Epilogue

Unless something interesting pops up in my aging mind in the near future, this will be my last post for this particular blog.   Here are some of my impressions of this trip.

Food
If you are a "foodie" and really enjoy great food at reasonable prices, you have to visit Hong Kong and Singapore.  Both cities have their share of haute cuisine restaurants but they also have numerous inexpensive eateries that serve up delicious food for a fraction of the price.  In Hong Kong, you can wander into practically any neighborhood and find wonderful restaurants that serve up delectable food at relatively cheap prices. 

For example, we found a marvelous noodle restaurant simply by strolling around the area by the Mong Kok MTR station exit D3.  The noodles were superb, the Chinese beef stew was tender, and the dumplings were quite good.  For dinner, the four of us each had an entree, shared 4 additional entrees, and had several bottles of beer for the equivalent of $50 USD.  Deducting the cost of the beer from the bill, we paid roughly $4.50 per entree.  Here is a photo of the restaurant in Mong Kok.  As it is located on a pedestrian only street, it is a very easy to walk from the MTR station to it in a minute.

In Singapore, I really enjoyed the Tian Tian Chicken Rice.  For a meal that Anthony Bourdain has highly praised and that people regularly line up for, I paid the equivalent of $2.80 USD for a plate of delicious chicken, flavorful rice, broth, and the accompanying chili sauces.  When you consider that a McDonald's Value Meal here in California would cost around $6.50 USD, you can really see it is quite a deal.

Transportation
Transportation in both Hong Kong and Singapore was quick, efficient and cheap.  The longest single ride we took in Hong Kong was to Tai Po Market in the New Territories which took 45 minutes, 3 different lines, and 2 transfers and it still only cost us the equivalent of $1.25 each way.  Many of our other rides were a $1 or less round-trip as well.  Moreover, the MTR trains came by at approximately 3 to 5 minute intervals depending on the time, commute or non-commute.  Compare that to San Francisco's Muni where you can stand and wait for 20 minutes or more for the light rail train or bus you want to come by.  BTW I notice that the Hong Kong folks will queue in line for a bus on busy Nathan Road, unlike here in San Francisco's Chinatown where it is survival of the fittest in boarding the 30 Stockton.

In Hong Kong, you can even use the Octopus electronic fare card, similar to Translink or as it is now called - Clipper, at 7 Eleven stores, snack shops, vending machines, etc.  Thus we used up the remaining balance in our Octopus cards by buying cold drinks, candies, etc. before we left Hong Kong. In Singapore, we found ourselves taking a taxi to many of the places we visited instead of the Singapore MRT system.  However, we were able to get a cash refund of our remaining balance as we each had around $50 left on each of our EZ-Link cards.

Language

We found that most people speak at least some English in Singapore with many speaking it quite fluently.  In Hong Kong, most people in the tourist areas will speak at least a little English.  In the Hong Kong and Singapore eateries that cater to the local people and not the tourists, you can always point at the pictures on the wall to order even if you do not speak or read Chinese.  Of course, what you get may not be exactly what you expected.  But you're on a trip, be adventurous. Who knows?  You may love what you just inadvertently ordered.  :-)  Overall, I had no problem communicating with people even when Teri was not around to translate. 

Hotels

When you are in a foreign city, you may find it easier to stay at a familiar American hotel such as the Marriott or the Sheraton.  But you do pay dearly for the "comfort" of being in a familiar hotel.  For example, the Harbourview room at the YMCA Salisbury went for about $130 a night while the Marriott Harbourview offers a comparable room for about $250.  You have to be the judge as to whether or not the extra $120 a night to stay at a Marriott is worth it.  BTW, the Marriott Harbourview Hotel is on Hong Kong Island so the view is nowhere as grand as it is from the YMCA Salisbury, located in Tsim Sau Tsui in Kowloon on the other side of the harbor (note photo below).  For the 8 nights we stayed in Hong Kong, this came to a savings of $960 + tax.

In Singapore this time, we stayed in the Signature Club at the Millenium Orchard Hotel, located one long block west of the Singapore Marriott.  On a previous trip, we stated at the Executive Club level at the Marriott.  We found that the Club Level at both establishments to be comparable.  Both had rooms on the high floors, offered Executive lounge privileges including breakfast, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks throughout the day, free Internet, upgraded room amenities, complimentary cocktail hours each night, special check-in desk, etc.  But the Singapore Marriott rate was $320 a night while the Millennium Orchard's rate was only $180 a night.  I must confess that the Singapore Marriott was located directly above the Orchard MRT station while we had to walk a long block to get to the MRT station from the Millennium Orchard Hotel.  Moreover, I would say that the alcoholic drinks at the Marriott were more comprehensive, including mixed drinks, while the Orchard only had beer and wine.  However, saving a $140 each night amounted to $700 + tax for our time in Singapore.  Thus I deemed the Orchard to be a much better deal.  Besides, I would have had to consume quite a few mixed drinks to make up the $140 a night difference in price.  :-)

Visit Hong Kong and Singapore

All in all, I highly recommend a trip to either Hong Kong or Singapore, especially for those of you who have never been to Asia.  Both cities provide an opportunity to experience Asia culture by venturing away from the tourist areas and at the same time, be in very cosmopolitan cities.  In fact, many of the shopping malls have the exact same stores you would find in a typical American shopping center (i.e.,  The Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch, Pacific Sun, etc.)  In a way, it is sad to see the growing homogenization of global shopping.  But I assure you, you will also find quaint shopping areas where the local citizenry shop if you go off the beaten tourist track. 

Regarding food, if you do not wish to venture off of the well traveled path, you can always find eateries that cater to tourists such as Outback Restaurant, Black Angus Steakhouse, Hard Rock Cafe, etc.  I would guess that every fast food company in the United States has outlets in both Hong Kong and Singapore.  I saw far too many fast food outlets such as Burger King, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC, Popeye's Chicken, etc. while roaming around both cities. 

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home." -- James Michener

But why travel abroad if you are going to stay in familiar hotels, eat at familiar outlets, and only be with people who can speak English, etc.? You might as well just stay home and watch the Travel Channel. If you do choose to be adventurous and travel abroad, learn something about the local culture and customs, research the places you want to visit, and most importantly, learn basic phrases as people will really appreciate your effort. Heck, when I was last in Paris, one of my stock phrases in French, translated here into English, was "I apologize for my poor French".  The Parisians appreciated my effort and were much more patient with me as I tried to communicate with them. 

Do not travel abroad expecting everything to be exactly as you find in America.  If you insist on visiting a "foreign" city and at the same time, want it to be "completely" American, I suggest you visit El Paso, Texas, located on the Mexican border, where Spanish is spoken as much, if not more than English, and it is a completely American city.  :-)

"Hitler didn't travel. Stalin didn't travel. Saddam Hussein never traveled. They didn't want to have their orthodoxy challenged." -- Howard Gardner

Challenge yourself, travel abroad, learn new ways, meet new people, experience different cultures.  Learn about the cities you visit and look at everything with open eyes.  As Henry Miller said, "One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."

"Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter." -- Izaak Walton   Thanks to Teri, Patrick and Kacy for the pleasure of their company during this trip.  Without them, the trip would not have nearly been as enjoyable. 

May your eyes and heart always be open to new sights and experiences --  John Lim.  :-)