36 Hours in Hong Kong

Making Hong Kong our first stop on our brief tour of China was, unbeknownst to us, the best way to begin adjusting to this new culture. Hong Kong is like a hybrid of New York, San Francisco, and, of course, a major Chinese city. There were Starbucks and McDonalds on every corner, along with Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, and Jimmy Choo. Porsches were all over the place. And everything was written in both Chinese and English. Except for the odd moment or two when we ventured to try local Hong Kong fare, I felt almost nothing of culture shock. At first, I was pretty disappointed. I had wanted sensational and exotic, and Hong Kong wasn't really delivering. But as the hours went by and we saw more and more of the island, I realized I was taking in a lot more than I thought.