Hong Kong: Bank of China Tower

The sky was overcast and the view hazy while I was in downtown Hong Kong on my first morning in town, but that didn't keep me from hitting all the spots on my itinerary.

 The Bank of China Tower opened in 1990 and is one of the most recognizable parts of the skyline. The building is a bunch of Xs, both in the beams you see on the facade and the design as viewed from the top.

The 70-story building itself is nice to look at, but you can also go inside and visit an observation deck partway up one of the towers, on the 43rd floor.

 You can see that my view wasn't that great thanks to the weather, but on a nicer day there would be a lot more worth seeing, including Victoria Peak and across the water to Kowloon. You do only get to see about 180 degrees through the windows, though, which means there is a lot more left to be seen.

Notably visible from above is the Government House. As you can see it looks like there's a bit of work being done. This building was finished about 1855, and served as the official home for 25 British governors of Hong Kong. It's difficult to get a good view of this building as it isn't really accessible - not only is the building itself not open to the public, it's surrounded by trees on three sides and the other side has a tall fence; you can only view the front through the entry gate and that doesn't afford much of a view. Occasionally the gardens are open for public viewing.

The Bank of China Tower main entrance is on the water side, though you can get there from the back side as well (it's a bit confusing, though). Your bags will be x-rayed, and you need ID for the visitor's pass that will get you to the elevators that take you to the 43rd floor. Admission is free. You can visit 8 AM to 8 PM weekdays, to 2 PM on Saturdays; the building is closed on Sundays.

Beggars can't be choosers, and the view is nice on a clear day, but unless you love towers or are in the vicinity (as I was) you might want to skip this one.

Hong Kong: The Peak Tram

 The Peak Tram began operation in 1888, carrying riders from downtown to the top of Victoria Peak. The trip is less than one mile each way, but has a height differential of 368 meters, or about a third of a mile up. The photo above is of Garden Road Station.

There are six stations in all, four along the route plus the two termini. At Garden Road Station, at the bottom of the hill, the waiting platform area has some old equipment on display.

 While none of the original cars exist from the early generations of tram vehicles, a replica of the first is on display.

 There are also cases with additional displays.

 The current cars are larger than the originals, but are designed to be reminiscent of the original system.

 The station at the peak is appropriately called The Peak, and there's an entire brand centered around the transportation system. Inside this building are shops and restaurants.

 Across the plaza, additional dining and shopping options are available. There's a convenience store over there as well.

 A fourth generation tram car is on display at the top, and it looks like it's possible to go inside at times. I arrived quite early and nothing was really open in the area.

 The weather in Hong Kong was foggy for most of my stay, so this is about the best you'll get of downtown.

 It's not that far away, but Kowloon is barely visible across the harbor.

 There really isn't that much to do at the top, especially early in the day, and with foggy weather there isn't much to see either. But you can walk up to the very top. Along the way, I came across a small park with some nice flowers and trees, called Mount Austin Road Playground.

 Instead of going to the park at the peak of Victoria Peak, I took a wrong turn. The stairs on the left were an okay shortcut, but I continued following the stairs on the right which led me to a private residence.

 This isn't that residence. This is a nice wall though outside one of the beautiful houses on the hill. I didn't make it to the peak, but given the weather Victoria Peak will be better visited on another trip.

 Back near the Peak tram station, there's a small overlook.

An hour of hiking wasn't long enough to clear the haze.

 These shots are across the harbor and I had to do a bit of processing to make them as clear as you see now.

The tram operates from 7 A.M. to midnight. Round trip tickets are HK$40 (about $5). Departures occur about once every 10-15 minutes.

Tokyo SkyTree: Inside the Base

Don't expect any cool behind-the-scenes photos here. Actually, I only have two photos for this post.

Tokyo SkyTree is Japan's newest and most visible man-made landmark. You can see the thing from all over Tokyo and beyond with clear weather, and it's highly popular with foreign and domestic tourists alike. When something makes the "must-see" list in Japan, everybody goes. (See also: Disneyland, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, and Hiroshima's A-Bomb Dome.)

While the prior generation Tokyo Tower remains standing and still draws its own share of tourists, that development was more for TV purposes, with only a small shopping/dining area found beneath. SkyTree was heavily planned to generate as much revenue and tourist interest as possible regardless of the weather, so the 10-ish floors found at the base have more than just a couple restaurants and souvenir shops.

