t is absolutely amazing what a 15-minute break and a true coffee can do together! Full of newly found energy we went to conquer the metro and test our brand-new Octopuses. The lady in the next office spoke beautiful English, and we were soon boarding the train. With much better humor I must add. We were following the tunnel and then… gazing at the magic around us. Concrete blocks of the airport turned into gentle, green hills of the Lantau Island – but we didn’t know that then. The sea had this wonderful color of blue mixed with emerald-green. The air of August was warm even in the belly of the metro-train. Slowly, the tiny buildings turned into skyscrapers. All forest of them! And then… the blackness of another tunnel, flashes of the world outside and finished with great views. Reality caught up with us.

Stop after stop a decision time was approaching. What do we do next? I do not know why we left the metro. We had to change the line twice – maybe it stressed us a bit. We were not tired, not yet. But we did leave the train and the station and decided to take a taxi to see the world a bit. One kilometer more or less – doesn’t matter. We already had it in our plans.

This is our next adventure started – the taxi journey! With a driver who didn’t speak a word of English! We knew that beforehand – they told us about it – we came prepared, with the map, address and all. But we didn’t know that our hotel has two locations in HK and reading in English was not in the option.

It doesn’t matter. We took the red rocket, that magically managed to contain 4 suitcases in the trunk (and I naively thought only one would fit!). What a piece of string can do in this country…

It didn’t finish there. Even the freezing atmosphere in the cab couldn’t love our humor. Then the next surprise came – when we were paying – £6 for 15 minutes of the ride!

I do not remember the number of kilometers, but there was no traffic and it was quite a while. Just for getting into a taxi there, you pay 24 HK$, for a kilometer – 8,5 HK$, each piece of luggage costs 6 HK$. Conclusion – taxis are soooo cheap!!!

I assume that going to/from the airport costs a lot. Getting out of the zone – may cost some more than usual.
Another explanation. The city center (Kowloon and its surroundings) is the kingdom of red taxis. New Territories have green ones. Lantau Island – blue ones. This is also how the zones change.

There is a lot of taxis. People use them all the time. And you can pay with your Octopus inside! Or cash (like only) and only the small banknotes.

Here you have the link to the Transport in Hong Kong website, in case you want to know more.

Wrapping everything up – another experience checked off the bucket list.

Hotel – wrong one.

Great.

Conclusion – let’s search for the right one.

Noooo… there is no point in taking a taxi. It is only 2 kilometers and the way leads down.

Yes, I want to walk and look at the people. We need to gather a positive experience. Plus – maybe if we strain ourselves, we will go to sleep like normal people and survive the night. Who would be thinking that it is 4 PM in Poland then. Our organism will certainly forget about it!

• We are in this part of the town where there are no European people
• The Cantonese are very helpful! You never know when a 60-year-old man that you pass on the street asks you with perfect English – “You look lost, can I help?”
• Too much help is not healthy! Especially, when you finally know which way to go. But you do not know how to explain it to this nice gentleman who is leading you in the wrong way (back where we started, to the wrong hotel, I must add)
• Look – Shop!
• Look – Beer!
• Mhmm… cold… yummy… it is 800 m more, that way Honey…

For those who still wonder about it – 24 hours of a journey, few adventures on the way to the hotel, 3-kilometer walk with 4 suitcases and 2 backpacks (we got lost, remember?), good dinner (first one after Germany), 3 beers and sitting up till midnight… it does not make jet lag magically vanish!!! We woke up at 2 AM with our eyes wide open.