Step 2: Hong Kong

Today for our last day in Singapore we went to the National Museum.  We went to the History Gallery which explains the history of Singapore.  It was discovered by Sir Raffles, a British statesman, who was looking for a new port for the British fleet.  In WWII the Japanese invaded, some on bicycles, and Singapore was surrendered.  After the Allies won the war, there was a period of instability.  Then in 1959 Singapore became their own country.

Here is a picture of the museum building:



That is me sitting on the steps and reading while waiting for the museum to open.

We had a four hour flight to Hong Kong.  Hong Kong is located at 22 degrees north and 114 degrees east.  This means we are no longer directly above the equator so it is much cooler here.  Hong Kong used to be a British colony too, but recently was given back to China.

I arrived in Hong Kong in the evening and didn't have much time to explore but here are my first impressions.  The first thing I noticed was that English appeared to be a second language as Chinese came first on the signs (unlike Singapore where English was first).  Based on my experience on the subway, Hong Kong seems to be a very crowded city.  Being on the subway car was like being crammed into our locker room with all of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade.

I went to dinner with a few of my dad's friends.  We went to a local Chinese restaurant called Peking Garden, which served northern Chinese food.  I tried a new food called Peking Duck.  It tasted surprisingly similar to steak except not as thick and chewy.  While we were eating, a man pushed a cart into the room and started making noodles with an amazing display of handiwork.  His hands were so quick and nimble with the dough, it was extraordinary to watch.