Exploring Hong Kong

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Today was our first full day in the massive city of Hong Kong. We woke up early and got ready for a big day out exploring the city. We left the hotel and headed straight to the ferry terminal and took the ferry to the other side of the city called Hong Kong Island. But since we hadn't eaten any breakfast we were both starving and a little grumpy. We wondered around the city for a bit looking around at the different skyscrapers then decided to go find some food. However we had alot of trouble finding somewhere decent we both wanted to go. We kept getting lost in all the indoor corridors and malls which all seemed to look similar. Finally we found a Starbucks, grabbed a table and stuffed ourselfs, we were so incredibly hungry by this stage. Afterwards we walked towards the HSBC building which was an incredibly impressive structure, espically since it was built over 20 years ago. As you walk in through the large openings you can look up and see threw the entire building. We went up the long single esilator which leads up to the first floor. From here we had an unobstructed view threw the middle of the building, this was as far we were allowed to go.

We left the HSBC Building and headed towards another very impressive building on the Hong Kong city skyline and my personal favorite, the 'Bank of China Tower'. We went inside the tower and up to the 42nd observation deck which was free entry. The views of the city were fantastic, although we could only see one side of the city it was still very impressive. We spent some time up there taking photos then headed back down and made our way towards the Cable Car station up to 'The Peak'. We bought our return tickets and jumped aboard the Cable Car. It was a fantastic trip up to 'The Peak' I couldn't believe how steep it was, we were pushed back into our seats and we slowly climbed the mountains behind Hong Kong. After a short trip we arrived at the station on 'The Peak', it was more like a shopping mall at first, there were shops and arcades and restaurants all over the place. We made our way up to the viewing platform but since it was so cloudy it was really difficult to see anything. But eventually the clouds cleared and we had one of the best city views I have seen in my life, you could see the entire city of Hong Kong as a huge jungle of skyscrapers.

I took the best photos I could while it was clear but soon enough the clouds came back and made it difficult to see the city. We stopped to have lunch and by the time we finished the clouds had cleared away a little so I got a few more good photos. We had a walk around 'The Peak' to see what was around, just more shops and restaurants alot of them with a fantastic view. After a bit of a walk around, Hannah bought a couple of paintings then we headed back to the cable car station and back down to the city. We took an open top bus back to the ferry terminal, taking some nice city photos on the way, then took the ferry back across to Kowloon. We returned to the hotel late afternoon and had a rest before heading back out for a evening tour along the Victoria Harbour to watch the sound & light show. It was quite good to watch the show seeing both sides of the city however Hannah and I both thought that it looked better from our room. After the show we took a bus back to 'The Peak' station and again bought return tickets to see what its like at night. Again the steepness of the track was unbelivable. This time when we arrived there was no clouds, and we paid a little extra to get acess to the roof of complex for the best view.

It was a clear night and the view was absolutely breathtaking. It was hard to believe that we were looking down on Hong Kong city, an amazing sight. I tried to push my way through the people and get some good photos. We spent quite a bit of time up there taking in the amazing view then left to go find somewhere to eat. We choose a nice resturant with views across Hong Kong, it was quite expensive but the food was delicious, really good. We sat for a while enjoying the night then left the restaurant to take the cable car back down into the city. I still can't believe how steep this track is! We jumped on a bus to the ferry terminal and took returned to our hotel to sleep.

Accommodation:
YMCA Salisbury

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Photos

Hong Kong
Stunning view of Hong Kong from 'The Peak'

Hong Kong
View of the impressive IFC Tower 2 from the boat at dusk.

Hong Kong
Close up of the Bank of China building.

Hong Kong
The amazing city of Hong Kong from Central Pier.

Hong Kong
The Bank of China and impressive HSBC buildings.

Hong Kong
The breathtaking view of Hong Kong from 'The Peak' at night