Making head and tail of Hong Kong

I am standing in front of a street food stall in Tung Choi Street North in Kowloon A neat line of steamed octopus with local seasoning of spices sewed on a stick a stack of deepfried squids crunchy scorpions and oncewriggly earthworms and shrimps and prawns stare back at me as the pungent whiff of their meat wrings my nose Being a vegetarian I am a mere spectator but around me is a gastronomic carnival as the vendor hands one dish after another to eager patrons Every Sunday the Kung Fu corner in Kowloon Park turns into a demonstration spot for practitioners of all age groups PicsPhorum Dalal Best time to visit november to March You need 5 days Type leisure ldquoDo you know what is that one dish you cannot eat in Hong Kongrdquo Caesar my new friend in Hong Kong quizzes me ldquoGoldfish Red white orange or crimson it39s illegal to savour them hererdquo Itrsquos an irony as the street we are at is better known as Goldfish Market An infinite expanse of fish shops decorates either side of the streets I squeeze my way into one and find a goldfish swimming in each of the plastic water bags with a little water plant hung precariously on the rack The fish look distorted like an image through a magnifying glass eye popping out wild and the water refracting their colours I also spot some crabs tangerine fish and gouramis and tanks full of thumbsize turtles Only Hong Kong one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the Peoplersquos Republic of China is capable of pulling off such irony in its stride A beggar shows off his balancing skill and entertains the crowd in a street in Mong Kong While I am convinced that there can be no other sight that can surprise me like this one we have entered Fa Yuen Street nicknamed Sneakers Street for obvious reasons Mumbairsquos Chor Bazaar was never so organised A change of terrain the fish shops have transformed into sneakers The overall effect is psychedelic neon pink yellow fluorescent orange all left legs As we streethop we find ourselves outside an electronic store Buyers huddle around dealers shooting questions However the real read illegal action is outside the shop Two men seated on chairs head bent low whisper to passersby ldquoThey will buy your phone be it in any condition These are the black market guys who will retrieve working parts and resell themrdquo whispers Caesar Streets of any city are where the magic culture local spirit and livelihood comes alive Be it a signboard of a mahjong shop a local bar or an eatery Hong Kong is a riot of colours The streets turn into a platform not only for beggars with dignity but upcoming artistes to show of their skills and earn a livelihood One of Hong Kongrsquos most popular boy bands also found their first break on the streets Highend spots This is my third day in Hong Kong but my first taste of the local street culture Rewind to day one and two they have been spent in luxury in the upmarket area of Harbour City Tsim Sha Tsui welcoming Duck Duck the inflated rubber duck by Dutch conceptual artist Florentijn Hofman into the South China Sea waters With a room on the 12th floor of Marco Polo Hotel which overlooks the Victoria Harbour Hong Kong puts its best foot forward here On this side of the world brandconscious lsquoseriousrsquo shoppers queue religiously outside Louis Vuitton Hermes and Prada stores waiting their turn to shop to their heartsrsquo delight The mall can also be a trekkerrsquos paradise as it keeps you on your toes while your heart races from one store to another hands tugging shopping bags and the mind converting Hong Kong dollars into rupees A goldfish shopu00a0 On day three I walk out of the mouth of fivestar luxury and plonk myself into a windowless room of threestar Silka Hotel in Tseun Wan a bay in New Territories area of Hong Kong Here on I turn into a backpacker with little money and an inquisitive eye Forward to day three street hopping with Caesar we end in a dessert cafeacute where over a mango souffleacute we pour over the Mass Transit Railway MTR map She scans through my bucket list passing a frown here and a grin there And I realise the Hong Kongiites hold the chop sticks like a pen and a pen like a sword She scribbles names and circles MTR stops ldquoYoursquore on your own nowrdquo she says Before we part we pose at a Polaroid photo booth On my own Having travelled alone in many parts of India internationally this happens to be my first With a full balance of 150 HKD in my Oyster card which is valid on bus train and taxi I am raring to go A food stall in Goldfish Market Mong Kong Satisfied with the streets I make my way to the Peak the highest spot in Hong Kong that offers a panoramic view of the city And to take me there I have the option of a tram or a city bus I choose the latter u00a0From Prince Edward I take the MTR to Central and hitch a 45minute bus ride to the Peaku00a0 While one entry costs 45 HKD through a mall there is a quieter view down the road Yoursquoll be just a few feet lower but the valley looks just as beautiful At the Peak there is a stand called Love from the Peak which lets you write a love note and tie it to the stand Call it cheesy if you like but this spot is also a lsquoPropose at the Peakrsquo After a day full of siteseeing it is time to let my hair down just a little bit I take a train from Central to Tsim Sha Tsuirsquos Hollywood Street Post eight pm vehicles are not allowed on this toad as it turns into a party street replete with people thronging the restaurants and bars A room in Marco Polo Hotel Tsim Sha Tsui After a cold beer a plate of French fries with cheese and a song request I walk around the streets absorbing the energy and just watching friends having a good time feeling thankful for the ones I have back home The lsquometimersquo flows into next day one of the rare Sundays when I am ready by eight am My first stop today is Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin one of Hong Kongrsquos most famous temples Here I take part in a very interesting ritual In a wooden cylinder are sticks with a number on it As you bow your head and kneel in prayer I concentrate on one wish one problem I wish to dissolve from my life Simultaneously I shake the flask continuously till a stick falls out The number on the stick is my lsquodivinersquo message that a fortuneteller at the entrance of the temple will translate In the mood for some blessings Chi Lin Nunnery is a 20minute walk plus an added 30 minutes if you act smart like me and decide not to ask for directions I sweat huff and puff all the way but a sudden calmness washes over me when I enter the premise A hearty lunch of mushrooms at least five different types at the nunneryrsquos vegetarian restaurant opposite is a fitting end to the first half of the day By afternoon I walk into Kowloon Parkrsquos Kung Fu corner to attend a free demonstration of the Chinese martial art The practitioners included robust fiveyearolds to frail 65yearolds Not yet ready to end my last day in Hong Kong Stanley a peninsular island is my final destination Here I unwind The vast expanse of sea the tiny boats strung loosely to their anchor it reminds me of Haruki Murakamirsquos line from Sputnik Sweetheart that I have been reading on this trip lsquoThis is the last day for the person I am right nowrsquo They say a place will call you back if you leave something undone Does Hong Kong owe me a revisit The answer lies in what happens at the fortuneteller I do receive my divine message but when I sit before the mystic lady But I donrsquot understand a word she says ldquoEnglishrdquo I ask as she continues to rattle off in Mandarin Shopperrsquos paradise Ladies Market This is your destination to bargain buy cheap but good quality stuff Hollywood Plaza Adjascent to Diamond Hill MTR station East Kowloon Times Square Situated at Causeway Bay this is the most fashionable district in Hong Kong Harbour City mall Situated on Canton Road in Tsim Sha Shui this mall offers a wide variety of global brands Tip Make wwdiscoverhongkongcom your virtual guide u00a0