February 16, 2008

Hong Kong Island (HONG KONG)

Peak Tram, Walking Down Victoria Peak, Authentic Dim Sum, and Stanley Market

It was to be a busy Saturday, so we got an early start this morning to beat the crowds at the Peak Tram on Hong Kong Island. We started by walking along the Kowloon waterfront, stopping for a tourist photo at the Beijing Olympics countdown, and finished at the Star Ferry ticketing gates. For only a few Hong Kong dollars, we grabbed seats on the ferry for the fifteen minute ride across beautiful Hong Kong harbor. I have yet to figure out how they keep the water so clean, but I have long had a desire to dive in. (For now, common sense continues to reign supreme.)

From Hong Kong station it was a short twenty minute walk through the heart of Hong Kong's financial district (translation: skyscrapers and ultra-modern buildings that "inspire confidence") to the Peak Tram ticketing office, which is situated across the street from the United States Consulate. There was already a line of 30 tourists ahead of us, but this is far better than what can be found later in the day when there are easily 100 people waiting to go up on a clear day.

I neglected to take any pictures on the tram ride today, but I will cheat because I have done this before and still have pictures from an earlier visit (shown to the left.) And yes, the tram really is that steep, climbing several hundred meters in a matter of minutes, and at little more than a snail's pace - making everyone on board think the tram car is ready to fall backward at any point.

At the top of Victoria Peak there are exists a gauntlet of over-priced shops, restaurants, and convenience stores that I have always avoided like the plague, but my father seems to be addicted to Perrier water, and found it surprising when he paid something like $4USD for a small bottle. I bit my tongue.

Fortunately, my father is in fair shape, and he was happy to spend the next hour or so walking down from the peak, rather than simply taking the tram down like everyone else. There are plenty of nice views along the route, and most of the walk is through forested parks where locals living on the mountain take their dogs out for a walk.

At 13:30 we met Eric (a friend who lives in Hong Kong) at Causeway Bay for an afternoon dim sum snack. There was no way I could do justice to dim sum without his help - all the best restaurants only have traditional characters on the menu - and he was more than happy to find my favorites on the menu. After meeting at the station, he led us to his family's favorite restaurant, and although there was a 40 minute wait, we decided to hang around and spend the time chatting. Eric has lived, studied, and traveled extensively - he will leave for Spain and mainland China later this month - but like so many Hong Kong people there is nothing they like so much as the small group of islands off the southern coast of China. While I have never met Eric's father, I already know he is the type of man who travels with Chinese herbal medicine, eats at only Chinese restaurants after trying one (and only one) obligatory local dining experience, and more likely than not he cringes at the poor understanding of feng shui principles at whatever elite hotel he stays in.

It is impossible to recount all the dishes we tried at lunch - there were roughly one dozen - but what does stick out in my mind is the new style of char siew baozi (barbeque pork inside a hot bun) that has some sort of crusted lemon on the outside. Eric said this is a new development in Hong Kong, and I can't really complain: it was damn good! (I can almost guarantee that not a single person out there cares one iota about my recount of the char siew baozi, but some day someone out there will visit Hong Kong and thank me for this recommendation... I can only hope.)

After lunch, we rode the MTR to the last stop on the Island Line, Chai Wan. Underneath the station, we boarded one of Hong Kong's many mini-buses, with this particular one destined for Stanley Market. It was a pleasant 20 minute ride along the shoreline, and such scenery can easily make one forget they are in Hong Kong: the jungle-clad landscape, sloping dramatically down to the green ocean below, is reminiscent of a place like Costa Rica.

From the mini-bus stop, it was a short five minute walk to the main street of Stanley Market, which is a famous place to buy touristy items. Thankfully, my father agreed to take care of all his shopping later this evening in Mong Kok, so we didn't loiter around for too long. Instead, we headed for the waterfront and circled around the promenade outlining Stanley Bay. It was far more crowded than I was expecting: expats and locals alike were outside enjoying the weather with activities like fishing, soccer, enjoying drinks at the many outdoor bars, or nibbling on appetizers at a variety of fusion cafes.

We followed a small trail that led us through the trees at the quiet end of the bay, and after ten minutes of walking we stumbled across a small Buddhist shrine where several people were performing belated Chinese New Year rituals. I was hoping to show my father the proper ceremonial "techniques," but a seemingly crazy woman approaches us and started warning me that there exists something evil in the water around this shrine. Apparently, many foreigners have been reported missing around here, never to be found again. According to her, there is some unknown entity that lurks the waters below, and kidnaps unsuspecting people. Of course, it was a complete load of bollocks, and she was obviously a bit off, but because she wouldn't stop bothering me I decided it was best to get moving (she scares me more than any sea monsters, exempting sharks.)

The last order of business for the day was the touristy Mong Kok shopping, so after arranging a rendezvous, I released my father from my protective custody and let him tackle the markets on his own. In the mean time, I got a much needed haircut at one of the many stylish barbers overlooking the hustle and bustle that makes Mong Kok the most densely populated place on earth on nights like this. The pictures to the left should give a good idea of what the real Hong Kong feels like.

After many mental debates over whether or not to include an embarrassing detail for the day, I decided it is worth telling the truth: my father came to Asia and I actually took him to Pizza Hut. Ashamedly, I am not even ashamed of it. I have been craving real pizza for a long time, and although I meant to have more of it when I was visiting the United States over Christmas, something else always got in the way. To be fair, Pizza Hut is far different in Asia than it is in America: in the latter I have only been there as part of a sports team-related lunch, but in the former it is the kind of restaurant one could use for a Valentine's Day date. There is no buffet, and the decor is a far-cry from the tacky Red-Roofed "hut" found at all the American Pizza Huts. Somewhat oddly, there was only Carlsberg (English) beer available - so much for "American globalization" being the guilty party invading established brands around the world.