too old for dreads

Last stop of the trip – we’re in Hong Kong. 

The name conjures up so many different images for me; the harbour waterfront, the hills and the amazing buildings. But it’s not until you start to walk around the city that you realise there’s a lot more to it and that there are massive contrasts wherever you look (a consistent theme throughout the blog). 

This is part of China but we’re in a separate state (known as a special administrative region). There’s no Chinese currency in circulation here, just the Hong Kong dollar. 

There is the usual evidence of poverty that you’d expect to see in any big, world city but here there are more luxury brand shops than I’ve seen just about anywhere else in the world. 

The main streets around Central have high-end designer shops all the way along them. And then just over the water, parts of Kowloon are the most densely populated of anywhere on earth. 

We are in a global banking and finance centre and when China took over control from the UK on 1 July 1997, they committed to maintaining Hong Kong as it is and effectively running two economic systems in parallel for at least the next 50 years. 

As a result, Hong Kong exudes wealth and excess and frankly much of it is rather vulgar. China’s growth has been unparalleled since the move of Hong Kong from the UK and HKG is now not alone in this vast country as being a centre for wealth and opulence. It’s very much on show here … just as it is in Shanghai, Beijing and other Chinese cities we’ve probably never heard of.

Walking around Central last night, we felt just like Crocodile Dundee did when he went to the big city.

Bankers in their crisp suits, everyone rushing for their trains and people looking strained and stressed. The place was all about money, status and wealth. And for us it was like we’d arrived in a different world. We were in the wrong clothes and that mattered to us. At least it did for a few minutes. Then we realised we didn’t care. Good job because we’ve forgotten how to shop. So jeans, t-shirts and scruffy trainers it is – at least for a few more days.  

We found ourselves drawing comparisons to the places we’ve been over the last three months and the people we’ve met along the way; thinking about the pace of life in Tasmania, the welcome we got (from most) in India and the life of the Khmer people in Cambodia. All such brilliant experiences. 

We need to keep that feeling and continue to be more Crocodile Dundee and less like the stressed, tired people we were at the start. 

Hong Kong is definitely easing us back in to life at home. Getting on the train at our local MTR station today we walked past Pret, M&S and Starbucks. They’re all here to make the bankers feel at home and while it was quite nice and reassuring, we realised we weren’t really ready for it.

So we left all that behind and went up to the Peak to look down on this great city. And what a view it is. Up the hill by the steepest tramway in the world and then a walk along the ridge. It was a great way to get some fresh(er) air and a good spot to do some people watching. The white faced westerners who ran past us were the stressed looking ones; the locals and Chinese were looking very much at one. Another one to remember over the coming months.

We’re almost done. Fantastic trip. No dreadlocks or tattoos though. We’re home next week and we’re ready for it and really looking forward to seeing family and friends and being in our own home – with carpet and water you can drink from the tap. 

The trip was all about ‘decompressing’, extending attention spans and reconnecting with the things and people that matter. And we’ve done all of that and more. 

We never expected to figure out exactly what our plans are for the next 10, 20, 30+ years but we’ve managed to re-set some of the dials and definitely reminded ourselves what’s important. 

It’s been amazing to experience all of this together and I’d like to say a massive thank-you to my wife, best friend and travelling companion for putting up with me for the last 70 days, 8 countries and 25 different beds. 

Let’s do it all again … soon.