Hong Kong–Land of Contrasts

What a rich experience we had in Hong Kong. It’s one of those places we want to visit again because one day is not enough! This vibrant city of 7 million people is a mix of old and new, with contrasts everywhere you look. The architecture is varied (as are the types of boats) as we immediately noticed as we began our day with a narrated harbor cruise on this colorful ferry.

                                   

The houseboats in the harbor have a backdrop of modern high-rise apartments. Not long ago, when school was not mandatory here, many of the residents of these houseboats never set foot on land for their entire lives!

 

We saw everything from the sampans to yachts.

   

After the harbor cruise, we were driven up to the top of Victoria Peak, the highest point on the island, where we enjoyed the views despite the hazy, overcast skies. (Rain was threatening, but fortunately, held off.) On the way down we took the tram, which has a few stops for neighborhoods on the mountain. Our guide told us Hong Kong is the most expensive city in the world, and within Hong Kong, the homes on Victoria Peak are the highest priced. We passed one apartment building that has a very interesting story. According to superstition, a dragon comes from the hilltop to the sea for water. When the building was built, a hole was left to allow the dragon to pass through. You can see the opening right in the center of the photo below.

                         

We had a traditional dim sum lunch aboard the largest floating restaurant in the world, appropriately named Jumbo. To get to the restaurant, we took a water taxi (below, right.)

 

Our next stop was Stanley, a beautiful beach resort area which also has a bustling market that sells everything you can imagine. Besides flowers, artwork, fruit, clothing, fish, jewelry, luggage & lots more, I saw the backpacks below and immediately thought of Mason and Nikos. Disclaimer: I didn’t notice the yellow “No Photo” signs until we downloaded the photos from our camera!

All of Hong Kong is very cosmopolitan, but Stanley seems especially so; as we strolled along we lost count of the number of languages than we heard being spoken.

   

Our visit ended with a spectacular Symphony of Lights (including lasers) as the buildings along the harbor were lit up all around us as we departed the port. It was a fitting ending for an especially wonderful day!