There are three iconic experiences for the visitor to Hong Kong.  See the city skyline at night; take the Star Ferry across the harbour; and ride the Victoria Peak tram.  Having achieved the first last night, we set out hoping to include the other two in our second and final day here.

Once again, disembarkation was very well organised, and we boarded a double decker bus to Tsim Tsa Shui, which gave us an above-ground look at the city from the vantage point of the upper deck.  From the bus stop, we walked to the Star Ferry terminal via the waterfront, to board one of the jaunty little boats which chug across the harbour continuously.  It took us to the Central ferry pier almost directly opposite, on Hong Kong Island, right next to the ferris wheel that we saw lit up last night. Central is where the main train station is, and is the heart of the financial district.  Being a Sunday, it was jammed with tourists rather than workers.

Our destination was the Central to Mid-Level Escalators, which we planned to use to get us part way up Victoria Peak.  It took us a little while to figure out how to get onto a complicated series of interlinking, elevated walkways first.  There were crowds everywhere, along with market stalls and small food outlets.  We noticed one section of walkway  where large flattened cardboard boxes were being sold.  Puzzled, we stopped to find out what the boxes were for.  Rounding a corner, we found out – groups of people buy them to construct a “picnic area”, making a flimsy set of walls and a floor.  Each area is just big enough to hold small groups of 3 or 4.  Inside these spaces, people eat, talk, snooze, knit or sew.  Some dance nearby.  They are well dressed, with hair and makeup done, and it all looks very social.  We can only guess that picnicking in the parks is not permitted, so this is the next best thing?  We saw this in several places across the city, and it didn’t seem common to any particular demographic.

The Central to Mid-Levels escalator system is fascinating.  Once you leave the waterfront, Hong Kong Island rises very steeply to a ridgeline.  The trains and trams run east-west along the northern edge of the island; only buses and taxis head up into the hills.  The Escalators provide an alternate means of transport, to reach homes and businesses on the hillside. It takes about 20 minutes to complete the whole route, and they are open-sided but covered overhead.  As you go, you catch glimpses of local life, passing an assortment of shops and restaurants.  We saw a pedicurist giving foot massages, and an artist at work in her studio.  We even saw two fluffy white cats in a window.

Reaching the end of the escalators, we began traversing under our own steam, to the Victoria Peak tram line.  We were away from the crowds now; the only people out and about up here were joggers or dog walkers.  Some sections were flat, some were downhill, and some were steeply up. We could look out across the city, through thick vegetation which gave us a good idea of what the undeveloped parts of the island would be like.  Another place not to go orienteering – although it is a popular sport here.

Ian was pretty pleased when we emerged right at an intermediate stop on the tram line.  We knew the climb up to Victoria Peak on foot was too long and steep in the heat, so were hoping to board a tram.  We knew they could be very crowded, but the next one stopped for us and there were plenty of seats.  We practically fell into our seats, thanks to the steep angle of the tram floor!

After a few minutes ride, we reached the top station, and followed the crowds.  Victoria Peak is a famous viewing point, but the plethora of shops and “attractions” are a big detraction from the scenery.  It took us a while to figure out how to get outdoors and away from the various ways of spending more money.  Once outside, we took a nice walking path, which allowed us to enjoy looking down on the Hong Kong cityscape.  We returned via the tram to the bottom terminus.  You sit facing backwards, so you can see where you’ve been, and the track resembles a rollercoaster.

The bottom terminus is near Hong Kong Park, so we decided to walk through it en route to Queensway.  This park is more recreational than the ones in Kowloon.  We followed pleasant walking paths which took us to a series of lakes, ponds and fountains.  We saw turtles again, this time sunning themselves on rocks. 

Everywhere we went (as is the case all over the world) we saw people posing for selfies.  It baffles us why people have to put themselves front and centre of every picture, rather than just enjoying what they are seeing or doing.  Since when did the greatest sights of the world become a mere backdrop to self-centredness?  Even worse, are the proliferation of influencers filming themselves, often dressed in sparkly, frothy outfits which are completely at odds with their surroundings.  They are so busy gazing at themselves on their screens, flicking their perfect hair and touching up their perfect makeup, that they are completely missing any real world experience. But who cares if it gets you likes and followers …

Our plan from here was to ride the double decker Ding Ding tram to Causeway Bay, visit the Lego store there, and make our way back to the ship.  But somewhere along the way, Ian had misplaced his Octopus card.  After a thorough but ultimately fruitless search for it, we gave up and just took the train and shuttle bus to the cruise terminal.  One last look at the illuminated cityscape from the open deck, then we were leaving Hong Kong behind, and sailing off into the night.