Walking has been my major form of transportation here in Hong Kong. It's good for the heart and the soul and allows me to really get to know the city. I have taken taxis when the distance is just too great. I have learned to write the address of my destination on a piece of paper and hand it to the taxi driver. Some speak English better than others and some not at all. Of course not all can read English, but that is another story altogether. Then you need someone to write the address in Chinese.
Walking around Hong Kong is not as simple as it may seem. You cannot cross the street at every corner as you can in the States. I've learned to look ahead for the yellow lines and clusters of people waiting to cross. There is also a very intricate system of overhead walkways that connects many buildings. These are very convenient when the weather is hot or rainy. Of course I haven't experienced either yet. The dilemma with the walkways is that they often times disperse to many doors going in many directions. The streets are not on a parallel grid so you must be careful where you emerge. Thank goodness I have an incredible sense of direction. Plus I've learned to watch for landmarks such as the pink butterflies on one crosswalk or a store on a certain corner.
Now I had been wanting to take the Metro Transit Railway (MTR), but was in need of the correct method of payment which is an octopus card. The octopus card is similar to a debit card that allows you to use buses, MTR, and the tram. With a quick swipe you can also make purchases at most convenience stores and many shops. You can add money to your card at any time. How convenient is this?
I had been told by many people that the easiest way to get an octopus card was at 7-11. Yes I do mean 7-11 like in the States, but much much smaller. So early last week I walked into a store and asked to buy one. The clerk answered in Chinese. I proceeded to use a list of adjectives that I thought might help: buy, purchase, obtain, get. Again she answered in Chinese. Next I resorted to pantomime pointing to myself, my wallet, the card. Nothing. How about card, wallet, me? Wallet, me, card? We were going nowhere fast so I smiled, said thank you and walked away. Yes, I love walking.
Yesterday Rusty and I were determined to master the MTR. We went down into the subway and found a customer service booth where they spoke English. We purchased our octopus cards. Another step forward for us. The MTR is clean, safe and very efficient. It definitely is a great way to move about the city.
We headed off to Causeway Bay in search of lamps and other household necessities. Causeway Bay is where the laobaxing, ordinary people, shop. The prices are much more reasonable, but the mass of humanity on the weekends is staggering. As you walk you are enveloped in a sea of bodies the ebb and flow of which you have absolutely no control. It is times like this that I am so very happy I am tall. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be looking into the back of the person in front of you with no idea where you are. People are leaning on and into you so you are forced to walk strongly forward. I'm always exhausted after this experience. We did get our lamps and were happy that we saved some money.
Last night we walked to the Peak Tram for a nighttime ride to Victoria Peak. The tram is a funicular railway which basically means the ascending and descending cars counterbalance each other on a cable. That is the extent of my engineering knowledge, but you can imagine what a feat it was when they built it in 1888. Victoria Peak stands at 1,286 ft. and the view from the top is superb. You can see Hong Kong, Kowloon and the entire harbor. The colored lights of the buildings make it all seem very magical.
We had dinner while we enjoyed the view and I kept wondering, "Is this really my life?" Our plan had been to walk around the Peak after dinner, but the winds were incredibly cold so we queued up for the trip down instead. The man in front of us was an ex-pat from Arizona and we started up a discussion about ex-pat life. Thankfully the conversation made the chilly wait more bearable. Once we made it to the bottom it was another walk back to our hotel which thankfully helped warm me up.
Next we have try the buses!
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