May
30

Tai O: The Other Side Of Hong Kong

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With great joy I look back to my trip to Hong Kong in 2008. I can still remember the excitement, with which I had boarded the airplane in Germany, thinking about nothing else than the adventure, which laid ahead of me during the upcoming 2 weeks. The skyscrapers, the smell of unknown food in my nose, and the impatience of the taxi drivers are still present in my memory. I had viewed Hong Kong as a fairly wealthy city, a business city where everything is possible, where one could start small, and truly make it.

But, as faith inevitably wants it, I discovered the other side of Hong Kong. On a warm, humid, Saturday morning, I met up with a few colleagues from the company I work for. The company has a branch in Hong Kong, and a number of colleagues from the headquarters were in the Hong Kong office at the same time as me. We decided to visit the great Buddha on Lantau island, and set off with the cable car, which gave us an astonishing view over the Hong Kong hills, the sea, and the airport. Although the great Buddha is noteworthy for those wishing to travel to Hong Kong, we decided after a few hours to discover another part of Lantau Island.

Some has been written about Tai O, on the other side of the island, famous for being a small and authentic fisher village. Knowing that the only possibility to reach Tai O would be by bus, we were in for a smaller adventure, and were excited. I must admit, that the road is very curvy, bumpy, the bus was old, and the driver most probably had his foot rock solid on the gas pedal, thus this adventure might not be ideal for those with a weaker stomach. As we reached Tai O after an hour and a half, we exited the bus.

The village is truly a village, and is nothing compared to the metropolitan city of Hong Kong. Small alleys characterize the village, and we strolled through the market, which had all kinds of different items for sale. Mostly everything was old, not taken care of, and obviously this village has seen nothing of the money earned in Hong Kong city. Sometimes, I had the impression, that the locals were somewhat confused to see us, from which I may conclude that Tai O is not very well visited by tourists. Perhaps this is a good thing; I have seen many places, where tourism has done more harm than good. As we exited the market on the other side, we entered into a typical residential area. Some houses were extremely small, consisting of only one room, not seldom without a door, or without windows. The highlight were some houses, which were built on oil barrels, filled with cement or concrete. And at the pier, it was obvious that some ships, and a small crane, had not been taken into use for a number of years.

Tai O is an interesting experience, an eye-opener. I hardly dare to say, that I have experienced villages, and housing much worse than in Tai O. Still, Hong Kong is in no manner reduced to the metropolitan city only, and those seeking an adventure outside the urban area will find it, provided a little sense of adventure, and patience.

Visit Tai O in Google Maps here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=de&geocode=&q=Tai+O,+Hong+Kong&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=37.598824,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tai+O,+Hongkong&t=h&z=15

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May
29

One Day In Frankfurt

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I am a big fan of Couchsurfing. Although I have never hosted or slept on someone else’s couch, I admire the idea of travelers helping each others, and the ability to organize local meet ups. Having lived in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, for the last 9 years now, I can consider myself almost to be a true Frankfurter. And as such, I have received some requests from travelers, who are visiting Frankfurt on a top-over, what can be done within one day.

Actually, Frankfurt is located 30 minutes by train from the airport (the airport code for Frankfurt Airport is FRA. Many low-cost carriers flight to ‘Frankfurt Hahn’, which is not located even somewhere near the city, and should not be confused with FRA), and it is only a small walking distance to the city center by foot from the railway station; it would be a great pity not to visit the city, if you have that possibility.

My personal, very favorite, route to the city center is from the railway station, through the Kaiserstrasse, by foot. It does take you somewhat through the red light district and past a number of sex shops, and although I would not withhold myself from taking a look, what draws me most are the old buildings in that area. The architecture is quite well preserved, something which is quite scarce in Frankfurt, since the city had been heavily bombed during World War II. The Kaiserstrasse will take you directly to the Hauptwache and Zeil, the main shopping street of Frankfurt. Near the Zeil is also the Goethestrasse, where most well-known and upper class brands are located.

From the Zeil, it is only a few minutes walk to Römer, the most ancient place in Frankfurt, and typical tourist attraction. You may opt to take a few pictures, and perhaps on a sunny day continue for a stroll along the river Main. Especially during the weekends or late afternoon in summer, the Main is packed with people of all sorts. At the south side of the Main, the Deutschherrnufer offers a wide variety of different museums, if you are interested. Else, you may want to continue to the Maincafe, where you can get a cold beer, wine, soft drinks and something small to eat, and chill outside directly at the river.

Another noteworthy area of Frankfurt is Bornheim, if you are looking for something not so mainstream. The small streets and familiar atmosphere invite for a bit of shopping at the Berger Strasse, of for some relaxing at one of the many cafes. Should you visit Frankfurt on a Friday, you may want to visit Friedberger Platz, during late afternoon or at the start of the evening; it is packed with people who want to enjoy their start in the weekend, and surely you would find the opportunity to make a few interesting contacts or friends.

Myself, I highly appreciate Frankfurt for the contrast it provides; the city has an image of a great metropolitan city and Europe’s main banking capital on the mainland, yet is houses just under 700,000 people. Frankfurt has some impressive skyscrapers, yet it has has areas with older buildings and character. Frankfurt has fine and chic bars and restaurant where I’d be hesitant to enter with a jeans, yet it offers great alternative bars and clubs.

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