40. Hong Kong

I don’t think I’ve planned a holiday so far in advance since the 18-months of  preparation/team bonding/ money raising mission that culminated in a fantastic KES expedition to Bolivia. There is a lot to be said about planning trips.

For Hong Kong or Xiang Gang as they call it in mainland China, I impressed myself how organised I was for the four days, having booked tickets and time off work a long way in advance. I was so stress free about the whole venture it came as a shock on my departure date that I would be leaving.

A train journey to HK takes 18 hours and covers over 1000 miles, you have to fill in departure papers and have your passport given the once over before boarding the train. I of course managed to board the train with only 5 minutes to spare. This may seem like a lot back home, but trains journeys here are big deals.

The border line (literal) stress that there was checking on to the train, quickly evaporated when I got into my 4 person dorm. The bed was surprisingly comfy for the price I paid, hence I didn’t really leave my bed for the rest of the journey and slept longer than I had ever before.

I soon reached my destination. Hong Kong has the balance absolutely perfect, it is the Financial Capital of the World but it was more than possible for a touring rugby team to have a good time. It had a magnificent skyline but also a dense greenery up upon the peak. Shanghai is probably the most similar to HK in Mainland China. But Hong Kong honestly felt like another world, and visiting it I felt I saw a completely different side to China.

They say ‘1 country, 2 systems’. On the day of my arrival, an online questionnaire had been published in the paper stating 92% of residents wanted to go back to British rule. Basically, it was a colony of Britain  but we gave it back to China in 1997 on the premise that no rules would be instated for the first fifty years. 2047 is fast approaching for a lot of the residents and some rules have already been on the sly instated for instance the school curriculum now puts a greater influence in learning Mandurin over English (Cantonese being their first language).

In any case, I hope for the children’s sake they don’t change their uniforms. While my students in Shanghai wear tracksuits which are stuck in the 90’s, the HK students were prepping the white shirt, school tie, grey trousers look. You really don’t appreciate our British style sometimes.

A list, a list, a list. I love lists and for Hong Kong it will be the top 5 fun things I did. As after all, it was a fun few days.

5. Raced up the mountain

Freddy Harris of Derwent Rugby fame kindly put me up in his Dad’s slick apartment. It was at the end of a 800 metre long elevator journey that took you from Downtown to what was called the Mid Levels.

At the end of each night, already rather sweaty from the night’s frivolities we would work our way up the hill. It often ended up in a race. Fun, fun, fun for some at least.

4. Gambling in Macau

Saying the country ‘Macau’ in mainland China you almost get a snigger following it. In China’s point of view, this ‘administrative region’ has the sole purpose of acting as a place for Chinese people to gamble AND BOY DO THEY.

A few facts about Macau. Macau smashes Las Vegas incasino revenue. Apparently 5 times more money is passed over the table than in Las Vegas. One of the main casino’s that greets you on the harbour, Sands, recouped its $ 235 million construction costs in only a year.

Every game for me was a high stake game.  Locals who didn’t even look that wealthy were throwing down hundreds like they were pennies.

Macau's famous egg tart

I really didn’t think in my financial state should have played, but in the spirit of Macau I got involved. After winning $100 HKD on roulette, I entered a Blackjack table, won another $400 HKD and pulled out while ahead, pretty happy. Freddy braved it for longer and his successes drew the attention of the old Chinese women slumped around him. As he kept winning the ladies would back him with more and more chips. He came out with a healthy profit. But the curse of the casino is that, you can always win more, and despite our successes we felt that way.

3. Model night in Lan Kwai Fong

Before Macau we had had a few nights in Hong Kong. The first night was a good one. It was the social start of the Rugby 7’s week-end and party people headed to a great little district called Lan Kwai Fong. There was bar after bar with the occasional kebab house. Entrance fees would be introduced the following day, so for this night we browsed lots of different places. From dark dingy local places, to mass singing of Daydream Believer in a Western bar, to bevving up in ‘Club’ 7/11, we eventually found our way to this club down a set of stairs.

The girls in here my goodness me, drink prices my goodness me. Every second girl was Russian and it was here where you saw first hand the spending of the filthy rich as champagne was brought pretty much continuously to this one table laden with beautiful looking women.

We did consider spending our casino winnings on champagne but decided against it.

2. Boat Party

The Shanghai Hairy Crabs for all their silky backs moves and rampaging pack are a social rugby team. This was exemplified by Fridays boat cruise.

The weather was cool and sunny. There were 30-40 guys and some girlfriends who took to the Hong Kong harbour in a boat laden with alcohol and barbequed meat.  The boat took us out next to this beach island in Hong Kong’s surrounding archipelago. This day was never going to be a bad one, dived, drank, ate all day and felt like T-Pain through out.

1. South Stand

The focus point of the whole week-end was the Hong Kong Sevens Rugby tournament, or more specifically the Saturday of it, in the South Stand. It really was the place to be at that moment.  Why? Because it was basically a giant party through out the day.

Rugby tournament, I’m not so sure, it was practically a drinking one from grabbing your seats at 9 am to finally stumbling your way home at around 7.

Everyone dressed up in fancy dress. Lance Armstrong cyclists was a popular theme, but there were flip flops, cavemen, clowns, domino’s, Christ name anything and there was probably one of them.

My lion one-sie that I wore for the occasion ended up drenched, in booze that had amounted from long arming one to many beers, and sweat, as it was a hot work in the sun all day.

My favourite moments were surfing on the chairs as Beach Boys played in the half way interval and then being involved in the largest Harlem shake to date. Serious fun.

I’ve never been anywhere really quite like Hong Kong. The opportunities are endless. It is a pleasant city and the people who live there know it. If you dream of a city, it will be probably quite similar to Hong Kong.