Hong Kong is energizing and fascinating, I felt the same way I felt on my first days in New York: the city is effervescent and packed with energy, although in a more contained, subdued way. It has some of the picturesque beauty of San Francisco, complete with a ferry crossing to Central Hong Kong that didn’t at all recall Staten Island’s. It must be the tall hills that are the hulking background to the skyline, absent in New York, as well as the antique feeling of the ferries, complete with seats whose design is pure genius: the basic shoulder rest pivots on a fulcrum near the ground, it can be shifted to match the direction of travel. And on every seat, there is the logo, again cleverly stated: holes on the seat forming a star, it is indeed called the Star Ferry, though it now belongs to the Transit Authority.

I spent most of my time on the other side of the ferry crossing: Kowloon, less polished and more (roughly) resembling Downtown Manhattan, except for Nathan Road, its Broadway, more similar to the Herald Square section (and at night, Times Square) than Broadway Downtown. The weather is Seattle, the double decker buses, and cable cars, more ubiquitous than in London. And its equivalent of the Golden Gate Park is on a steep hill, degrading to the tallest skyscrapers just at see level, all interspersed with walkways connecting the skyscrapers, 3 stories or so above the vibrating traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular. The high end malls the walkaways lead to inside the skyscrapers had displays, ready or being readied, of the augural decorated mandarin trees or elaborate cherry blossom branches to imply an even bigger plant that seem to be the equivalent of a Christmas tree at Chinese New Year.

I felt right at home the entire time, more so than in any other place I visited so far on this trip. And the reputation this city has as culinary mecca is deserved: I have had the tastiest food along the entire trip in a corner shop/sidewalk restaurant at the Temple Street Market, which sells only trinkets and gadgets, some fashion, luggage and other articles only visitors might be interested in. But it is open at night and has many very inviting, inexpensive late dining options.