Just got back from a vacation to Asia. My only previous trip to Asia was 30+ years ago to Hong Kong. Then, I met up with my college roommate who was born in Hong Kong and lived there until she was about 10. This time it would be very different with just my family and I. Though my spouse is Asian, he only understands a tiny bit of Cantonese. We saw this as an opportunity to show our college age kid half of his ethnic background. Stretching my travel comfort zone was a personal goal.
Luckily logistics were fairly easy as much of the trip was a cruise. We started with a red eye flight to Dallas, followed by a 16 hour flight to Hong Kong, arriving about dinnertime the next day. After a couple days sightseeing in Hong Kong, we boarded a cruise ship for 9 days with ports of call in Taiwan, China and Japan.
This trip was certainly an experience. The weather was, for me at least, stifling. With temperatures hovering near 90 degrees Fahrenheit every day, coupled with humidity between 65% and 95%, thank heavens most places had air conditioning.
The food was different, sometimes wonderful and other times unique (code word for ‘didn’t like it’). Getting around was fairly easy, especially if you were flexible. The people were hospitable, friendly and helpful. The sights, both in scale and beauty, were awe inspiring.
What were my favorite things? The Star Ferry, harbor lights and dim sum in Hong Kong, a Buddhist temple in Xiamen and the pachinko palace in Naha, Okinawa.
Would I go again? Definitely at a different time of year and I would do more planning. But in the end, this trip was a success and will be fondly remembered. And isn’t that what travel is all about – experiencing new and different things and letting those experiences enrich your life?
In future posts, I will share in more detail what we experienced, as well as other gems about cruise buffet etiquette, cultural differences and lessons learned.
See you soon! Carry on!