Hong Kong: Weathering the rough spots

Hong Kong: Weathering the rough spots

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Hong Kong

I understood the excitement of Captain Haddock of Herge's
Adventure of Tintin, as he sailed in rough weather but called it
a "breeze".

A similar feeling occurred to me on a four-day trip to Hong
Kong two weeks ago, just as Typhoon Imbudo swept into town. It
was the biggest storm to hit the region in five years, and the
first typhoon to threaten Hong Kong this year.

With all due sympathy to the victims of its wrath, the typhoon
was the coolest natural occurrence I have witnessed since the ash
storm caused by the explosion of Galunggung Mountain, West Java,
around 1982.

As the tropical cyclone warning signboard displayed in public
places switched from No. 1 (standby) to No. 3 (strong winds), I
strolled down the street, amid the heavy rain and winds pounding
the city.

A fan of rain since I was a kid, I enjoyed seeing the sky
suddenly blacken, followed by the downpour and winds. I had fun
in holding onto my umbrella to stop it from flying away, and
feeling the wind slapping my face until I could barely see.

The rain stopped occasionally, but the wind stayed. It was
remarkable -- powerful, uncompromising but totally fresh, unlike
ones which leave you feeling sick afterward.

However, news spread that at around 11 p.m., the signal would
be raised to No. 8 (gale or storm), as the typhoon reached the
coast of southern Guangdong, about 200 kilometers west of Hong
Kong.

I could only enjoy the typhoon, which packed winds of more
than 165 km/hour at its center, through my hotel windows as it
snapped them all night night.

I woke up to a different city the next morning. Amid the
fallen billboards, suddenly bald trees and uprooted antennas, the
city was clean and dustless. Or as my friend put it, "God has
just done His sweeping routine."

However, even without the excitement of the typhoon, I would
have enjoyed Hong Kong. The region is like Singapore, only less
sterile, and thus much more vibrant and more human. Once you
overcome the feeling of claustrophobia amid its ocean of
skyscrapers, you will enjoy what its sight-seeing has to offer.

On a media trip for Indonesian journalists arranged by the
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and Cathay Pacific, it was
interesting to see how life was returning to normal after the
World Health Organization (WHO) removed the region from its list
of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) affected areas on
June 23.

Tourists began to pack the Hong Kong International Airport
again and Hong Kongers swarmed the streets as late as 11 p.m..

"There is some 40 percent growth compared to May, when total
visitor arrivals dropped 67.9 percent compared to last year. But
most of them are business visitors. So, we're hoping for more
tourists to come," said Alice Li, HKTB's executive corporate
communications and public relations officer.

SARS has badly impacted the economy, with direct losses to GDP
in April and May, when SARS peaked in the area, of an estimated
HK$4 billion (US$516.8 million).

Hotel and tourism-related businesses suffered the most; the
hotel occupancy rate in May was only 18 percent.

Total visitor arrivals in May fell from 1.33 million last year
to only 427,254 people, and inevitably the area is bound to get
lower tourist arrivals from last year's total of 16.57 million.

However, at the end of July, as the region-wide school
holidays started, families from mainland China, as well as South
Korea and India, were seen swarming tourist attractions.

Hong Kong is a safe and welcoming haven with its various
family amusement centers, and a must-see is Ocean Park in the
southwest of Hong Kong Island.

For the admission price of HK$180, you will get to see one of
the world's largest reef aquarium -- housing 2,600 fishes of 200
species -- a panda, a selection of plenty of amusement rides,
dolphin shows and much more.

Also interesting is Victoria Peak, providing a very pretty
bird's-eye view over Victoria Harbor. You have to go there by
peak tram, a funicular railway winding up the lush mountainside.
Up on the hill, there are a number of cafes and restaurants, and
also the Madame Tussaud's Hong Kong and Believe it or Not!
Odditorium.

Another family attraction, but maybe too boring for
singletons, is the Teddy Bear Kingdom, a house of over 500 teddy
bears designed by bear artists from all over the world.

My favorites of the trip were a view of a tai chi class by the
Victoria Harbor, a visit to Sai Kung harbor at the Sai Kung
Peninsula to catch a glimpse of a tranquil fishing village and,
of course, the shopping and dining experiences at the markets and
restaurants all over the place.

I was truly ecstatic to see how electronic goods are half the
price of Jakarta. A digital camera that cost me Rp 5.9 million
(US$719) back in Jakarta was only around HK$330 ($42) here. Oh,
how I wish I had the money to buy that teeny tiny laptop! (Beware
of the counterfeits, you are advised to shop at big shopping
centers, the price is good and it's the genuine article).

Of courst, most fascinating of all for me was that typhoon. It
was amazing that in the middle of a concrete jungle, taken as a
symbol of human superiority, there was nothing that could be done
against the force of nature.