Hong Kong - 7th to 12 Dec 08 (part 3)

Central and The Peak

One of the must-do when one is in Hong Kong is definitely to catch the skyscrapers, breathe in fresh air and experience the 45 degrees uphill tram ride and we did just that!

On our way to The Peak. Central is like our CBD area here except that it covers a huge area. While we were on our way there, we were caught in the midst of the power-suits, boots and brief cases lugging people. These people were dressed to kill and they really looked stern and serious as they rushed passed us. Many a times, we had to stand aside to make way for them as we examined our maps.

One very interesting thing I noticed about this place, a lot of their streets are slopes and people are definitely less patient here. It was not unusual to hear cars honking or to see flashy sports cars go by.

The Hong Kong people call this Mid-level Escalators. Yes, it really hovers above the streets and there are timings for both the escalator to run up and down hill.

After 10 minutes of trekking from Central MTR Station, yes, uphill too, we arrived at The Peak Tram.

Getting our tickets to the tram was easy enough. The queue moved quickly and while waiting for our turn, Daddy took a picture with Jackie Chan.

The view from the top was magnificent and breath-taking indeed!

The view during sunset. Awe inspiring!

We had to take a picture of this very peculiar street. While the rest of Central is extremely "chic", here we have a street that is literally a page from a history book. The steps are uneven and the shops that lined up the sides are not Coach, Gucci or the usual fare of branded names but simple, humbles ones that peddle basic necessities like bulbs, keys and what nots.

This is Pottinger Street and we also walked through Stanley Street too. C was particularly interested in the buses she saw. Yeah, buses powered by the eletric cables. I guess this is Hong Kong's unique flavour; a mix of old and new, a juxtaposition of history with modernity and it gives me this post-modern outlook!