Well... I had, indeed it was a really wrong expectation. Not bad, but misinformed.

A couple of years ago I planned a 05 days vacation. I didn't have big plans, it was more a getaway from work than a dream vacation that I always had in mind. I enjoy and have a lot of fun traveling by myself, it feels like I have more time to explore on my own. I decided to go to China and spend some time in Hong Kong walking around, observing the locals, trying the food, and learning about the culture. I planned to go to Macau for a day to gamble and have fun. Then I would also go up to the Lantau island to see the Big Buda and all of the temples. The rest of my time would be spent in the city.

My first Surprise was as soon as I arrived at the airport. I had to get my luggage, take the train to another terminal and find the charter to the hotel. "Not too difficult" I thought... I wasn't sure which direction I should go and I didn't see any sign, I asked a guy that was cleaning the floors... and nothing, no english, only chinese (unfortunately I do not speak chinese), so I asked a security guy... and again nothing. It was around 9pm so I didn't find anyone working in the check-in counter. For some reason I really thought everybody in China speaks english (I believed it would be like in San Diego where every Chinese person speaks english). Well, I had to figure out the way to go and that's was when the realization truly set in... "Oh God, yes I am in China by myself."

The second surprise was in the next morning, when I left the hotel for a walk around the city. I found not only what I thought I would find; the colonial architecture and old temples, some dating back more than 150 years, but also a river of buildings and monuments. By looking at pictures I knew I would find modern buildings but I really didn't expect so many. Hong Kong has a stunning array of glass, steel and marble-clad, I was really surprise with what I found there, the city is vibrant and breathtaking, great modern architecture.

I had many more surprises during my days in China, the huge street market and the amount of signs, the busy port, the amazing and unexpected taste of the food, the religion intensity, their habits and social behavior. Therefore, this is what travel is about, discovering, trying, and learning... Now I can talk about China with a great deal more knowledge than before. I can understand and interact with Chinese much better than before as a result of this trip. The whole experience, with all the surprises, made me a little more open minded, and served as an eye opener to an entirely different type of culture than the US or even Brazil.