The 15-hour Layover in Hong Kong

I thought I would hate having to wait so much time before my next flight to Chicago. But now I actually feel lucky to have this opportunity. After I landed in Hong Kong, I checked in at Regal Airport Hotel. I had everything all planned out. I wasted no time. I went to my room to drop off my luggage and headed out to exchange US dollars to Hong Kong dollars. The currency is different there from other parts of China. I am not sure why. The MTR (Mass Transit Railway) connects the airport to various parts of the city. It’s like the CTA. I got a map and began to study it. I didn’t want to get lost so preparation was key. I got on the MTR and it took about 20 minutes to stop at Kowloon. Also this subway was going so fast, about 20 times faster than Chicago CTA trains but maybe I am exaggerating.

            I got off at the Kowloon stop and this stop was connected to a huge mall that I sought to be boring. I probably circled it about 4 times trying to find souvenir stores but all I could find was expensive brands like Armani and many other ones. So after studying the map again while eating a double cheeseburger at McDonalds I decided to try again. I was about to give up because I was really tired. It was around 10pm and the last train to the airport was at 12:50am and I didn’t want to take a taxi back for so much money so I needed to make the most of my time. I asked for help and I got what I needed. I was heading to Temple Street Night Market!

            I got on a taxi and it was weird because the steering wheel was on the right side of the car. I got over it after staring for a while. It costs $22 HK or about $3 US to get to Temple Street. It was nearby. I stepped out the taxi. The first thing I noticed was the hot weather. It was really hot and humid. Almost everyone looked sweaty. Anyways, I realized Temple Street was the place to be at night! It was just what I was looking for.

            There were so many souvenir stands and shops. I bought a few things after bargaining for a good price. I practiced no Chinese here. Mostly everyone spoke English so it was super easy to get around. There was also lots of food and foreigners. It was very noticeable that here were so many people from all over the world. I overheard people speaking different languages like Spanish.

            By the end of the night I am glad I didn’t let my fear of getting lost and missing my flight get in my way. In less than three hours I learned how to navigate with the MTR and taxi system. I wished I had more time so I would have explored other stops. I have never felt so independent in my life but when I did, I knew what to do.