travelgirl March 2006		Diary of a Gweipo Falling for hysteric glamour in Hong Kong travelgirl sent journalist Amanda Castleman to explore Hong Kong and measure the pulse of this powerhouse of finance and fashion. Here's a glimpse into her travel diary.
		1 2 3 4 5 Travel Chek Lak Kok, the world's largest terminal, is famed for its Norman Foster foyer and Rush Hour II scenes. www.hongkongairport.com. The airport is also the hub of Cathay Pacific, 2005's Airline of the Year, according to a Skytrax survey. Budget travelers praise its All Asia Pass: roundtrip airfare from New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles to Hong Kong, plus 21 consecutive days of economy travel among 18 Asian cities (from $1,099). Meanwhile, jetsetters relax in The Wing, 4,500 square-meters of luxurious lounge. A river even runs through it: a Zen meditation pool winds through the first class waiting area. Cabanas – complete with baths, beds and lounge chairs – overlook the ripples and stream-smoothed stones. 1-800-233-2742 in the U.S. or 2747 1888 in Hong Kong; www.cathaypacific.com The Airport Express train zips from the terminal to the city center in just 24 minutes. Hong Kong's public transport is a breeze, integrating a subway, trams, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and Star Ferries 2367 7065; www.starferry.com.hk. The nine-minute, HK$2.20 trip between Kowloon and Central is essential viewing. The city's most eclectic option is the mid-level escalators, a 20-minute ride connecting Central Market with Conduit Road. Learn The Hong Kong Tourism Board offers junk rides, tai chi and Chinese medicine classes, among the wealth of giddy event announcements and civic boosterism Info: 9th-11th floor, Citicorp Centre, 18 Whitfield Road, North Point; plus offices at the Causeway Bay MTR station and at the Star Ferry Terminal in Kowloon; 2807 6543; www.discoverhongkong.com Time Out Hong Kong by Lesley McCave remains the best guide, backed by Jan Morris' epic travelogue Hong Kong: Epilogue to an Empire. Peer into the future with Fortuneteller Hau Yat Keung (LG 87 Houston Centre, 63 Mody Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon; 852 9424 7037; hau888@tom.com). Explore Racing season runs September through June. Sha Tin – meaning “sand field” – averages 46,000 attendees per race card. Purchase a member guest badge for the skyboxes or sweat in the stands for HK$10. Sha Tin, New Territories; 2966 8111; www.shatinracetrack.com The Hong Kong Tourism Board organizes horseracing tours, which include roundtrip travel, a buffet with beer and beverages, admission to the Members' Enclosure and Visitors' Box, and a HK$30 betting voucher. 852 1817; www.hkjc.com Soar to see the beatific smile of the 110-foot bronze Buddha at Po Lin Monastery. A 12-minute chopper tour costs HK$800 with HeliHongKong. West Kowloon Heliport at Austin Road West and Nga Cheung Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; 2108 9899; www.helihongkong.com Shop Chinese opera performances and fortunetellers mingle with vendors of electronics, silks and cheap bling – not to mention scarlet wigs and pink aviators – at the Temple Street Night Market: Jordan, Temple Street, Kowloon; 2-10pm. Other notable stall-strips include the Jade Market: Kansu & Shanghai Streets, Ya Ma Tei, Kowloon; 10am-3.30pm, and the Bird Market: Bird Park, off Flower Market Road, Mong Kok; open 7am-8pm. Haggling is de rigueur: start with a smile and stay polite – no need to mar anyone's “face.” Pearls, jade, silks, embroidery, antiques and other lavish delights pile high in Chinese Arts and Crafts. This supersized treasure chest stands near the Star Ferry Terminal. Star House, 3 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; 2735 4061. Lane Crawford, the city's premiere department store, holds court in the International Finance Centre Mall, www.lanecrawford.com The globe's fifth tallest building, IFC2, soars 88 stories next door. Critics may compare its shape to a giant nose hair clipper, but the complex contains