Hong Kong: Weathering the rough spots<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Hong Kong<\/p>\n
I understood the excitement of Captain Haddock of Herge's
\nAdventure of Tintin, as he sailed in rough weather but called it
\na \"breeze\".<\/p>\n
A similar feeling occurred to me on a four-day trip to Hong
\nKong two weeks ago, just as Typhoon Imbudo swept into town. It
\nwas the biggest storm to hit the region in five years, and the
\nfirst typhoon to threaten Hong Kong this year.<\/p>\n
With all due sympathy to the victims of its wrath, the typhoon
\nwas the coolest natural occurrence I have witnessed since the ash
\nstorm caused by the explosion of Galunggung Mountain, West Java,
\naround 1982.<\/p>\n
As the tropical cyclone warning signboard displayed in public
\nplaces switched from No. 1 (standby) to No. 3 (strong winds), I
\nstrolled down the street, amid the heavy rain and winds pounding
\nthe city.<\/p>\n
A fan of rain since I was a kid, I enjoyed seeing the sky
\nsuddenly blacken, followed by the downpour and winds. I had fun
\nin holding onto my umbrella to stop it from flying away, and
\nfeeling the wind slapping my face until I could barely see.<\/p>\n
The rain stopped occasionally, but the wind stayed. It was
\nremarkable -- powerful, uncompromising but totally fresh, unlike
\nones which leave you feeling sick afterward.<\/p>\n
However, news spread that at around 11 p.m., the signal would
\nbe raised to No. 8 (gale or storm), as the typhoon reached the
\ncoast of southern Guangdong, about 200 kilometers west of Hong
\nKong.<\/p>\n
I could only enjoy the typhoon, which packed winds of more
\nthan 165 km\/hour at its center, through my hotel windows as it
\nsnapped them all night night.<\/p>\n
I woke up to a different city the next morning. Amid the
\nfallen billboards, suddenly bald trees and uprooted antennas, the
\ncity was clean and dustless. Or as my friend put it, \"God has
\njust done His sweeping routine.\"<\/p>\n
However, even without the excitement of the typhoon, I would
\nhave enjoyed Hong Kong. The region is like Singapore, only less
\nsterile, and thus much more vibrant and more human. Once you
\novercome the feeling of claustrophobia amid its ocean of
\nskyscrapers, you will enjoy what its sight-seeing has to offer.<\/p>\n
On a media trip for Indonesian journalists arranged by the
\nHong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and Cathay Pacific, it was
\ninteresting to see how life was returning to normal after the
\nWorld Health Organization (WHO) removed the region from its list
\nof Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) affected areas on
\nJune 23.<\/p>\n
Tourists began to pack the Hong Kong International Airport
\nagain and Hong Kongers swarmed the streets as late as 11 p.m..<\/p>\n
\"There is some 40 percent growth compared to May, when total
\nvisitor arrivals dropped 67.9 percent compared to last year. But
\nmost of them are business visitors. So, we're hoping for more
\ntourists to come,\" said Alice Li, HKTB's executive corporate
\ncommunications and public relations officer.<\/p>\n
SARS has badly impacted the economy, with direct losses to GDP
\nin April and May, when SARS peaked in the area, of an estimated
\nHK$4 billion (US$516.8 million).<\/p>\n
Hotel and tourism-related businesses suffered the most; the
\nhotel occupancy rate in May was only 18 percent.<\/p>\n
Total visitor arrivals in May fell from 1.33 million last year
\nto only 427,254 people, and inevitably the area is bound to get
\nlower tourist arrivals from last year's total of 16.57 million.<\/p>\n
However, at the end of July, as the region-wide school
\nholidays started, families from mainland China, as well as South
\nKorea and India, were seen swarming tourist attractions.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong is a safe and welcoming haven with its various
\nfamily amusement centers, and a must-see is Ocean Park in the
\nsouthwest of Hong Kong Island.<\/p>\n
For the admission price of HK$180, you will get to see one of
\nthe world's largest reef aquarium -- housing 2,600 fishes of 200
\nspecies -- a panda, a selection of plenty of amusement rides,
\ndolphin shows and much more.<\/p>\n
Also interesting is Victoria Peak, providing a very pretty
\nbird's-eye view over Victoria Harbor. You have to go there by
\npeak tram, a funicular railway winding up the lush mountainside.
\nUp on the hill, there are a number of cafes and restaurants, and
\nalso the Madame Tussaud's Hong Kong and Believe it or Not!
\nOdditorium.<\/p>\n
Another family attraction, but maybe too boring for
\nsingletons, is the Teddy Bear Kingdom, a house of over 500 teddy
\nbears designed by bear artists from all over the world.<\/p>\n
My favorites of the trip were a view of a tai chi class by the
\nVictoria Harbor, a visit to Sai Kung harbor at the Sai Kung
\nPeninsula to catch a glimpse of a tranquil fishing village and,
\nof course, the shopping and dining experiences at the markets and
\nrestaurants all over the place.<\/p>\n
I was truly ecstatic to see how electronic goods are half the
\nprice of Jakarta. A digital camera that cost me Rp 5.9 million
\n(US$719) back in Jakarta was only around HK$330 ($42) here. Oh,
\nhow I wish I had the money to buy that teeny tiny laptop! (Beware
\nof the counterfeits, you are advised to shop at big shopping
\ncenters, the price is good and it's the genuine article).<\/p>\n
Of courst, most fascinating of all for me was that typhoon. It
\nwas amazing that in the middle of a concrete jungle, taken as a
\nsymbol of human superiority, there was nothing that could be done
\nagainst the force of nature.<\/p>",
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