About noon I go back to HK Park and find my way to the Peak Tram. The Peak is the tall mountain/hill just South of the central downtown area of HK, and at the top there is an observation tower. It is possible to drive or take the bus, but the most direct route is the Tram, which is a cable car that runs on tracks and lifts you directly up the hill (at time it seems like at a 45 degree angle!) to the top. The cost is $20HK one way, $30HK round trip. I get a one way ticket. The ride takes about 15 minutes. There are 3 intermediate stops, in different neighborhoods along the way. Some people use the tram to commute to and from town from their condos on the hillside.
The day is mostly cloudy with occasional glimmers of sunlight. The air has its usual haze, so the view is not great. But even still it is extraordinary! And, I will visit again on a clearer day, and also a clearer night. In the very unusually designed Tram Terminal Building there are souvenir shops and restaurants. And across the street there is a small shopping mall with more shops. It is really nice (how many times have I used that word?). I stop at the McDonalds and get a cup of coffee and a fudge ice cream sundae. I then take the bus back to near the park. The bus is a double decker, and I sit in the front seat upstairs. The road is very twisty and steep, and the ride down is almost like riding a roller coaster! I am glad when we get to the bottom.
Wed:
Well today is one of those rare clear(er) days, and so I go back to the Peak. While there I eat lunch at La Marche, one of the restaurants in the Peak Tram Terminal Building. The building has several levels, and this restaurant is on levels 6 and 7. There are several other eatieries at the terminal. You take an elevator from level 4. The restaurant is very interesting--there are several different food stations on two floors, and you chose what you want to eat and it is cooked for you on the spot. And the views from the dining areas are incredible. The seating is noticeably higher than the outside observation deck below. I really enjoy the tram ride, the view, and the meal, and this time I take the tram back downhill--much more comfortable than the bus!
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To Hong Kong Part Four, p4