When I went to London in February, at the beginning of my Australasia trip, I was leaving the continent and going to an island: Britain. Next stop was in Tokyo, also in an island. Then I flew to Auckland: again another island! After New Zealand we went to Australia, which is a huge island that many call continent. And then the last port of call before coming back to Europe was Hong Kong, a city partly in an island, partly in a peninsula. I had not realized it before, but during six weeks I had been jumping from one island to the next one!
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Due to History and its colonial past, Hong Kong is a special place in China and Asia. The island of Hong Kong itself is modern, rich, clean and vibrant. The Kowloon peninsula and the new territories are a mixture of modern and rich venues and more popular ones. Although I liked the Hong Kong Island a lot and spent most of my time there, I am glad that my hotel was in Kowloon, on Nathan Road, near Jade street and Temple street (where the night market takes place). The place was alive around the clock and after five weeks travelling in developed, rich, clean, super-organised places it was good to go somewhere that was less so. For me it was like coming back home, with the goods and bads of a developing place.
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By the way, when I arrived to the airport and asked at the information center how to get to my hotel, I was told that there was no Novotel at that address. I was very surprised and insisted with the guy, because I had a confirmed reservation for it. He checked all his files and couldn't find anything. At last I asked him to call the hotel. We found out that it had opened that same day! So, I was one of the few first guests in Novotel Kowloon, on Nathan Road, day (or night) one. I'm making free advertising for them only because I thought it was really a very good four star hotel, very nicely decorated, with a very friendly and well trained staff. If one day you have to go to Hong Kong, consider this as a good accommodation possibility.
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Hong Kong, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro and San Francisco are often considered the four most beautiful places on the planet, at least what goes for their bays and harbours. Victoria Harbour seems to be an extremely beautiful place, at least on the photos and post cards that you can buy all around. What a shame that we can't see it! I am not sure 
whether it was the early spring haze or simply pollution, but the sad fact was that during the four days that I was in town we never could see very far away. Most of the time it was like on the photos beside. The problem must be very bad, because in some places there are photographers that offer to make your photo and then insert it against a clean shot of the same location, as if the day you were there was a clearer one. Business does not develop if there is not enough demand for it, ergo…* * * * *
One afternoon as I jumped out of the boat in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, I decided to go to the Avenue of the Stars, in front of Victoria Harbour. I wanted to enjoy the view of the skyline of Hong Kong Island while waiting that night came down and the buildings had the lights on. Of course I was
not alone in that idea and dozens of other tourists also did the same. Despite of the crowds around me, eventually I could disconnect. Lost in my thoughts I remembered another afternoon, in July 1979, when Rubens and I did something similar. I was in Rio staying with Rubens' family. He was my best friend at that time. One afternoon we took a bus and went to Urca and waited until the skyline in Rio downtown was also lit. At that time we were teenagers and we both dreamed about seeing the world. In Hong Kong I realized that almost thirty years later I had already been to all places that one day I dreamed of visiting. It is not that there are no other places to go. On the opposite, one really good thing about this trip is that I fully recovered the pleasure of travelling. At some point in time I had to travel so often for business that it almost became a nightmare. But these bad days are over and again I feel like the teenager of the past that was curious about other people and places and wanted to make it all!* * * * *
I also remembered that around that time Marta was a little child. I used to say that one day I would take her with me to Rio. Now, after so many years, we have been to Rio and many other places, in different countries and continents. She is a great travel companion! Looking backwards, I can only be glad that life was the way it was, and that I could see so many places and meet all the nice people that I have met.
Wish you also make your dreams come true and a very good week!
Maurício
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