HK: Escalators, Parks, and the Peak

We were very surprised by how steep, hilly, and green Hong Kong is. It's really quite stunning. Because of this, HK is home to some unusual methods of transporting people up and down the slopes. Day two, in the late afternoon, we headed out for Victoria Peak and went on two of these unusual methods--the escalators and the tram.

The central-mid-levels escalators is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world.

The escalators are 800 meters long with a vertical climb of 135 meters. The total travel time is twenty minutes. The daily traffic exceeds 55,000 people. They run downhill in the morning and uphill from 10:30AM to midnight. They take commuters who live in these neighborhoods to and from work. You pass all sorts of street, alleys, shops, and even a mosque. We passed little bohemian enclaves and others that had a European feel. We thought they were fascinating. Maybe we are easily entertained but it was one of our favorite things to do and we'd highly recommend it. It was a great way to see more of the city and the people.

We stopped to take a few breaks and enjoy the sites and sounds of the city below. We really enjoy walking around new places and think it's a great way to see them so we decided to walk to the tram.

We passed through the zoological and botanical gardens. They are very small and free but pretty nonetheless.

We passed other parks.

A memorial from WWI and II. We didn't know exactly where we were going and there weren't many signs so we were relieved when we made it to the tram base.

Getting on the tram to go to the top of the peak.

It is so steep and a 45% angle in some spots but you can't really tell from this. I tried to get a shot from the tram. It makes you a little nervous but they say there has never been an accident since the tram began operating in 1881.

This is what happens when you let a two year old who is OBSSESED with the tripod and shuttle release cable take control. You get 30 frames in a few seconds.

The view was spectacular, though this doesn't do it justice. It was hard to get the shutter speed I wanted because my tripod wasn't tall enough to not get the glass in the picture so I had to prop it up. I sadly learned on my way home reading the airline magazine that you can "bypass the official platform at the peak by exiting the peak funicular and turning right onto Lugard Road. You will be treated to a quite walk around the mountain before coming across a clearing where you get a splendid view of the glistening city of lights." So there you have it. That's the one thing I want anyone reading this who is planning a trip to HK to learn from my experience. Even if you don't care about a photo I bet this viewing area is filled with fewer obnoxious tourists. :)

Here is a shot that does it justice.