Hong Kong is the NYC on steroids of Asia. Housing several of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, the skyline is overwhelming day and night. Walking through the busy streets we found ourselves in a bit of a sensory overload with sights, smells, and sounds in all directions. Public transportation spider webbed to every corner of the city in a quick and efficient manner. It was a great place to end the Asian leg of our travels.
Our first night in Hong Kong we decided to explore like we did in our Europe days: a beer in our hand as we wandered around town. We took the metro under the bay to catch the nightly laser show across the skyscrapers. My mouth literally dropped open when I turned the corner of a building and saw the city skyline across the bay. We arrived at the water’s edge just in time for the nightly laser show. It wasn’t the most exciting laser show I have ever seen, but I could have stared at across the bay at the mesmerizing skyline for days.
Following the laser show, we started to wander around and found a large projection of show times on the side of a building. As if the show was just for us, the second we walked up, it began. Music started blasting from behind us and the three walls surrounding us began to come alive with projections dancing to the beat of the songs. It was a great way to share a beer with Marge and kick off our time in Hong Kong.
The second day we started with a trip to Ikea because we stumbled across one, and what gay guy doesn’t like Ikea? Marge had never been, so we wandered through it and then grabbed lunch there. Hong Kong can be really pricy, so you have to find ways to save a bit and eating at Ikea is SUPER CHEAP. I got unlimited coffee, a cinnamon roll, a piece of pizza, and an ice cream cone for about $2.75. You can’t beat that price, especially in a big city. I’ll just say, that wasn’t my last meal at Ikea in Hong Kong.
Following Ikea, we took a ferry across the bay and jumped on an hour long harbor tour cruise. The boat cruised up and down both sides of the bay so we could check out the city sky line from an up close perspective. After the boat tour, we stopped in the science museum’s omnimax for a 3d video on “Flight” before heading to Temple Street. Temple Street is one of the main tourist markets. Sometimes I guess I have a mind of a mosquito because I am always attracted to bright lights. If you have ever been in my bedroom or spend much time around me, you know I always line my room with rope lights. I also have a really cool green laser pointer that looks like a light saber when I shine it across the sky. Well, when I saw a blue laser pointer that could light cigarettes, cut electrical tape, and light fireworks from 15 feet away, it was a must have. Marge and I went on a bit of a shopping spree on Temple Street especially because I was flying home and could drop all of our goodies off.
The next day we decided to get a Rickshaw sightseeing bus card. It went everywhere in the city and had an open top style seating for the ultimate viewing of the city. As we zipped around the city, we got an even up closer view of the enormous buildings that tower over the streets below. We rode around for a while before hitting Temple Street, again. This time, my bug eyes narrowed in on a set of LED rope lights that had a remote with 30 different color settings. I didn’t have a ton of Hong Kong dollars left, but I did have a walled full of many different currencies. If I was to exchange them I would get a pretty crappy exchange rate so I decided to barter with them. I ended up paying for the rope lights with 4 different currencies: Hong Kong Dollar, Taiwan Dollar, Pounds, and Euros. It was the best way to get rid of some small bills! I also got a new day backpack to use on my trip as well as a few small trinkets. Marge also scored a new hiking backpack, shoes, and trinkets.
Our last day in Hong Kong we decided to channel our inner child and go to the Hong Kong Disneyland!!!! I’ve been to Los Angeles’s Disneyland and heard great reviews of Disneyworld in Florida. I thought one of the biggest cities in the world would have an insane park. Let’s just say our Six Flags in STL is about 3 times bigger and contains about 12 rides larger than the biggest ride at the Hong Kong Disneyland. With that being said, Marge and I still had a blast on the little kid rides. I thought our tea cup was going to break because we were spinning so fast, we won a race against a couple 7 year olds on the car track, and by the end of the day road Space Mountain at least 4 times. It was a fun way to wrap up seven months with Marge.
Speaking of wrapping up seven months with Marge…
After seven months with Margie, I can’t be more thankful to her. Together we have covered 25 countries. We have done everything together from throwing tomatoes at La Tomitina, sitting on the top of Victoria Falls, SCUBA certification, taking each other to the hospital, motor biking along the coast of Vietnam, white water rafting and elephant riding in Thailand, lantern festivals in Taiwan, riding camels through the Sahara, and had enough laughs to put permanent wrinkles on our faces. There are very few people I can honestly say I could, or would ever want to do a year long trip with. Marge is the perfect travel partner. We have heard several stories on the road about how terrible things ended with the friends who were traveling long term with each other, and every time I look at Marge and think to myself “Ummm, one time when we were drunk we started to get in an argument, and then laughed about it because it was so stupid”. In seven months together, we have had the most minor differences. We have gotten along so well, and we both knew we would from day one.
When you are friends with someone over 13 years, you know them pretty well. You know when they need space, a shoulder to lean on, some sleep, 4th meal, and a street beer. We work better than ketchup and mustard, Burt and Ernie, and everyone knows I am her gay BFF forever. I can’t tell you how many times we have helped each other when it comes to correcting a wrong turn, a walk home from a bar, advice, comparing stools (you know what I mean if you have been to Asia), loaning money, or sharing food. She was there to pick me up after I was drug behind a scooter in Bali just as I walked her to the sketchy hospital in Spain when she looked like a Dalmatian covered in pink spots. We keep joking that we are morphing into one human being and sometimes I think it’s really happening. We are always on the same page. When I wake up after not sleeping in a hostel, Marge will say she hasn’t slept either. When I have had ice blowouts (from unfiltered ice) chances are Marge did too.
Marge: I love you more than you can understand and I can’t imagine this trip with anyone else. These 5 weeks apart while I visit home and travel Chile until we meet in Uruguay will sure be an adjustment without you. The last 7 months have been incredible, magnificent, the adventure of a lifetime. You are an incredible woman inside and out. You are smart, compassionate, one bad ass mofo, and the funniest person I know. I can’t wait to see what “Around The World Tom and Marge Part II” has in store for us! I’ll see your ass in Uruguay and you can bet your butt I’ll have two cold ones in hand to celebrate our reunion!
