I recently returned from a 2 week trip to Hong Kong with a 1 week trip to Huizhou China in the middle of that. I thought I'd write a trip report for the enjoyment or perhaps boredom of everyone here and maybe share a few pictures as well.
https://flic.kr/p/HKwdNfhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/
I took a empty 50gram tin filled about 1/2 way with Luxury bulls eye flake, and a couple of my favorite "travelling" pipes (to me travelling pipes are good smokers that I don't have a lot of money or sentimental value in) . I figured the 1/2 full tin would get me under the 25gm import limit for Hong Kong. I guess I shouldn't have worried since there didn't seem to be much interest from the HK customs folks in checking bags.
I didn't get to smoke at all during the first stop in HK. See I work at one of those companies that is slowly forcing smokers out and I don't share my pipe smoking with them. I was travelling with a co-worker and I couldn't find a convenient time to slip away for a pipe. We did have a day and 1/2 to explore the city and had to the time to visit Victoria harbor and the Big Buddha via the cable car. The cable car is well worth the fare just for the views on the trip even if the destination isn't your cup of tea. I found the area around the big Buddha to be a bit touristy but still not terrible either.
https://flic.kr/p/GSS1zkhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/
As far as pipe smoking goes things got a little better once we got into China. The hotel we were rooming in had the luxury of private balconies and I was able wrap up my evening with a pipe on the porch, pretty much the same as at home, just with a very different view.
I was surprised by the liberal attitude towards smoking in China. Even the company I work for allows smoking on their factory grounds here and even has indoor smoking areas. The most surprising thing is that you can smoke in restaurants still. I'd consider taking up coffin nails again if you could still smoke after a meal out. Those were always the most satisfying smokes to me. It's funny what some counties value and ban compared to others. In China Facebook and Google are banned but feel free to smoke indoors. Sadly I'm sure the nanny mentality will take over there one day as well. I told the folks I know from China to enjoy it while they can.
After my work was finished in China I made the trip back to HK. My US co-worker staying behind another week to work on some unrelated items. I was free to explore HK on my own and I'd made plans to stay a few days past what the business trip called for. The smoking rules for Hong Kong seem to track similar to the USA. Generally smoking outdoors is OK but I noticed some parks banned smoking. It all seemed very constricting after the freedom of China(never thought I'd type that sentence
One of the things I wanted to do was visit the Davidoff shop that I'd found online. It was the only Western style tobacconist I'd found searching online and I thought buying a pipe or some other tobaccania would be a nice momento of the trip. It was a short walk from the Subway station and it was located in a high shopping area below a hotel. They did have a decent selection of pipes for sale, I'd guess around 100 in total. Ranging from Savinelli's to Dunhills. I looked at nice Davidoff pot shape pipe but quickly and gently set it back on the rack when I saw the price was over 1000 US. I settled on a green, blasted Savinelli Acrobaleno. I paid about $130 US for it. I figured that was more than I would pay in the US but I justified the extra cost because the pipe will always be a reminder of the trip. I thought I'd pick a tin of tobacco while I was there to supplement my supply and I got a serious shock. I looked at the price on a Davidoff 50gm tin and it was over $50 US. Damn, it almost caused me physical pain to see such a high price. Gave me a new appreciation of what pipe smokers in some other countries have to deal with. Needless to say I didn't buy the tin.
https://flic.kr/p/GSJJkwhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/
I forgot to take a picture of the pipe in Hong Kong so you will have to settle for one I took once I got home.
https://flic.kr/p/HGcQGRhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/
The next morning I grabbed a coffee from the café in the hotel and walked around the block to a small park close to the hotel that I'd scoped out earlier. I knew that it allowed smoking, it even had warning signs, saying that smoking was allowed. As luck would have while I was enjoying my pipe this guy showed up to play his pipe. It was a memorable moment for sure, gently puffing away while listening to the soft notes echoing from his wooden flute. The park is just outside the entrance to an old temple and the smell of the burning incense permeated the air and it blended nicely with the aroma from the Bulls Eye Flake, well worth the extra expense of the pipe.
https://flic.kr/p/GSHbwyhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/
There is also great food to be had every where you turn. The city has everything from Michelin starred restaurants to excellent street food. My favorite meal was from here
https://flic.kr/p/GSRZBihttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/
Absolutely excellent spicy crab served with rice and beer. All eaten while sitting on a low plastic stool with a wobbly card table to hold the food.
https://flic.kr/p/HKwbQ7https://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/
I've been to Hong Kong a few times in the past and I've always enjoyed the city. It has a blend of Chinese and Western culture (thanks to 100 years of British rule) that makes it both exotic and familiar at the same time. Thanks to an excellent subway system the city is easy to get around in.
https://flic.kr/p/HKwdNfhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/I took a empty 50gram tin filled about 1/2 way with Luxury bulls eye flake, and a couple of my favorite "travelling" pipes (to me travelling pipes are good smokers that I don't have a lot of money or sentimental value in) . I figured the 1/2 full tin would get me under the 25gm import limit for Hong Kong. I guess I shouldn't have worried since there didn't seem to be much interest from the HK customs folks in checking bags.
