Twenty five years ago today, despite China’s brutal stance towards protests, nearly one million Chinese took to the streets in hopes to gain political freedom. Rather than flee for a better life abroad, these brave individuals fought for personal civil liberties in their homeland. Their names aren’t on any memorial walls or statues, but their faces will always be a remembered. They simply had a dream.
I’ve not done this before. This post has nothing to do with Hong Kong, just me.
An author, poet, scholar, activist, actress, singer… Dr. Maya Angelou, my inspiration and mentor, died today.
Marks & Spencer opened their 3rd stand-alone food store in Hong Kong today. Located in Soho, directly below Pure Fitness on Hollywood Road near Lynhurst Terrace, city commuters heading home on the escalator now have food shopping made easy.
Living in Hong Kong, I pass tourist taking pictures of themselves every day. Although, sometimes I don’t quite understand why they pick the backgrounds they so heartily focus on obtaining. But, Vitaliy Raskalov and Vadim Makhorov are the exception to ALL! After spending a few weeks in Hong Kong earlier this year, they returned home with pictures I’m sure their friends and families have come to expect.
Seminyak is a little beach town in south Bali, about an hour and half drive south of Ubud. Because of its close proximity to the airport, I thought it would be a great place to explore before heading back home. While hosting unforgettable sunsets, it also offered a slightly more upscaled shopping and hotel experience. I’m really glad I started my trip in Ubud, as it delivered more of what I was looking for, but that’s not to say Seminyak wasn’t amazing.
On my second day, or night to be more accurate, I hiked Mt. Batur Volcano to watch the sunrise. The volcano, which last erupted in 2000, peaks at 1,700 meters and is located between two concentric calderas. The locals in the area historically farmed the rich soil surrounding the volcano as their main source of income. However, due to a pretty straightforward trek to the summit of the central crater, tourism is now a heavily relied means of income.
Ubud is located in central Bali. It took about an hour and a half to drive from the airport my hotel, Alila Resort and Spa. In planning the trip, I thought about renting a car for the Ubud portion of my stay. Car rentals are extremely cheap and easily accessible. But I decided to hire a driver to be on the safe side. [Side note: A few months ago, I made a simple 3 hour drive from Orlando to Delray Beach in Florida somehow take almost 5 hours. I get distracted easily.] I was really happy with my decision, as the first 5 minutes of the drive seemed pretty consistent throughout the entire hour and a half journey. I will say driving in Bali would be easy. Throughout my trip I was continually impressed with how courteous and safe the drivers were. Pedestrian’s safety is clearly on the top of their list, which is worlds apart from the run for your life approach, we have here in Hong Kong.
I’d like to start with an apology for the big build up and even bigger let down, regarding my experiences in Bali. I returned home two days ago with a bacterial stomach infection that kept me confined to bed for my last 24 hours in Bali and these past 48 hours in Hong Kong. But today, I’m feeling much better, despite having to wear shoes for the first time in a week.
Sorry for the lack of posts, but if ever a place was to encourage being unplugged it would be Bali. But, please check back in a few days.
I woke up this morning after three days at the Alila Resort in Ubud… like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, and just arrived at the W Hotel in Seminyak… like nothing I’ve ever…
Fast learnings so far…
More to come.
HONG KONG according to KEN 