Like fresh fruit (in plastic packaging) vending machines.

Actually, the first three or so floors of the complex serve as a standard shopping mall. There are the usual clothing and accessories stores, the usual mall restaurants, and so on. There's a Disney Store and a store for Studio Ghibli. There do seem to be more shops selling souvenirs, though the fourth floor is designated specifically for souvenirs. Next to the McDonald's, we found a store for one of the major TV studios with all sorts of goods relating to many of the popular Japanese TV shows. 

There's also a popular aquarium, a planetarium, and the relocated (and refocused) Postal Museum Japan. Many restaurants are found on the sixth and seventh floors.

Granted, if you come to SkyTree, you're probably coming for the view. But you can also plan on the museum and aquarium, and if the weather isn't so good the food souvenir areas are worth a stroll to try a bunch of traditional Japanese snacks.

North (N) Seoul Tower: Korea's Space Needle at Night

 Japan loves its observation decks; Tokyo has about a dozen between office buildings and the two iconic transmission towers. Korea has one of its own, lit up beautifully in the evening, which goes by the name N Seoul Tower.

 However, the North Seoul Tower is less about the view and more about being a romantic destination for a date. Koreans seem to like to go places on dates, like amusement parks, museums, and the zoo.

 Seoul doesn't have an iconic skyline outside of the tower itself, so being unfamiliar with the city means I spent my time up at the top looking at nameless buildings and random city streets. During the day I possibly could have identified some of the landmarks I had visited or would later see, but at night it's just a lot of city lights. That's not to say it was a waste of money; I just wish I had known more about the city or had visited during the day.

 The tower itself is pretty short but it's placed on top of a mountain in a park. There are some very dark areas in a few of the above photos which outlines the edges of the park; it's possible to walk up or down the mountain. My visit was in winter and I wouldn't advise trying it at that time of year. If time allows on a future visit, I would like to hike the mountain too. The base of the tower and the top both have souvenir shops and places to get food.

In winter you could have hot chocloate, though I'd prefer hot chocolate. The 3800 won price is about $3.80 in US money. While you're up at the top of the mountain, look for the thousands of padlocks where couples have professed their love by, well, locking a padlock to something.

There's also a teddy bear museum at Seoul Tower, and a few historically significant points in the vicinity.

To get to the tower at the top of Namsan Mountain, you can take a shuttle bus from Myeong-dong Station exit 3, Chungmuro Station exit 2, Seoul Station exit 9, Itaewon Station exit 4, or Hangangjin Station exit 2. It costs 950 won in cash, but it's cheaper if you use a transportation card and transfers are available.

From Exit 3 of Myeong-dong Station, you can also walk a ways to a cable car (8500 won round trip, 6000 won one way); this route includes using a free slanted elevator that is pretty slow. The shuttle buses are cheaper and faster. If you really want to walk up/down the mountain, it looks like the shortest route is from Seoul Station, though finding good details online is pretty tough.

North Seoul Tower is open daily, 10:00-23:00 (10:00-24:00 Fridays and Saturdays). The six restaurants open by 11:00 and close at 23:00 (22:00 for the snack bar). The observatory costs 9000 won ($9) for adults.

Climbing an Active Volcano: Mt Usu and Showa Shinzan at Lake Toya

Lake Toya is found about 100 minutes south of Sapporo by express train, and is mostly known for lake activities (camping, fishing, hiking) and its hot springs. In 2008, it was the host of the G8 summit, meeting in one of the luxury hotels found around the lake.

Most tourists will head to Toyako Onsen, a touristy hot spring resort town on the southern edge of the lake. It's the hub for most locations around the lake, including the bus to Toya Station (about 15 minutes). Of course, there are several luxury hotels here, with hot springs that anyone can use (for a fee). But it's also located at the foot of Mount Usu, a large, active volcano that most recently erupted in 2000 (the fourth time in the past 100 years).

 Right next to Mount Usu is one of Japan's newest mountains, Showa Shinzan. It formed very quickly from 1943-1945 (yes, during World War II) and is now about 290 meters tall. It's still venting sulfurous gas today, but it can be seen up close by taking a very-occasional bus to the Usuzan Ropeway. The Ropeway itself offers great views of Showa Shinzan.

