Hong Kong Island

After 24 hours of travel from Fiji we made it to Hong Kong Island on August 26th.  We purposely started our move to China with a trip to Hong Kong in order to obtain our much needed visas. We weren't able to apply for visas in Fiji as the Chinese Consulate would only work with Fijians. 

Hong Kong Island is as we remember it from 12 years ago: skyscrapers, high-end malls, business men swiftly walking through the street and everything is spendy. Hong Kong Island is a great way to step slowly into the Chinese culture. Today we move from Hong Kong Island to the Kowloon side which is a bit more "Chinese feeling" before taking a train into mainland China this weekend. 

I'll always be thankful that our daughters are adventurous eaters, it definitely makes for more of an authentic adventure wherever we travel. So far the best tasting, least expensive food has been on the street.

It still hasn't hit us that we no longer live aboard Terrapin. There's been a few times of pushing through crowds, sweat pouring down my back after an attempted night's sleep on a stiff bed when I catch myself thinking, it would be nice to go home and sleep in my own cozy bed. One problem, we're homeless. There is no place to call home until we make our way to Suzhou and find an apartment.

Last November one of our long time stateside friends put us in touch with a family who lives aboard in Hong Kong that's preparing for their own cruising adventures. Once I found out that we would be in Hong Kong I messaged them and they were gracious enough to take us out on their boat.

Hong Kong is immaculate! For a place that holds millions of people there's zero trash to be found, such a welcomed change from the South Pacific. 

Hong Kong represents a 180 degree difference in everything we've come to know over the past four years. New changes has created some new anxiety for Jessica (actually for all of us). Crowds, subways, moving at what feels like a lightening fast pace...it's all very new to us.

Bamboo scaffolding

This morning we breath a sigh of relief as we have just picked up our visas necessary to enter mainland China. We had read horror stories of people not being approved (not really sure why) and started to worry a bit and think of possible Plan B's. Thankfully we get to proceed as planned with the next few weeks traveling through more of Hong Kong (Kowloon side), a trip to Guangzhou, Shanghai and eventually Suzhou where we will be living.

Hong Kong botanical and zoological gardens

Stick around, we're just getting started on a whole new adventure!

Hong Kong home to 7.4 million people