37 years ago, my parents moved to Hong Kong on a contract that was for 2.5 years. I joined them 6 months later, and spent a year out here. Despite Mum & Dad staying here for a total of 14 years, and me only staying for one, it holds a very special place in my heart and I couldn’t wait to visit here again on our way to Cambodia. Francesca and I flew out yesterday with Cathay Pacific, the airline I used on my very first solo flight all those years ago, and the service is still as impeccable as it used to be.
Dad was an architect, and the building industry was booming then with development all over the place. 37 years later, and everything but nothing has changed. HK still looks as if it’s not finished, with construction still happening everywhere, yet the landscape is constantly changing – old buildings that are ‘only’ 20 or so floors tall are demolished, and new ones go up in their place. The big difference is that they dwarf the older ones.
As we emerged from the bus outside our hotel, Francesca couldn’t get over the heat and humidity – it wraps itself around you like a blanket and you learn very quickly to slow your walking pace right down. HK smells the same too, not a nasty smell, just a very particular one, and I kept smiling to myself as distant memories kept surfacing. After checking in, we headed out for a walk, armed with a map and my memory of places nearby. I was pleased that I remembered the general direction of where to go, and managed to find our way back to the hotel too.
After an overnight flight with about 20 minutes sleep I’m ready for bed, but I’m loving sitting on the rooftop of our hotel, with the night-time view that I love, wearing shorts, and it’s still 29º 🙂