 Riding the cable car to the near-top of Mount Usu, you can also see nearby towns and Lake Toya.

 During my visit, the skies were amazing. Just a couple days earlier, a major typhoon roared through Japan causing miserable weather for a couple days.

 Toya itself is right next to a large bay at the tail of Sapporo. The bay is visible from the other side of the cable car.

 Once you reach the top of the volcano, you can head right back down the mountain via the cable car. Or you can go left, and take a long hike around the southern rim of the volcano.

 These craggy rocks at the top of the mountain remind me of Guts, the Nickelodeon game show. I believe this portion of Mount Usu is called Kompira-san.

 The path is wide and paved at first. There are slopes and some steps leading to the next observation deck.

 From the top of the cable car, the first part of the walk takes about 15 minutes.

 You go up these steps on the way out, down on the way back.

 From the Crater Basin Observation Deck area, you have a different view of Showa Shinzan.

 The Kompira-san mountain and a crater can be seen from the observation deck, with Lake Toya behind it.

 This is called Gin'numa Great Crater, and it has several craters of its own. Note the tiny building on the left edge of the photo. You'll see it later.

 If you intend on continuing from here, you better be in shape. There are 600 steps down. That means 600 steps back up when you return.

 The mountain continues to change; the trail between the Crater Basin Observation Deck and the Outer Rim Observation Deck opened in 2004, but there have been some landslides/mudslides since; one of those covered the bottom portion of the staircase.

 The large crater looks pretty cool. It looks like there might be caves or at least enclaves in this smaller crater. The outer rim trail flattens out pretty quick, and you get a good view of the mountain and crater.

 Not many people take the stairs, so you can see a lot on your own. The trail isn't empty by any means, but it's much quieter than the short paved start.

 The outer rim trail isn't paved, but it's very obvious and well marked, with a minor exception at the bottom of the stairs. Don't worry, it's still easy to follow there as well.

 I wonder if it's safe to hike or climb in the crater. I saw gas escaping along the long side of the crater, and I'm sure the soil isn't stable.

 From the Crater Basin Observation Deck, it takes about an hour to get to the Usu Outer Rim Observation Deck. It's not much of a deck; there is some open space and nice views. About 10 minutes before reaching this observation deck, there is a split in the trail; heading down the mountain, you can get to the town of Usu. I'm not sure about access from that trailhead, other than there being a parking lot under the expressway.

 There are bathrooms out here. One other solo hiker was resting on a log bench, and later on another couple showed up. This might be the only place in Japan without a vending machine, though, so bring lots of water!

 Looking out across the bay, the peninsula that Hakodate is on can be seen. At this height, it was possible to see the base of the clouds, something I rarely get to enjoy.

 I wasn't quite sure I would make it back to the ropeway on time. There are only four buses a day; I was on the first one out and I had about three hours to catch my return bus. I finished the two-hour round trip hike plus the round-trip cable car ride with about thirty minutes to spare. If you've never walked 600 steps down and 600 steps up, let me tell you: it is tough. I was fully expecting to miss my bus and have to cancel my afternoon plans. But with a little free time, I enjoyed some roasted corn and picked up a couple gifts from the small town of souvenir shops and restaurants found at the base of the cable car before I caught the bus back to Toyako Onsen.

As I mentioned, buses run four times a day (330 yen, 15 minutes) from Toyako Onsen to the bottom of the cable car line (only late April to mid October). The schedule is doable, but taxis to/from Toyako Onsen are a possibility (about 2000 yen), especially for groups. In 2013, buses to Usu left Toyako around 10:00, 12:30, and 14:30, and usable return buses were around 13:00, 15:00, and 16:20.

There are a bunch of shops in the parking lot there, serving food and selling omiyage (souvenir gifts). Going on a decidedly off-peak day, the shop clerks were happy to offer me a small discount off the regular price without me even asking.

The ropeway (cable car) runs from 9 AM until 4 PM (later in the summer), closing for maintenance in the winter for a few weeks. The round trip cost is 1450 yen.

Those really into hiking can do the out-and-back at Mount Usu in the morning, and head to the West Crater in the afternoon. I'll be writing about that in my next post.