HK, Pirates, parrots & polystyrene boxes

Tuesday 25th October
Today we explored the city by train, ferry, tram and foot. It has been an absolutely exhausting day but we have seen so much. All visitors to Hong Kong recommend going to the Peak. This is the tallest point in Hong Kong sitting behind all the high-rise buildings and covered with thick undergrowth and trees. There are roads up it and the intrepid hike up but most ordinary people take the tram. The queue for tickets was 1½ hours, but we finally joined the crowd to board the tram finding ourselves by good fortune 5th from the front. We noticed two French ladies duck into the priority queue lane and move to the front of the queue. They transferred back to our lane and then promptly pulled their husbands and a friend forward, ignoring protests and fierce looks. They boarded and dived into the front seats which afforded the best view. We were all very annoyed at their arrogance and rudeness in pushing to the front of the queue. Alighting from the tram at the top of the peak there were then a further 3 or 4 levels up via escalator. However, it was worth it once we finally got to the pinnacle. The views were tremendous, right over the city across the harbour and beyond. Although it was still very sunny, it was also refreshingly cooler at the top with a gentle breeze blowing. I asked a guy who I thought looked like he knew about photography as he had a large SLR around his neck to take a photo of Pete and I at the top. You can see from the photo that whilst he got us well positioned in the shot he failed to mention that Pete had the tie from his hat hanging over his forehead and his audio guide dangling around his ears. Pete was unimpressed and thinks he looks like a pirate, however I nearly cried with laughter when reviewing the day’s photos back in the hotel. After our photoshoot, we stopped for a cup of tea and a bite to eat at one of the cafes on the peak then made our way back down via the tram.

The aviary in Hong Kong park sounded interesting so we took a very leisurely stroll in that direction. All forms of exercise here are exhausting due to the heat and the high humidity, and we found stairs especially challenging so we were not best pleased to see that in order to get to the aviary there were about 70 stairs to climb. It looked very like the Snowdon Aviary in London Zoo, but on a much much bigger scale, I’m not sure which was built first and who copied who. Visitors walked along a high boardwalk with strategic seating and feeding stations for the over 600 varieties of exotic birds there. Huge mature trees reached skyward, their berries providing a welcome treat for the birds, way down below a large pond and stream was host to some beautiful pheasants and wildfowl. Paraqueets flew round and round screeching loudly whilst cheeky Mynahs, black with golden eyes and a distinctive call bobbed on the branches; we watched one pop into a hole in a tall dead tree where it appeared to be rearing young. Its mate sat on the branch outside keeping watch. The more numerous white Mynahs with bright blue skin around their eyes were quite fearless and walked along the rails next to people cocking their heads and fixing them with a beady stare. Java sparrows darted back and forth, gathering in small groups on the swinging vine roots that hung between the trees below the boardwalk. Such pretty little birds. We spent a long time in the aviary, enjoying relaxing on the seats whilst watching and listening to the birdsong all around.

From Hong Kong Park it was a long walk to the ferry port where we caught a small, old, rusty but very serviceable passenger ferry for the princely sum of $2 about 14p across the harbour. By now evening was fast approaching and we needed to find somewhere to have our meal. As well as being constantly accosted by people trying to get us to go and have a suit made, we seemed to be in the jewellery quarter, top end shops – Tiffany, Cartier, Rolex to name but a few were all around, not much chance of finding a little café here so wearily we turned down some side roads to find the foodie centre. Finally, we chanced upon a road lined with all sorts of eating places. After a filling meal of salmon, risotto, and omelettes between us we were too tired to return to the ferry port so we caught the tube back to our hotel. Just before we descended into the station something caught my eye in the middle of the traffic on the road, it was a guy manoeuvring a load of polystyrene boxes roped together and stacked on a sack trolley, behind him he pulled more polystyrene boxes. It was quite bizarre and like something on UTube. How he didn’t get knocked over or spill all the boxes all over the road is a wonder. The underground in Hong Kong is very like the London underground but much much busier, it was quite incredible really. As one train pulled out of a station so another arrived within a few seconds. Waiting crowds surged forward onto the train and you are carried forward and crammed in. The whole operation is very efficient with no hassle; everyone stands obediently in line waiting their turn. You certainly wouldn’t come to Hong Kong for a quiet relaxing break.Read more