Day 14 - Ding ding & dim sum

Frustrated by our lack of clean clothing, but not wanting to lose the morning waiting for bags, we explore Kowloon park which is only a stone’s throw from the Mira.  We’re pleased to see folks doing Tai Chi and to view the flamingos and aviary. There is lots of variety in the park, similar to Central Park but much smaller. Then we trudge up to a McDonald’s on Nathan road for breakfast and map out our day.  Thankfully, our luggage has arrived by the time we return to our hotel.

Kowloon park

We head down to the harbour front and gasp at the spectacle of the skyline across the water.  There is a Chinese percussion ensemble playing at an outdoor theatre, which we enjoy before heading to the Star Ferry terminal.  This ferry has been a longstanding HK institution and it’s great to watch the busy boat traffic in Victoria Harbour and view the incredible HK skyline during the 20 minute passage.  At just $3+ HK, the transportation is one of the few bargains we find in this city.

Percussion group

Maids of the mist

We try to avoid the heat by hiking through buildings or on elevated walkways as we make our way inland, finally finding the “ding ding” trolleys that run along Johnston

Street.  We manage to get to the upper floor of the crowded car, and eventually manage to get to the front, which is a real treat.  Dan & Alan have the cameras whirring away while we pass colourful signs, stores, busy streets and alleys, and towering office buildings and condos, many of which are very dated.  The city seems to go on forever, but the ding ding eventually does a turnaround at North Point, and we jump off when we figure we are walking distance to the Victoria Peak cable car.    

busy Victoria Harbour

Everyone’s getting pretty famished because it’s now about 2 pm, so we find an interesting restaurant which is very packed.  We’re sat immediately and given just a couple of menus but are frustrated that the wait staff are very slow to come for our order.  Luckily, the items are numbered and complete with English descriptions and photographs.  We’re embarrassed when the waiter demonstrates that one orders by going online and ordering from their menu that way.  The food is hot and tasty and arrives quickly, but we can only manage to finish about 2/3 of the large portions.

oncoming ding ding

Hong Kong streets can be busy

street scene Kowloon

It’s rough going uphill on the narrow streets in the heat, so we hail a cab for a trip to the peak.  We’re dropped at a small mall which has an upstairs observatory, but obviously not the best views, so we do some research then hike up the road to find the large observation building which also houses the cable car terminus.  Not wanting to fork out the $ for admission to the observation deck, we follow a path to an outlook with a very good view.  It’s a long hike, but thankfully we’re shaded.  Nevertheless, we are hot and thirsty by the time we return to the summit, and are happy to be escorted to a table on a windy patio at the Peak Restaurant, which appears to be an older posh establishment.

tourists.  damn tourists

view from the walking path

drinks at the peak

Then we grab a taxi back to the ferry terminal.  Across from the terminal building is a large fenced-off area with a stage and rock band playing.  Curious, we walk over there and discover it’s a party hosted by Van’s clothing company, and admission is free.  We watch a skateboarding competition then grab a beer and soak up the music and ambiance for awhile.  D&A are bummed out to see a drone hovering overhead, no doubt getting some great footage as the sun sets.

We’re wanting to catch the famous symphony of lights, so we ask the Mira concierge for suggestions of a good spot nearby to see this.  He says there’s an observation deck in a nearby building, but we are not dressed well enough, so he sends us a little further away to a 30^th floor deck which is part of the Eye Ball restaurant.  Time is ticking away, and it’s a challenge finding the right mall and the right elevators in the mall, but we do arrive with only a few minutes to spare, and find some room on the deck.

The symphony of lights occurs nightly at 8 pm.  Most of the office towers and other tall buildings participate with a dazzling display of coloured lights, animation, laser lights which goes on for about 15 minutes.  We are quite gobsmacked and decide we’re actually hungry and grateful when the wait staff agree to give us a table (behind a partition, mind you) despite our grubby and worn appearance.

Our waiter is a middle-aged Frenchman who spent his childhood in Cannes, so we have some fun discussions about Provence and Canada.  He’s lived in HK for several years now, and we pick his brains about things to do.  He recommends a trip to Macau, which is something we hadn’t really considered until now.

This is our first time trying Dim Sum, and we find it delicious, although Sue is not fully impressed.