Thursday. Emailed my sister-in-law to find out how she’s been. She has had a flu bug. Just getting over it, and Robin, my brother, was due in from Kuala Lumpur later this morning. Arranged to meet Boots for lunch on Friday and she told me a good place to get my hair washed, cut and blow dried for HK$138, or less than $20 US. So I made an appointment for Friday morning.
After lunch at home with Monika I took the bus to Central to look around and make sure I can find the hair dresser when I come back tomorrow. It was real easy because it’s located on the street that goes under the mid-levels escalator — the one that starts at the bus terminus and ends mid-way up the mountain above Central. That was my stomping grounds when I was here 5 years ago and stayed with my brother and sister-in-law.
Some information about transportation here. You must have exact change when you board any transport (bus, subway, ferry, tram) or you can purchase an “Octopus Card” for HK$50 ($7+ US) and add money to it, like a debit card. Then, all you have to do is place your card on the card reader in any bus, tram, peak tram or ferry, and the fare is automatically deducted and you’re on your way. You can add money to your card in any 7-11 store or at any transport terminus. You can also use the Octopus Card to buy things at the 7-11 stores. It is super convenient. The other day I didn’t realize it, but my card was low. I got on the bus and saw it had a balance of negative $1.10, so I went to the 7-11, put HK$100 on the card, and it gave me the new balance of $98.90.
After locating the hair dresser, I just walked around SOHO (South Of HOllywood Road), the area reknown for restaurants, antiques, and high-end dress shops. As this is a tourist town, it’s fairly easy to get around because nearly every corner tells you how to get where you are going.
Street signs for tourists
Hong Kong has not escaped fast food and their unbelievably absurd locations; in fact, here is a MacDonalds right next to the Sun Yat-sen Museum!
MacD's and Sun Yat-sen Museum
Again, the streets are extremely steep. I walked up this street only to watch a couple of kids, probably 5 and 6 years old, race down the steps and run full speed down the street with their backpacks full of books on their backs. I just knew they were going to fall flat on their faces, but alas, they did not! Ah, youth!
Hiking up SOHO streets
You have to know I am wearing jeans and my new tennis shoes. Very comfortable, and very stable. But I have to tell you most of the women I see in Central are wearing heels, boots with high heels, flats, sandals, but rarely tennis shoes. I feel out of place, and much like a tourist, but very glad I am not wearing the shoes they are wearing! I honestly don’t know how they do it day in and day out. My feet could never stand that abuse!
I heard a very loud pounding that shook the ground, so I went to see what was happening. This huge machine was pounding pilings into the ground in preparation for building another high rise. I’m going to try to insert a video here, so I hope you can open it. (Be patient; it might take a while to load.)
I wasn’t the only one entranced by the cadence. One young student, probably about 9 or 10 years old, passed by me and was kicking out his leg straight in front of him in time with the pounding. Step step KICK, step step KICK. He was laughing and having a good time. He looked so cute in his navy blue school uniform. Wish I could have captured that on video!
I walked down Caine Road, past my brother and sister-in-law’s apartment, where I saw a notice posted on their entrance which notified tenants of pilings being driven in the area and the times they would be in operation, so they would know what the noise was all about and plan accordingly. Then just past the mid-levels escalator I took the first road to the left, which was Old Bailey Street. It’s an amazing street: one restaurant after another. This is what I passed as I made my way back down toward Central:
French Restaurant, Old Bailey St., SOHO
Szechuan-Peking Restaurant, Old Bailey St., SOHO
Japanese Restaurant, Old Bailey St., SOHO
Italian Restaurant, Old Bailey St., SOHO
Manchu Restaurant, Old Bailey St., SOHO
Indonesian Restaurant, Old Bailey St., SOHO
For those of you who live in Tallahassee, this is quite amazing. Of course, if you’re in a big city, maybe this is what you are used to, but I still think it’s extraordinary to see so many different kinds of restaurants in one place. I have no idea how some of them stay in business, but actually, at lunch, this place is packed.
Continuing on down to Central bus terminus, I went down Pottinger Street, which is one of the “lanes” where the Chinese sell their wares. When I was here in 2007, I thought these stalls were selling for Halloween because it was September, but now I see it’s year ’round merchandise!
Every day is Halloween!
You never know when there's going to be a masquerade party
Halloween options
It was getting dark as I boarded the bus at the central bus terminus. The buildings were starting to be lighted up. At 8:00 every night there is a laser light show in the harbor. It’s truly a sight to see and hear, as music plays and you see a beautiful light display that goes back and forth between the Hong Kong and Kowloon sides of the harbor.
Elevated walkway enroute to the bus terminus.
Building lighting up in Central
And lights turning to blue
The above pictures were taken from the second level of the #6X (Express) bus to Repulse Bay which goes through Aberdeen tunnel and cuts the travel time by about 10 minutes.
Aberdeen tunnel
That’s it for today. See you tomorrow….