Burberry, Mikimoto, Prada, Tiffany & Co, Versace and the working girl's Spanish savior. Zara: 8 Finance Street, Central; 2295 3308; www.ifc.com.hk Search fashion designer Barney Cheng's atelier for “couture-à-porter” gems or commission a unique creation. Yenrabi Ltd, 12/F World Wide Common Building, 34 Wyndham Street, Central; 2530 2829; www.barneycheng.com Party Birdcages greet guests at Dragon-i, a nightclub currently trendy with semi-celebs and models. Scarlet lanterns lend a sultry glow to the Red Room, a VIP lounge and dining area. UG/F The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street; 3110 1222; www.dragon-i.com.hk Nearby Club 97, once an in-crowd venue, recently threw open its doors to all – and even features Friday drag shows and Sunday reggae: 9 Lan Kwai Fong, 2810 9333. This neighborhood – Lan Kwai Fong in Central – is a good barhopping venue for Hong Kong beginners. China Coast hipsters prefer the authenticity of Wan Chai. Eat Speakeasies are the city's latest vogue. The roster of casual eateries – wedged into apartments and office buildings – changes frequently. Xi Yan Culinary Art has both staying power and star wattage (Chef Jacky Yu also hosts a TV food show). Book two months ahead and expect a sublime menu fixe, which might include guava sorbet to cashew nut cream soup. 3rd floor, 231-233 Queen's Road East, Wanchai; 9020 9196. Sip sake from a masu (square wooden cup) and savor Japanese Kansai cuisine at Nadaman, on the second lower level of the Kowloon Shangri-La. Watch chefs in action in the teppanyaki grill or dine privately in a tatami room. 64 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; 2733 8751; www.shangri-la.com Yè Shanghai evokes the heyday of Shanghai, known as the “Paris of the East” in the 1930s. Sleek style compliments the sophisticated menu, which includes spicy sea cucumber, steamed pork dumplings and even tofu cheesecake . 6/F, The Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel, Kowloon; 2376 3322; www.elite-concepts.com Rest Gold smugglers once laid low in Chungking Mansions. The Nathan Road landmark remains popular for its cheap rates and colorful characters, celebrated in Kar Wai Wong's 1994 art-house hit Chungking Express. Of its many guesthouses, Chungking House is considered safest for a sister flying solo. Block A, 4F & 5F, Chungking Mansions, 40 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; 2366 5362; chungkinghouse@yahoo.com.hk The exquisite Island Shangri-la showcases the world's largest indoor mural: the silk-painting Great Motherland of China stretches 16 floors. Ignore the lower level mall and be dazzled by the harbor views in Hong Kong's tallest hotel. The lean tower slices over Central, just beside I.M. Pei's legendary Bank of China. The international buffet at Café Too attracts locals, as does the posher Petrus restaurant atop the glittering spire. Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central; 2877 3838; www.shangri-la.com The Peninsula Hong Kong once snapped up eight Rolls-Royces, the largest single order ever. Ruined by a flood in 1995, all were swiftly replaced to maintain this hotel's hauteur. A helipad now backs the fleet of 14. The 1928 hotel drips glamour from the Philippe Starck-designed bar and restaurant to the secret dance club inside the zinc and aluminum spiral “snail' staircase. Clark Gable introduced the screwdriver here while filming Soldier of Fortune in 1953. Bartender Johnny Chung still serves them as taught, along with his signature lychee martinis. Salisbury Road, Kowloon; 2920 2888; http://hongkong.peninsula.com ##tg## The article's first page 1 2 3 4 5
"Chinese opera performances and fortunetellers mingle with vendors of electronics, silks and cheap bling – not to mention scarlet wigs and pink aviators – at the Temple Street Night Market."
"Speakeasies are the city's latest vogue. The roster of casual eateries – wedged into apartments and office buildings – changes frequently."       Yè Shanghai dish
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