The next morning I visited Lamma Island, the medium of the three most important outlying islands (having gone to Cheung Cheu, the smallest, the pervious day). Again, I took the high-speed boat and it took just around 30 minutes. The boat was comfortable, although we did encounter some decent waves on the way.
 |
| the high-speed boat to Lamma Island, Kowloon in the background |
Lamma Island is bigger than Cheung Chau, but just as peaceful. Again, there were no cars, and I spent a few hours hiking around the island.
 |
| scenic lookout on Lamma Island |
 |
| South China Sea |
After visiting a lookout over the South China Sea I hiked back to the village for lunch and wandered around the winding streets for a while browsing souvenir shops.
That evening I had planned to meet up with both of my Stellenbosch friends. Due to scheduling before a major holiday (on Monday), Hincent had to work overtime. Joanna and I met up that evening and went to the Peak, the most famous view in Hong Kong. We took the city bus from Hong Kong Harbor, and I got to see some of the famous sites around the island such as the Bank of China building and the famous lion statues. Since it was a Friday night, and the peak is a very popular spot to watch the nightly Symphony of Lights, there was a long line to get into the cable car. The Symphony of Lights is a synchronized light and sound show in which every major building on Hong Kong Island along Victoria Harbor participates. The Peak is one of the best places to view the show. It was getting dark, but fortunately we made it onto a cable car with plenty of time to spare, although we did have to stand and try to balance all the way up the mountain. It made for a fun and memorable ride!
 |
| the view from the top |
At the viewing deck at the top of the peak, we were able to find a good spot to watch the show. Afterwards, we picked up a free audio tour headset which pointed out all the major sites in a 360 around the viewing platform. As usual, pictures really don't do justice to the view.
 |
| windy on top |
We grabbed a milk tea on the top, then headed back into the city for dinner. We ended up taking the city trolly, known locally as a "ding-ding" for the noise its bell makes. I got a great chance to be a tourist, as the trolly passes very close to all the famous buildings we had just seen from the peak. My favorite is the Bank of China building. It's one of the most iconic Hong Kong landmarks. Its actually surprisingly controversial. The building was designed by famous Chinese architect I.M. Pei to resemble a bamboo shoot, a symbol of flexibility and growth. The sharp lines and angular structure cause a problem though. While the practice of Feng Shui was mostly stamped out in the mainland by Mao's cultural revolution, it remains a fairly prominent aspect of life and especially business in Hong Kong. Sharp angles are said to cast down bad luck as they are the opposite of a circle, a symbol of peace and luck. Despite the controversy, the building is inarguably one of the most famous on the island, and even decorates the Bank of China issued $100 notes.
 |
| The Bank of China building |
 |
| These are the city trolly cars. USA! |
On the way to dinner at a well-known local pizza place, we stopped at another famous Hong Kong landmark; the world's longest escalator! It's outdoors, and connects hilly parts of the city. I found it unreasonably exciting.
 |
| that's THE escalator |
No comments:
Post a Comment