Tram from Central to Causeway Bay
There’s no better way of seeing the north of Hong Kong Island than by tram. The windows roll right down, so there’s nothing between you and the noise, the lights, the smells of the city.
Peak Tram
In places, the gradient of the Peak Tram to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island hits 27 degrees. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re sat on it, traveling at 6 metres per second and getting neck ache, it feels rather terrifying. Though in a good way.
In which I take the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak, visit Hong Kong Zoo and watch some undesirable behaviour.
14 March 2011 - 1239 Hong Kong
Just had a spot of lunch at Food Republic, a food court run by a Singapore firm. It was okay. Nothing special. £3 though for chicken, rice and soup so no complaints.
Has to be said, people here are damn rude. People blatantly push in front of you in queues, knock into you if you’re in their way, don’t wait for you to get out of lifts or trains before they get in and do that gross nasal grunting thing a lot. I’m going to start shouting at people if it continues. I don’t care if that’s the way things are done here. I will not just accept rudeness. If the people of Singapore can be overflowing with politeness and manners (which they were), the people of HK can be the same.
British people don’t think of themselves as polite as their stereotypical reputation suggests, but we so are! We are so blooming polite.
Also, and I’m not sure why but still, I’m wary of hygiene here. I’m sure I have nothing to worry about but there are a lot of signs up instructing people to cover their mouths when they sneeze, that so-and-so button is routinely sanitised and there are a lot of people wearing face masks. I’ve been lucky to have only been slightly ill once in New Zealand so far on this trip. I reckon I’ll be lucky if I come away from HK without catching something, particularly in my current run-down state.
1314
At the Peak Tram station for Victoria Peak. It’s much clearer today so I’ll hopefully get to see something when I get to the top. They make everyone pose for photos in front of a backdrop before getting a ticket. I had to say no twice. They’re really after your money here. Most people are falling for it.
1449
I’m now in HK Zoological and Botanic Gardens. Seems like quite a big place with plenty to see. It’s really cheap to get in to too. Actually, it’s completely free! I’m just having a bit of a rest right now in a cafe. Just got a bottle of tea and a ice cream for £1.50. I’m sorry to keep going on about how cheap everything is here, but everything here is really cheap! There’s a real tropical feel in these gardens. I like it.
The Peak was predictably a tourist trap. The view was ok, but there are two shopping malls selling crap on top and not much more. The tram was fun. It was much steeper than I had imagined. Whatever the steepness you’re imagining right now, double it.
2037
Having another evening in. Big Bang Theory is on TV. There are two English language channels, each showing an array of mostly cheap imports. The channels themselves are very low budget. Big Bang was preceding by a warning of ‘occasional portrayals of undesirable behaviour.’ Yikes!
Just popped out to the mall to get something sweet to eat. Ended up with a nice cake. I ordered something else but it got lost in translation. Nice though, especially as it was washed down with a creme caramel soy bean drink.
2047
An ad on tv just now says the minimum wage is being introduced in HK from 1 May. It’s HK$28. Really low!
In which Matt does his laundry, laughs at the Symphony of Lights and nearly capsizes on the Star Ferry.
14 April 2011 - 1013 Hong Kong
Sitting outside the in-house laundry mart waiting for my clothes to dry. I have a view of the surrounding neighbourhood from up here on the 12th floor. Bit clearer today so I’m heading to Victoria Peak by tram to check out the skyline.
Went to see the Symphony of Lights last night in Kowloon. It was tasteless and boring I’m afraid. The soundtrack was hilariously bad. Having seen the light show in Singapore and actually been quite moved by it, Hong Kong is going to have to try much harder.
The best things that happened yesterday were (a), riding the double-decker tram. It was really good fun and a great way to see the city; and (b), riding the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour. Upon arrival at Tsim Sha Tsui, the water suddenly became very choppy, pitching the boat into a frenzied sideways dance. Passengers lunged back to their seats, children screamed and the drawbridge was raised again to the sound of staff members yelling into the public address system. For some reason, I felt I was merely an observer to the panic rather than being thrust suddenly into a precarious situation. Perhaps it was the tiredness, but I didn’t even flinch. In retrospect, it was rather good fun.
Gonna wear my shorts today. Far too hot for jeans. Hopefully that’ll keep my temperament on the cool side.
Sat next to a couple of vending machines. One serves hot drinks in a can. Gonna try it I think.
1038
Lovely! It was Soybean Milk. Seems like the cans are kept constantly warm as it was vended immediately. Really liked it. Theres a similarly designed can next to it only it’s brown so I assume that’s chocolate flavour. I’ll try that one another time.
Not only did it taste good, but the ordering process was really cool. I used my Octopus card to pay for it. I just had to wave the card over the octopus logo on the machine, press the button and out came the drink. Awesome! Cost about 45p too.
Riding The Hong Kong Tram
Within hours of my arrival in Hong Kong, I was riding the double-decker tram through its busy streets. It turned into a bit of an obsession.
In which I spend my first full day in Hong Kong and I repeatedly get offered tailor-made suits and watches.
13 April 2011 - 1021 Hong Kong
Well, here I am in Olympic Park in Hong Kong Park on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong in the People’s Republic of China. The flight yesterday was a bit of a slog and fairly bumpy but I think I’ve more of less cured my panicking over turbulence through exposure. Despite being shaken around for 12 hours straight yesterday, I barely bated an eyelid.
Hong Kong (from now on referred to as HK) is rather overwhelming. The noise, the traffic, the people. The last four weeks have been spent in countries with very low population densities, so to suddenly be in the midst of crowds of people rushing about on the MTR and queues of fast moving traffic is a bit of a shock. Also, while the English language is written almost everywhere, the number of people who speak English here is very low. It’s feels a lot more Chinese than I was expecting. In Singapore, there was a distinct mix of different cultures and identities, but here, pretty much everyone is Chinese and speaks Chinese. I’m very much an ethnic minority. It’s all very brand new to me.
Weather today is cloudy and hazy. Warm and humid though.
This morning, I’ve just been wandering aimlessly. I’m staying a little bit outside the city centre, so I’m going to get very used to the MTR. Luckily, I don’t have to be on it as long before I can change to the very cool double-decker trams. At $2 a ride, it’s a snip.
Next, I’m going to Kowloon. Prices here are generally low so I’m keen to find out how much gadgets are here, particularly the iPad. To get to Kowloon, I think I’ll take the world famous Star Ferry. It’s tough this travelling malarky.
1300
In a cafeteria having my first proper meal in HK. I went for the reliable staple of sweet and sour pork and rice with a supremely awesome lemon ice tea. About £3.00 the lot. I like being back in a country where I can eat well for nothing.
I’m still rather tired it seems. I’m in the Kowloon area, just off Nathan Road. It’s not the place to come when you’re tired and grumpy, especially if you’re a tourist. The area is packed full of Indians and Pakistanis who approach you offering wallets, watches and tailor made suits. After being asked about 8 times in the space of 2 minutes, I lost my rag and told the 9th guy to remove himself from my vicinity (only in rather stronger terms). I still called him ‘mate’ though, so that’s ok. Think I’m going to go back to my hotel and rest. I’m not in the right frame of mind for sightseeing.
Hopefully going to watch some horseracing tonight at Happy Valley.
