Thursday November 16, 2006

Hong Kong Holiday Day three - The Peak

On our way up to Hong Kong's must do tourist attraction we took a further look at Central. We went past Norman Foster's inside out building for HSBC which has the lions that stood outside its predecessor by its entrance, one still showing shrapnel wounds from World War Two. We had also wanted to go to the market at Central but this was closed. You have to be careful at Chinese markets the food is really fresh and they also act as the places were animals and fish are killed before being cut up for sale... We then took this tram which is more like a railway up to the Peak.

Th Peak as it is known was the place where the rich folks lived to get away from the heat and malaria which was rampant in the hot seasons in Hong Kong. The ride is smooth but you are at forty five degrees to the buildings as you climb that look crooked. At the Peak you are not at the summit and another steep climb - which you have to do on foot takes you up Austin road to the real summit. Here was the site of the original Governer's building torn down by the Japanese in World War Two. There are gardens up there now. We then went down the road back to the visitors centre and then did the circuit of Harlech/Lugard Roads. At the end you get some amazing views of the skyline even more impressive in the evening.

Up here we noticed how green the island really is and the large pretty butterflies that flew around us. We got back to the centre and had lunch outside it which is known by the locals as the flying wok.

We returned down to central and took a bus to Causway Bay hoping to see the Tiger Balm gardens or Aw Boon Haw gardens named after the chap who made his fortune selling this balm. After a long walk uphill we asked a local how far to the gardens. She told us it was a great shame but they had been flattened and a sky scraper stood in their place now.

In the evening we had a great Chinese meal at Spring Deer 42 Mody street right near our hotel. Last part tomorrow.