One of the nice things about staying in hostels is the wonderful people you meet. We spent a bit of our night chatting with some Germans before heading out with them to 1+ Altitude bar. It's currently the highest alfresco bar in the world. We hopped in the elevator and got transported up to the 63 floor where there was a DJ, lounge chairs, and drinks. It was a fun night and justified the jeans I brought on this trip. Considering it was the first time I had worn them.
We arrived in Signapore around 1 am, after finding our hostel we quickly went to bed excited for the new sites and sounds awaiting us in the morning. This country is a melting pot of cultures and religions which was reinvigorating after a month in China. We explored a few Mosques and Hindu temples on our first day which was new to our eyes. In the afternoon we found our way to the Botanical Gradens and walked around enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Here is a few of the lovely tropical flowers we saw while exploring the garden.
Hong Kong is easily one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and it definitely feels like it. With a whopping 8,096 buildings for it's 7,300,000 residents in only 426 sq miles. A former british colony, taken by the British empire after the first opium war in 1839. China resumed sovereignty after 1997. I won't try to go into that many details about it's history since I don't want to stay up until 5am writing this post. Let's just say it's why Cassie and I explored one museum for an entire afternoon learning about this city's history.
We set out to view Hong Kong as many ways as we could. Initially by exploring the streets that make this city tick, the shopping, dinning, and cultural sites were endless. Then we hopped on the peak tram for a view of the city below. Unfourtantly like most of the cities we visited in China the views were a dissapointment since the smog was so heavy. Never giving up hope for a great view, we also walked along the river front for the nightly light show displayed on the buildings. The music was cheesie but fun (I might have been dancing) and the lights were pretty cool.
Since Cassie and I love our hiking, once we got to Hong Kong we knew there was one hike we had to go on. With a name like Dragon's Back it had to be good. Plus our good buddy Tom suggested it to us, on top of that it was voted best urban hiking trail in Asia by Time Magazine.
The hike was an easy 4.5km and the views were stunning. We packed a light lunch of Pabst Blue Ribbon and cheeseburger chips which were pretty tasty on top of the mountain. The unexpected powerfull winds were entertaining, As you'll see below. We finished our hike with some swimming in the South China Sea at a small but quite beach. Which is the perfect ending to any hike. The unfourtante part was on the way back I was feeling under the weather. It hit me like a ton of bricks, and I spent the next few days laying in bed recoving while Cassie explored Hong Kong with a friend recommened to us by Stacy.
