I took a trip to Hong Kong on my birthday. Although I had always wanted to go for some business reasons and had obtained a travel permit last year, I only made the decision to buy plane tickets and book a hotel a week in advance. It was a very impulsive decision.
I left on Wednesday night after work and took the subway to the airport. I had a not-so-worth-it pasta for dinner.
Then I made my first mistake. When I tried to check in at the self-service counter, it said that the information of the ticket purchaser and the information on the travel permit did not match. It was at that moment that I realized I had spelled the name wrong in Pinyin. I couldn't believe I made such a basic mistake.
I went to the counter to inquire, and they said they didn't have the authority to change the name. They asked me to call the airline's customer service myself. I was really panicked at that moment, imagining the scene of regretfully missing the flight. Unfortunately, I missed the submission phase by just a little bit.
So I tried calling the airline, and at this point, there were less than two hours left until boarding. After the lady on the phone heard the situation and verified my identity, she helped me expedite the process. In less than ten minutes, she informed me that the information had been corrected. Finally, I successfully checked in 😂 and then started boarding.
I arrived at around 12:00 am on March 21, 2024. Since it was quite late, there were only a few immigration counters open, so it took quite some time. Then I took a double-decker bus, which was the first time I saw a bus that fast... and you have to press the button to get off yourself because it goes so fast that I didn't know when to get off. I was really afraid of other people's judgment...
Patting a street lamp
An advertisement on the street, it reminds me of coconut juice
After about an hour, I arrived at Causeway Bay. When I was booking the hotel, I noticed that there was a Ichiran Ramen in Causeway Bay. With the idea of trying the same one that a blogger I like had eaten before, I went to Ichiran Ramen first instead of going to the hotel. The restaurant is open until 4:00 am.
During the day, there is usually a long line, but when I arrived, it was already close to 2:00 am, so there were very few people. The staff at the reception spoke English, and I felt too embarrassed to speak English T T, but I mustered up the courage to say a few words and successfully placed my order. (The staff who served the food spoke Japanese)
I ordered a bowl of ramen for 98 HKD and later added an extra serving of noodles. Including the service charge, it was about 120 RMB.
I personally think it tastes pretty good, but it is indeed a bit expensive hhh
After eating the ramen, I went back to the hotel to rest. My second mistake was that I bought a plug adapter for Mainland China instead of one for Hong Kong... I only realized it when I took it out of my bag.
I woke up early in the morning to work~ At noon, I had lunch with a high school classmate, but she got off work at 12:00, so I continued to wander around.
I saw a BTS advertisement at the bus stop, hahaha.
Then I went to Times Square and Victoria Harbour. I had been there in junior high school, but I didn't have much impression of it. I only remembered Brigitte Lin's handprint 😂
Then it was time for lunch, and I met my high school classmate whom I hadn't seen in 6 years! 555
Having a meal and chatting with her was really relaxing. We talked about recent life, work, and our former classmates, current interests, and ways to relax, etc. I also unexpectedly found out that she works at the company that develops an app I often use, what a coincidence.
Originally, we were going to split the bill, but she insisted on treating me, 🥺, so it was the most expensive meal in Hong Kong for me. Next time we meet, I will treat her back hahaha.
Baked yogurt
Cheung Fun (It was my first time eating this kind of rice noodle roll, and it had fried dough inside. The texture was quite interesting.)
Har Gow (Shrimp dumplings)
Stir-fried Rice Noodles with Beef
Steamed Spare Ribs
She also treated me to an iced matcha latte. When I ordered, I didn't pay attention to the menu and forgot to add milk 😂 It tasted like grass, and it seems that I still can't accept pure matcha.
After lunch, we took a walk, and she had to go back to work, so we said goodbye when we reached the entrance of her company T T
It's really difficult to see these classmates again after graduating from high school, but it's also because it's difficult that I will be extra happy when I see them again.
After saying goodbye, I continued to wander around, eat and drink. When it was almost time, I went to the airport and returned to Shanghai. I continued working the next day.
Although I exchanged some Hong Kong dollars, I didn't use them except for the hotel deposit. Alipay and WeChat Pay were sufficient for most situations, so I deposited the money back at the airport 😂.
In fact, I only stayed in Hong Kong for one day, so it was a very short trip. I envy those who have longer vacations.
That's the end of my travelogue. I hope the coming year will be less confusing and more stable.