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.