Dr George Burden & Family's Hong Kong visit in Feb 2005
BY Alex Soengkono, the niece

My trip to Hong Kong was an experience I will never forget! The scenery was fantastic, the people are unique and the weather was excellent. We saw and did things that I'm sure you couldn't do anywhere else in the world. There are many street markets as well as high class shops that are similar to what we are used to. The street markets were my favorite. Bargaining is a great way to get what you want!

We were lucky enough to stay at the Ritz Carlton. It was the best hotel I've ever been to. Every morning we woke up to a wonderful harbour view. Then at breakfast we enjoyed a banquet of food on the top floors of the hotel. Yet, the thing that I loved most about the hotel was the staff there. They went above and beyond my expectations. When I first got there I was sick (due to major jet lag). The night manager, Mr Lau, brought me up a silver platter, filled with a kettle of hot water, an entire sliced lemon, fresh cinnamon sticks, miniature jars of honey, and a dish of ginger.

As well as shopping we also visited many other places. We took a bus ride to a Buddhist temple and then got a tour of it. It had one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world and the view from the top is amazing.

We went to many other main attractions as well, such as the Teddy Bear Kingdom. No matter where you looked you could see a bear somewhere. There is a museum of teddy bears as well as the DIY Teddy Shop. Here, my cousin and I got to make our very own teddy bears!

We went to Hong Kong over Chinese New Year, so we got to go to see the New Year's parade and got to take part in some of the traditional Chinese New Year celebration things. The parade floats were beyond my wildest expectations. They were the biggest and most beautiful I had ever seen and I am very proud to say that the most beautiful floats were from Toronto, Canada. We also went to an amusement park with dolphins, seals and rides. It was definitely a place visitors could spend at least one day at. One morning, we took part in an outdoor Tai Chi class, with real professionals at the water-front of the harbour. We also went to breathtaking flower and bird markets, where there were orchids of the most vibrant and vivid colors. A trademark of Hong Kong is the Star Ferry across the harbour. This is definitely something to do at least once.We went to several museums as well, and while I didn't find them as fun as say maybe the Teddy Bear Kingdom or shopping at the Ladies Market, they were very interesting and educational.

I could have stayed in Hong Kong for weeks because there is so much to see, do and enjoy. I will never forget this trip. This trip has proven to me that I will someday travel back to a place such as Hong Kong, if not Hong Kong, because in that week I learned and experienced more than I could have during months of school. Experiences such as this one are unforgettable and I think the most life changing and self-changing journeys ever. I would recommend to anyone to go to a place such as Hong Kong, for it is truly an experience of a lifetime.


Social Bookmarks