Hong Kong – the most intimate city.

I’ve been in Hong Kong less than a week, and I’m already running into people I know around town.

Hong Kong is a giant city – and very dense. Everything here is packed to the brim, including the people. Crossing streets is a marathon affair. As I walk down the streets I feel like I’m avoiding a predator, zigzagging and weaving back and forth through the masses.

Despite the size and number of people, Hong Kong is turning out to be a rather intimate place. So far, I’ve had four encounters that were very sweet and made me feel like I wasn’t just another mass in the crowd. In fact, the city has been incredibly intimate – even beyond all the PDA that’s happening!

Encounter 1: The generous commuter 

At the airport, I purchased a train ticket that would take me into the city. I showed them on the map where I wanted to go and got a single ride ticket. This would involve me making a few transfers to different train lines, but no big deal!

At my first transfer, I find my new train line and try to enter the gate, but my ticket doesn’t work when I tap it against the magnetic reader. I try again – still nothing. There’s a kid, about 20 walking up and I kind of hold my ticket out and give him a confused look.

A Day with the Dogs – a Dog Cafe in Hong Kong

This post is dedicated to the memory of my own sweet pup, Chessie.

May she rest in peace, her gentle spirit always in our memories.

Chessie.

Cat Cafes are popular and all the rage in Asia, but is there such a thing as a Dog Cafe?

If you’re a regular reader, a semi-reader, you may have picked up that I’m a huge animal lover. If this is your first time at my blog, now you know!

Over the last three months I’ve been traveling throughout Asia. I’ve been making it a point to visit Cat Cafes in each country I visit. Hong Kong would be no different!

Hong Kong is a giant city – it reminds me a lot of New York. Plentiful public transit, hoards of people, tons of shopping, and crowded everything. I thought to myself “A big city like this…I wonder if there is such a thing as a Dog Cafe?”

Well, as luck may have it, there is! I spent several hours yesterday petting the pooches at On Dog Dog Cafe.

Dog Cafe 101

One thing thats been taking a little getting used to for me is how Kong Hong is laid out – specifically, finding addresses and businesses. When trying to find my hostel, I had to walk down a rather sketchy looking alley way to find the elevator that would take me to it on the 4th floor.

It’s not uncommon for restaurants, like Pizza Hut and McDonalds, to be on the 4th floor in a suite like an apartment. Such was the same with On Dog Dog Cafe. I managed to find the building, walk up a sketchy staircase (complete with flickering lights like in a horror movie) and knock on the door for 1F.