Pearls of the Orient: Discovering Asia's Pearl Necklace I

Many places in Asia seem to refer to themselves as "pearls of the orient" and at first I thought that there had to be only one but after second thoughts there is no reason why there couldn't be a string of one pearls to make up a necklace

An unexpected beak in my internship programme was a great opportunity for a spontaneous trip to Hong Kong. Luckily, there were tickets available for the following day's flight and soon enough I was flying out to Hong Kong and very excited to explore this great metropolis.

A quick and hassle free transit was a pleasant change from the usual KL dramas filled ones and set a positive tone for the next 5 days.

The day began with a quick coffee at the local coffee which actually wasn't bad considering it wasn't Australia. The following few hours were spent hopelessly lost exploring Sheung Wan with its meandering streets and with shops selling Chinese herbs and medicines while giving out a very potent smell.

Next stop was The Peak which was a great way to appreciate the sprawling sky line and defiantly lived up to its name.

Hong Kong Museum and Art Gallery truly transported you back in time and took you on a journey through history was also done. A beer from Belgium in a German Beer Cafe with Balinese Decor and French Cafe music on Hanoi Street was a good way to finish off a day sightseeing.

With so little time in this fabulous city, every minute was accounted far. A trip to Kowloon was planned for day II and the local park was explored with its Tai Chi practicing locals and amazing horticulture.

Soon it was the start of another day and there more parks to visit and places to explore. The Tea Museum was great and it was good to be reminded that the Chinese had a handle on tea long before the British

The next adventure was a trip to Macau. You only seem to hear about Macau's casinos but there is so much more to do and see than gamble. With its Portuguese history, it could really be any part of Europe with it winding streets and old buildings but the Chinese writing and lanterns defiantly remind you that you're in China. On a few occasions you would see things written in English, Portuguese and Chinese which was challenge to my previously held opinion that it was only the Swiss that had 3 dominant languages.

Dinner at an Irish Pub with friends from Perth and the light show that lights up the sky line was the perfect way to end a trip to a pearls of the orient.

Soon it was time to go back to Kuala Lumpur and leave this cosmopolitan city. Being a city girl through and through seeing the skyline through and through brought a tear to my eye but I will be back.