jumped aboard and headed for our guest house in Kowloon, the part of Hong Kong that is attached to mainland China and is a short ride across the water from Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong is a fabulous city; F&P mentioned that they would be able to live there if they ever had the opportunity, and I would have to agree (don’t worry, family, it’s not in my plans for any time soon). It’s very cosmopolitan on the HK Island side, and slightly reminiscent of KL with the high fashion mall culture. The Kowloon side was much homier, and felt culturally closer to China somehow (well, it was).

Kowloon

In HK, we did what any travelers in need of a city would do—we ate and shopped. To Peter’s amusement and Ezra’s amazement, my eating of pork for almost every meal continued. Also, with the help of F&P, I discovered something amazing: The Buff. This beautiful, soft, stretchy, multipurpose piece of cloth has changed my life by working as a headband, hair covering, hat, facemask, neckerchief, scarf, sweatband, wristband, and so much more. I heartily recommend it. Even more so than pork at this point.

Other HK highlights include taking the skytram straight up the side of Victoria Peak and ending up at the very top, looking out over all of Hong Kong from the country’s highest point.

At the top of Victoria Peak

We also made it over to Lantau Island on our last day, and took a 45 minute gondola ride REALLY high up over steep green slopes, through the wind, rain and fog, until we reached the Tian Tan Buddha. The rain and fog made it truly mystical as we ascended the many steps to the world’s largest bronze Buddha.

Tian Tan Buddha

Now, as we fly to Bangkok for our 10 days in Thailand, I have time to think about what my first East Asia experience has given to me. Besides the pork and the buff, being in Hong Kong and Macau really underscored the importance of recognizing diversity in Asia. Even though I know better, I think have in the past lumped all of Asia together as “the East,” and haven’t tried very hard to see how truly different “Asian” cultures are. HK was just as different of a city from KL as it was from San Francisco or London in my opinion, something that I probably wouldn’t have expected if I’d thought about it. It’s quite an exercise to really let go of all your preconceptions about a place, because often we don’t even know we have them until we’re surprised by the reality. Even though I see myself as a very open-minded person, I still have a lot to work on as far as seeing the world more objectively, and not from the lens of my own culture. Not that 100% objectivity is possible (or desirable?), but I think that the more we see a situation without our own cultural baggage, the better off we probably are.

Onward!

(Photos from HK & Macau are posted)