Hong Kong…Phooey!

Hong Kong Ding Dong
I say “phooey!” because I visited Hong Kong in November of 2016…just before I started blogging seriously. So I have only a few pictures and even fewer notes. But here goes!

I was on my way to the least-visited country in the world: Nauru—a speck in the vast Pacific that most people couldn’t point out on a map if you offered them a lifetime supply of steak dinners. Rookie mistake: I hadn’t planned a damn thing. Suddenly, days before my Brisbane-to-Nauru flight, it hit me—I didn’t even have a ticket from the U.S. to Australia. Genius, I know.

Cue a desperate, last-minute scramble. I cashed in a fistful of points and cobbled together a chaotic route: LAX to Hong Kong for a one-night layover, enough time to wander the neon-soaked streets and eat my weight in dim sum. Then down to Singapore, on to Australia, and finally, the promised land—Nauru. A travel itinerary Frankenstein would be proud of.

Blog Collab: BOUNCE!
Need to ditch your bag and roam Hong Kong like you own the place? Bounce has you covered. Their spots are scattered across the city—hotels, shops, you name it—all vetted, secure, and hassle-free. Book online, roll up, drop your stuff, and boom—you’re free to wander without schlepping that anchor of a suitcase or backpack.

Starting at just HK40 a day, it’s a no-brainer for anyone who wants to actually enjoy their adventure instead of being chained to their luggage. They’ve got locations everywhere, 24-hour customer service that won’t ghost you, and a fancy €10,000 protection guarantee. And if your plans go sideways? Free cancellations. Just stash and go—life’s too short to be weighed down. You can find a BOUNCE location and book online HERE.

All That and Dim Sum
Man, I was running on fumes for this trip. Barely slept on the plane, hit the tarmac, and dove straight into the madness. First stop: dim sum, naturally. Nothing fancy—just a hole-in-the-wall spot where the linoleum was cracked, and the aunties were slinging steaming baskets like it was their life’s work. It was perfect.

Later, I tried to level up and check out one of those big-name dim sum temples everyone raves about. Two-hour wait? Yeah, no thanks. I bailed faster than a tourist at a durian market. Some food’s worth the wait—this just wasn’t one of those times.

The Wanderer
I wish I had some wild, epic Hong Kong tales for you, but honestly? I don’t. This was early in my travel days, and I was too wiped to go full Bourdain mode. Still, I loved just wandering—dodging through crowds, ducking into bakeries, and gawking at that wild, towering architecture that makes you feel like an ant in a sci-fi movie.

Funny thing—my best buddy from elementary school, Alfred Wan, was from Hong Kong. He used to visit every summer and come back with gadgets that made our American electronics look like caveman tools. Futuristic Sony Walkmans, stuff I couldn’t even dream up. To finally walk through his city all those years later? That was pretty damn cool.

RAMBLIN’ TIP: No visa for Americans? Hell yeah. Hong Kong rolls out the red carpet—no paperwork, no bureaucratic headaches, just stamp and go. Mainland China? Different story. There, you’ll need a visa and a solid dose of patience. But for Hong Kong? You’re golden. Most passports, most countries—visa-free. Travel how it’s supposed to be: simple..

Aaaaaand…That’s a Wrap
Hong Kong’s the kind of place that demands a proper deep dive, not just a layover sprint. It’s a city that deserves my time—and I’ll be back, no doubt. Maybe I’ll even drag Alfred along for the ride.

On this trip? I pulled a rookie move and hopped a boat to Macau, eating up what little time I had in HK. A bad call in hindsight, but hey, you live and learn. Next time, it’s dim sum till I burst and maybe hunting down another futuristic Sony Walkman…if that’s still a thing.