15 April 2011

Hong Kong in a Nut Graph



Hong Kong is everything: Global village yet bustling megalopolis, Asia and China, fascinating and mesmerizing. It's one of those cities that you can never entirely explore.
Among my favorites is strolling about the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. 800 meters of escalators and overhead walkways link the Central district to the Hong Kong Island Mid Levels.
To get there take a Star ferry from Kowloon, it's a wonderful crossing and you can unobstructedly admire the HK Island skyline. If you're already on the Island get a MTR to Central station. Follow the signs to the stairs. The first few hundred meters to get there might be somewhat boring. Make sure you arrive after 1030h since the escalators run downwards in the early morning hours.
Once on the escalator you will be overrun with impressions. Try to glimpse the atmosphere of a roadside tea shop, buy fruits (e.g. my all-time-favorite Durian), peak in to the intersecting roads to visit Chinese temples and talk to the friendly people around. The shop and restaurant density fades to the end. Never mind, you can head to the Hong Kong Peak Tram. Expect long queues especially around noon time. The ride is worth the high price.
Once up there you'll get a jaw-dropping view of Hong Kong island and Kowloon. Don't stock up on souvenirs on the Peak. Down there it's loads cheaper.
Round up this awesome day with a bus ride from the Peak to the bustling shopping district of Wan Chai and marvel at the illuminations, the consumption opportunities and the masses of people.
This route is a nice tour to get an insight into Hong Kong – a truly mesmerizing city.

13 April 2011

Poland & the Baltics - the road trip Movie

Amidst the final exams – the German Abitur – Felix and I are again consumed by wanderlust. We opt for a road trip to Eastern Europe.
Only yesterday we had written the last tests. Now we‘re together with Polish CouchSurfers hopping through Wroclaw‘s nightlife and tomorrow Poznán‘s historic city center, then relishing the atmosphere in Gdansk and glimpsing the Middle Ages in Marlborg.
In laid-back Pupki, tucked away in the Masurian Lake District, we fall asleep on hay in a barn – smelling the fragrances of countryside. We swap a fresh little lake for the morning shower. Awesome couch!
We continue trough marvelous landscapes in Lithuania & Latvia. Breathtaking architecture & adventures around Vilnius & Riga. We scale the Hill of Crosses in the middle of nowhere. Hillarious fun with Rimvydas parkouring the dunes on the Coronian Spit and touching Russian soil. On the ferry back to Germany we look at the sunset and back on 10 days stuffed with action, fun & challenges.
A video tells more than a thousand words: