Day 3 - Sightseeing Hong Kong

Deb and I like to use tripadvisor.com's top rated attractions as a beginning point when we get to explore a new city -- and today was no exception. Our first destination was the spectacular views of Hong Kong from Victoria's Peak -- which can be climbed by a historic tram. We opted to walk the distance of two subway stops so that we could enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the awakening city -- and we were glad we did. Along the way we happened upon Hong Kong park -- a forested escape from the shopping malls and skyscrapers that surround it. The Park was full of interesting places and plants -- and we were especially delighted with the free and lovely aviary that is home to over 600 birds of 90 different species.Victoria's Peak did provide the promised panoramic views of the city and harbor on a perfectly beautiful day except for the smog that I mentioned in my last posting. Thereafter, we strolled through more significant buildings -- and beautiful fountains/parks to get to the famous Hong Kong institution of some 120+ years -- the Star Ferry boats that carry passengers to Kowloon (once the only way to cross -- it now is more of a respected historical attraction as there has been a cross-harbor tunnel since 1978 and the MTR rapid transit crossing since 1980).

We took the ferry to Kowloon -- and followed the crowd into yet another high-end shopping mall. Just to give you an idea of the size of this mall, I should point out that it had 4 separate Starbucks locations. We only stayed long enough to note that shoe and clothing prices were about the same as in the USA. We then took the MTR to another busy district, Mong Kok, known for its large number of computer and electronic goods vendors.

We made our way back to our hostel by MTR -- to rest our very weary feet for a while -- and make contact with Staci/Martin to coordinate our get together tomorrow. When night fell, we headed back out onto the streets and found a very authentic Chinese noodle house (only one English menu in the place) -- and tried some dishes that we just guessed at -- including fish balls. Eating noodles with chopsticks challenged us -- but we slurped like we saw everyone around us doing -- and filled our bellies, albeit more slowly than those more skilled with chopsticks.

Crowds of people filled the streets this evening -- most smartly dressed and the stores seemed loaded with shoppers. I marveled at the amount of wealth on display here -- as the stores seemed filled to the brim -- especially the high-end jewelers and clothing stores. I made a mental note to do some internet research on average salaries of Hong Kong residents and tourists -- as it has been clear from all our days' activities that this may be ground zero for conspicuous consumption. Also, it is worth noting that while Hong Kong is smaller in square miles than the city of Los Angeles -- it supports about twice as many residents -- some 7 million. By comparison, the city of San Francisco has a population of about 3/4 of one million -- and the city of Portland, Oregon, only 1/2 million. The skyline of Hong Kong makes it easy to understand why it is considered one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Tomorrow we meet up with Staci and Martin who are joining us here in Hong Kong for a couple of nights before we head to their school/current home!