Hong Kong, the former British colony, has changed a lot, but not quite
There was a time when all a Pakistani had to do in order to go to Hong Kong, was buy a ticket and board the plane. The visa was issued on arrival. Today, in a post-9/11 world, a visa to Hong Kong has become a prerequisite for any Pakistani, before even thinking of buying a ticket. Still that couldn’t deter me from visiting the place where I almost started my life.
I applied and the HK authorities were kind enough to grant me a seven-day visit visa. For me it was a dream come true. After a gap of 33 years I was going back to the city of my dreams.
Hong Kong consists of many islands and a peninsula. This peninsula is know as Kowloon and is attached to mainland China, in the south. Kowloon is the city hub as well as the shopping district. The Hong Kong island is the financial district and also houses the local administration. Between these two main parts lies the sea channel known as the Victoria Harbour.
The Hong Kong international airport gives a magnificent impression of the city. A magnificent colossal project with seven levels and eighty gates, the airport is a marvel of civil engineering. It is ranked by some as one of the 10 most impressive super structures constructed in the last century.
This new Airport is situated on Lantau Island, a little distance away from the hub of the city. The best way to get to the city is to take the bullet train called the Airport Express. In twenty minutes I was in Kowloon. This ride is simply captivating and the view on both sides is breathtaking.
The people are very friendly and cooperative and it seems that most of them are well off. Even school children sported mobile phones. Surprisingly, I did not encounter a single fat or a bald local. Maybe it is because of their diet.
In HK, a Muslim should be careful while eating. Most of the meat that is served here is pork, though chicken, beef and fishes are also available. However, it is always a good idea here to confirm the ingredients of a certain dish. And if you are still concerned about what you are eating then the best place to be is the shopping Mall cum hotel, called the Chun King Mansion. It houses many cafes and restaurants of Pakistani and Indian Muslims. A simple halal meal would cost around HK$35, or Rs300. A single chapati costs HK$3 (or Rs24).
Hong Kong is also famous as a shopper’s paradise. There are shops and multi-level shopping malls on both sides of the Nathan Road, running for over a mile. Not only that, roads running parallel to Nathan Road also have plenty of shopping plazas. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration if one were to label it one of the largest, if not the largest, shopping district in Asia. You can buy everything here; designer clothes, jewellery, cutlery and a variety of electronics items, all duty free.
There are a variety of ways to commute in the city. One can ride in a taxi, train, tram, ferry and buses during his stay in HK. And though the traffic is well organized, the best and the favourite means of travel is the underground train called the MTR. At some junctions there are three levels of underground trains running from corner to corner. The maximum time of travel is 15 minute.
In the sixties Hong Kong was famous for its traffic jams, but now there are non-existent. In the five days that I stayed in Hong Kong, I witnessed no traffic jams. Traffic police was nowhere to be seen and still the traffic flow remained smooth. The drivers in HK have a lot of patience. Whenever a bus stops at a bus stop, in a narrow lane, the car at the rear waited and did not honk. Traffic management certainly looked excellent in Hong Kong.
The second thing that impressed me the most was the garbage disposal system of that city. Our civic agencies should learn a few things from them. Each and every shopkeeper used plastic bags, but these bags were not to be seen flying around or choking the sewers. A around midnight a lot of king sized black polythene bags were stacked neatly along, on the footpaths. By 6 in the morning, they had all disappeared, the garbage collection trucks having taken them away.
The sanitary workers must work two shifts. Each of them had a trolley at his disposal, unlike our Pakistani sweepers who has to improvise with an unstable wheelbarrow. In that trolley there was a spade, digger, three brooms of different size, a bucket and above all the worker had industrial gloves on. With the help of all these gadgets these worker keep Hong Kong neat clean, ship shaped.
For two days it kept raining, but nothing changed, only a lot of colourful umbrellas appeared on the sidewalks. Life did not come to a standstill. No power failure, no choking drains and no pools of stagnant water. Life went on without any interruption.
Over the past many years, a lot has changed in Hong Kong. However, the only thing that has stood the test of time, which has not changed in look, decor, ambience and operation, is the Star Ferry. This ferry takes you across the channel and a ride in this ferry is a must for all tourists. This ride brought back a lot of good old memories for me and I felt that I was 33 years younger to the time when my father was posted in Hong Kong and it was as a little boy that I rode the ferry.
Another must is to check the Peak, the number one tourist attraction of Hong Kong. A tram called the Peak Tram takes you up to the Peak. At some points the climb is 75 degrees steep. From the Peak, the view of the harbour is spectacular. One should check it by day and also by night. A word of advice though; I found Hong Kong more expensive than Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Nevertheless, I would still like to go there again.
Hong Kong, the former British colony, has changed a lot, but not quite 
