Day 17: Hong Kong and Kowloon

We rolled out of bed and worked our way downstairs.   The hotel (Cosmopolitan near Happy Valley race track) is great - modern, clean, cool!   The same can't be said for outside - not cool.   It feels like before the rainy season in Japan.   The humidity level must be close to 100%, but what can I say - deal with it :-).

We walked over to Wai Shan market and grabbed a quick bite before heading towards Central.  We marvelled at all of the pedestrian walkways - elevated, covered, out of the way of traffic.  Very cool.  The Hong Kong island we saw today was the multi cultural, ultra modern, beautiful version of Hong Kong.  It is still intermixed with the occasional decrepit building, but those just add to the charm.  

We saw signs for the Victoria Peak Tram, and since it was on our list we walked up to the station.   The tram took us up the steep mountain that looms over Hong Kong and gives a great view of Hong Kong, Kowloon and the harbour.  Beautiful.  After looking around at the top and finding our Starbucks (!), we took the tram down and when we got to the bottom, realized how lucky we were to have gone early.... The crowds were swelling and the temperature was sweltering!

We walked and walked, making our way over to Central.   We found the Central - Mid Level escalator system that is essentially an 800 meter pathway of moving sidewalks, walkways and escalators (all covered) that works it's way up the slope of the mountain.  Every escalator or walkway you get off, there is a barrage of restaurants of different ethnicities, bars, bistros and more.  Our friend Kim said this was one of her favourite areas of Hong Kong, and I see way.  We grabbed lunch at a little Vietnamese place which was great, and continued our way up.   When we got to the top, though full, our mouths were watering at all of the gastronomical choices - we vowed to come back tomorrow night!

We needed to cool off so we made our way down to the metro and across the bay to Kowloon Station.   The station sits in another of the amazingly modern shopping complexes that seem to be everywhere you turn in Hong Kong.  We headed to the movie theater - Pitch Perfect 2 for the 3 girls and Mad Max for me - I have to say I got the better deal here but they disagree so.... Win-win.

After the chill of the movie theater, we walked over in the heat to Nathan street, passing through the cheesy Jade market - I have to say most of the low end shopping we've seen today is a bunch of junk. We stopped into a Chinese Restaurant on Nathan Street and ate family style.  We gambled on that place, and won!  It was delicious.  We walked back towards Hong Kong, passing through the Temple Street Night Market - which was again, mostly kitschy stuff.

Kowloon is more like I pictured the older Hong Kong to be - a bit of hot mess, in a good way.  Lights, traffic, people, noise, activity, good and bad smells - all in a melting pot boiling in the hot afternoon sun and the muggy nights.

After another click of walking, we ended up at the harbour in time to see the nightly 8pm light show - basically a symphony of lights coordinated by a dozen or so buildings across the way in Hong Kong.  I have to say, the Hong Kong skyline beats Manhattan in my opinion - it is beautiful.

I continue to be amazed at the girls - they have really adapted to this travel thing.  Sometimes there is some trepidation about sitting down at a restaurant without really knowing what you're going to eat, but these girls are brave, relaxed and amazing.  They still bicker, which is pretty normal, but that tends to be before meal time - most of the time it's been really great.  Beth has also transformed right back from the hard working Deloitte Executive to the backpacker companion I had 20 years ago :-)