Sugar Coated Rainbow Sprinkles: Hong Kong 2007 (2)

Woke up feeling refreshed. It was a cold morning and we had to gather much courage to bathe. Had breakfast at a famous shop (or so it claimed) selling wonton mee along Jardine's Crescent. A small bowl of wonton mee with four puny prawn wontons actually cost a jaw-dropping HKD25, but was delicious. The noodles were memorably chewy.

The wonton mee shop

At the wonton mee shop

The expensive but tasty wonton mee

After breakfast, we walked a little around the area and observed the way of life there.

Stalls along Jardine's Crescent

Hairy crabs being sold cheaply

We took a tram to Central, which was a cheap and refreshing ride because we got to experience the busy Hong Kong roads and interesting sights on such an old transportation mode. Being non-air conditioned, we also got to sample first-hand the exhaust fumes from the cars.

We decided to go for a ride up the Mid-Levels escalator, the longest outdoor escalator in the world which consists of twenty escalators and three moving sidewalks. It runs downhill from 6am to 10am daily, transporting residents from the Mid-Levels to the commercial districts in Central, and uphill from 10.30am to midnight, taking these people back home. Plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops line the route served by the escalator. As the escalator bisects many roads, there is an entrance and exit on each road it passes, allowing commuters to embark and alight onto the roads.

Beginning our ride up the escalator

On the escalator

View from the escalator

We got off the escalator at Wellington Street, and had lunch at a shop selling roast meats. We had roast duck rice, which was not very cheap, but it came in huge portions. The shopowner was certainly very generous with its servings of roast duck.

The roast meats shop

It took me a long time to finish this up

After that filling lunch, we walked around the area exploring the many shops selling fresh produce, before continuing our way up the escalator. Maybe I am childish, but I really think that it was a fun ride.

Shops along Wellington Street

Continuing our way up

Steep road

A section of the escalator was blocked, so had to climb a few flights of stairs nearby to get to the next entrance point of the escalator. After a twenty minute trip on the escalator, we were soon on the Mid Levels. We found it quite incredible that the residential buildings there have average heights of 30 storeys, yet still seem pretty stable on such steep hilly terrain!

At the Mid Levels

View from the Mid Levels

We finally reached the end of the escalator at Conduit Road, and we walked along the steep slopes and curvy roads to the Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

Slug at the entrance of Zoological and Botanical Gardens

The Zoological and Botanical Gardens was a quiet and peaceful park nested amidst thick greenery, and not to say, the air there was definitely cleaner and fresher. It houses mammals, reptiles and birds in enclosures, and many plants and flowers species take root there. Admission was free-of-charge.

A gigantic orang utan yawning at us

A ring-tailed lemur

Me resting on a bench in the park

A shy mousedeer

A leopard dozing in its cave

A mandarin duck

We came to a large fountain at one corner of the park, and we rested for a while there. It was a timely break for us as we were panting and sweating after walking up and down the arduous slopes in the park.

It was getting late, so we hurriedly walked to the Peak Tram station along Garden Road, which was a 10-minute walk away. The station was not easy to locate, and when we reached there, it was packed with tourists eager for a ride on the Peak Tram. Return tickets were priced at HKD 45, inclusive of admission to the Peak Tower. Not cheap.

Slug in front of the Peak Tram

Finally on the Peak Tram!

It was an exhilarating 7-minute ride as the tram sped up steep slopes (as steep as 48 degrees at certain stretches), to the extent of being creepy. However, I gladly absorbed the stunning views of the tall skyscrapers and buildings the ride offered. Reached the Victoria Peak within minutes, but I could not get enough of the ride. It was foggy and freezing cold at the top. After alighting, we browsed through the shops at the Peak Galleria Shopping Arcade, but there was not anything interesting (or cheap) to buy.

View of Central and Mid-Levels from the Peak

Me on the Peak

Slug outside the Peak Galleria

Me outside the Peak Galleria

Soon, darkness fell and we had dinner at the McDonalds there. We chose to sit at the outdoor area, which was both a smart move (because we could enjoy our fries and the views at the same time) and a stupid move (by the time we finished our meal, our teeth were chattering so much that we decided to abandon our iced Coke). After that, we intended to explore the small winding roads that led up to the colonial houses along the peak, but were deterred by the strong chilly winds.

Me at MacDees

Went to the viewing terrace of the Peak Tower instead, admission included in our Peak Tram tickets. The viewing terrace was an exposed platform on the top of the Peak Tower, and it overlooked the Central districts as well as Aberdeen (blocked by some hills, though). It was unnerving, because I was afraid of heights and stupid Slug would make me whine by dragging me to the railings and make me peer over them at the dark forested depths below. The view, so characteristic of Hong Kong, was breathtaking. It was a great pity that the view was marred by the thick fog and city smog, otherwise, our gaze could even reach as far as Kowloon.

Breathtaking views

Me and Slug on the viewing terrace

View of the Peak Galleria from the viewing terrace

Me finally daring to stand close to the railings

We wished to stay longer but the strong winds were really smothering us. Returned to the tram terminal at the basement of the Peak Tower to catch the tram back to the lowlands, but waited a torturous 20 minutes out in the cold before we could get inside the tram. Long queue caused by large groups of noisy PRCs, large groups of cam-toting Koreans and large groups of queue-cutting locals.

Again, a thrilling ride back to the tram station at Garden Road. After that, we walked around Lan Kwai Fong, singing along to the club tunes and observing the pub patrons. Was craving a beer but Slug was having a cough and sore throat. So went for supper at a chic cafe nearby instead. We shared a pork chop rice which came with a tasty abalone bisque, and waffles drizzled in condensed milk. Yummy.