I didn't get to smoke at all during the first stop in HK. See I work at one of those companies that is slowly forcing smokers out and I don't share my pipe smoking with them. I was travelling with a co-worker and I couldn't find a convenient time to slip away for a pipe. We did have a day and 1/2 to explore the city and had to the time to visit Victoria harbor and the Big Buddha via the cable car. The cable car is well worth the fare just for the views on the trip even if the destination isn't your cup of tea. I found the area around the big Buddha to be a bit touristy but still not terrible either.
https://flic.kr/p/GSS1zkhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/As far as pipe smoking goes things got a little better once we got into China. The hotel we were rooming in had the luxury of private balconies and I was able wrap up my evening with a pipe on the porch, pretty much the same as at home, just with a very different view.
I was surprised by the liberal attitude towards smoking in China. Even the company I work for allows smoking on their factory grounds here and even has indoor smoking areas. The most surprising thing is that you can smoke in restaurants still. I'd consider taking up coffin nails again if you could still smoke after a meal out. Those were always the most satisfying smokes to me. It's funny what some counties value and ban compared to others. In China Facebook and Google are banned but feel free to smoke indoors. Sadly I'm sure the nanny mentality will take over there one day as well. I told the folks I know from China to enjoy it while they can.
After my work was finished in China I made the trip back to HK. My US co-worker staying behind another week to work on some unrelated items. I was free to explore HK on my own and I'd made plans to stay a few days past what the business trip called for. The smoking rules for Hong Kong seem to track similar to the USA. Generally smoking outdoors is OK but I noticed some parks banned smoking. It all seemed very constricting after the freedom of China(never thought I'd type that sentence
One of the things I wanted to do was visit the Davidoff shop that I'd found online. It was the only Western style tobacconist I'd found searching online and I thought buying a pipe or some other tobaccania would be a nice momento of the trip. It was a short walk from the Subway station and it was located in a high shopping area below a hotel. They did have a decent selection of pipes for sale, I'd guess around 100 in total. Ranging from Savinelli's to Dunhills. I looked at nice Davidoff pot shape pipe but quickly and gently set it back on the rack when I saw the price was over 1000 US. I settled on a green, blasted Savinelli Acrobaleno. I paid about $130 US for it. I figured that was more than I would pay in the US but I justified the extra cost because the pipe will always be a reminder of the trip. I thought I'd pick a tin of tobacco while I was there to supplement my supply and I got a serious shock. I looked at the price on a Davidoff 50gm tin and it was over $50 US. Damn, it almost caused me physical pain to see such a high price. Gave me a new appreciation of what pipe smokers in some other countries have to deal with. Needless to say I didn't buy the tin.
https://flic.kr/p/GSJJkwhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/I forgot to take a picture of the pipe in Hong Kong so you will have to settle for one I took once I got home.
https://flic.kr/p/HGcQGRhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/The next morning I grabbed a coffee from the café in the hotel and walked around the block to a small park close to the hotel that I'd scoped out earlier. I knew that it allowed smoking, it even had warning signs, saying that smoking was allowed. As luck would have while I was enjoying my pipe this guy showed up to play his pipe. It was a memorable moment for sure, gently puffing away while listening to the soft notes echoing from his wooden flute. The park is just outside the entrance to an old temple and the smell of the burning incense permeated the air and it blended nicely with the aroma from the Bulls Eye Flake, well worth the extra expense of the pipe.
https://flic.kr/p/GSHbwyhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/There is also great food to be had every where you turn. The city has everything from Michelin starred restaurants to excellent street food. My favorite meal was from here
https://flic.kr/p/GSRZBihttps://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/Absolutely excellent spicy crab served with rice and beer. All eaten while sitting on a low plastic stool with a wobbly card table to hold the food.
https://flic.kr/p/HKwbQ7https://www.flickr.com/photos/120498845@N06/I've been to Hong Kong a few times in the past and I've always enjoyed the city. It has a blend of Chinese and Western culture (thanks to 100 years of British rule) that makes it both exotic and familiar at the same time. Thanks to an excellent subway system the city is easy to get around in.
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