Victoria's Peak

Continuing on with our time in Hong Kong.  Day 2 we took the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour so we could go to Victoria's Peak, also known as The Peak to locals.  

After we crossed the harbour into Central, we took a taxi to the tram station, only to find out the tram wasn't working.  So we took the taxi all the way to the top.  There were lots of shops and restaurants up there.  So we grabbed some lunch and then took a look around.  Patrick wore Havi and Caleb's backpack every day most of the time so I would be free to take photos.

This is the view to the southwest of Hong Kong Island.

Then we walked over to the observation deck of the Peak Galleria.

A skyscraper is any building with more than 14 floors.  Hong Kong has over 8,000 skyscrapers, the most of any city in the world.  This is the view from The Peak, with Central (on Hong Kong Island) in the foreground, Victoria Harbour, and Kowloon across the harbour in the distance.

After enjoying the view, the tram was back in service.  So we took it down.  Boy was that steep!  Then it was back on the Star Ferry to cross the harbour and back to our hotel.

When we booked our rooms at the Intercontinental Grand Stanford prior to travel, we were unable to book all five of us in one room.  Consequently, we had to book two rooms.  When we were in Beijing, our rooms were adjoining, and that worked out well.  We had hoped to do the same thing in Hong Kong.  We spent the first two nights in side by side rooms that did not connect.  It was a bit annoying.  Then on the third night, they moved us to adjoining rooms on the top floor, upgraded one of the rooms to a suite....with a breathtaking harbour view.  Uh-mazing!

It was mesmerizing to watch the boats passing through the harbour in the evening.  Yes, I realize I'm spelling it the British way because that's the English they use in the city.  

That's what's so amazing about Hong Kong. It's so accessible to westerners because so many people speak English (with a British accent too!)  Hong Kong was such a great mix of East meets West.  As an adoptive parent to three Chinese born children, it just felt right to be there.  We could still communicate in English, yet we were surrounded by so many Chinese and could eat any kind of food we wanted...and drink the water too!  It was like a breath of fresh air after two weeks in mainland China.  I truly wished we had just a few more days to enjoy the city.