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Hong Kong - Saturday, July 1, 2000
For my free stopover on the way back from Australia I decided on Hong Kong.My guidebook said that most of the hostels in Hong Kong were all in one tower block in Kawloon which didn't sound too appealing. Luckily the hotels there aren't as expensive as I would have expected for a big city.
Hong Kong is a very big and bustling city. Its really cheap to get around though with the trams and underground.
The first day I was there I got up early to make the most of my visit. I wandering through the large park watching the locals doing their Tai Chi. Being July it was very hot and it seems that there is never anywhere to sit down for a rest. If you go into a store there's never anywhere to sit down and it you sit on any steps just to get your bearings in your guidebook you're quickly moved along my the security guards. By about 11am I was worn out! I went back to the hotel for a couple of hours rest and lunch.
That afternoon I headed up to Victoria Peak to take in the views over the city. The tram way going up there is so steep that there are diaganal steps in the floor or the carriages to help people who are getting on and off part way up.
Victoria Peak is where Hong Kong's wealthiest residents live and you can understand why - it was definitely a few degrees cooler up there. At the top is the building where the tram stops plus some shops. There is also a nice walk you can go on around the peak which gives you mroe views of the city and the sea plus views of the other side of the island where it is much less built up.
I would definitely recommend waiting at the peak until it is going dark so you can get those nighttime photos:
The next day I went across to Kowloon to visit the art gallery. My flight wasn't until midnight so I had to kill quite a bit of time looking around Kowloon before heading back to the airport.
The trip between Hong Kong and the airport is fast on a dedicated train line. The airport is big and new too. The good thing about those midnight flights is that you sleep much more easily on the way home!
- Created:
- Friday, October 22, 2004 at 4:17 PM
- Last Modified:
- Friday, October 22, 2004 at 4:18 PM