After bidding farewell to friends returning to Melbourne after breakfast, we turned our attention to an ascent of “the Peak”. We set off along the now very familiar path to the Star Ferry terminal for the short crossing of Hong Kong Harbour. The trip seems to be getting shorter and shorter every visit with the relentless program of land reclamation underway along the waterfront. We joined in with the business commuters as they sat transfixed to their mobile phones. We were happy just to take in the ever changing views as we approached Central terminus.
We set off on the labyrinth of elevated walkways that interconnect office towers with shopping malls and shopping malls with office towers. The big advantages of following these walkways are 1) they are above the hustle and bustle of trams, busses and general traffic, and 2) for much of the time you pass through airconditioned buildings.
We arrived at the Peak Tram ticketing office without getting lost and climbed aboard the next cable car that appeared shortly after our arrival. Being relatively early, the number of people heading to the Peak was not as we have seen before with lengthy delays just waiting around. The steep ascent to the Peak is interrupted with brief stops at 3 “stations” along the way. It was interesting to reflect on the engineering calculations that must have been applied to the cable we were relying on for our upward journey. We tended to bobble around when stopping at these stations as the cable behaved more like a rubber band. Glimpses of Hong Kong could be caught between the trees as our ascent continued. Eventually all passengers were asked to leave by the right hand doors and run the gauntlet of souvineer shops before being returned to the outside world.
We opted for a circumnavigation of the Peak following the Lugard Road in a clockwise direction. We had to wait a few minutes as a brief shower of rain passed overhead and set off optimistically in very light rain hoping that we had seen the end of it. The walk (on a clear day) offers up 360 degree views of the surroundings islands, the mainland and new territories along with the unmistakable harbour. We managed to get reasonable views of the surrounding scenery when clouds lifted / the sun burst through the passing clouds.
