Hong Kong: Victoria Harbour

When it comes to iconic waterways, Victoria Harbour is going to rank near the top of any well-informed list. Important in the past and today as a shipping port, the financial center of Asia has also developed an iconic skyline.

 There are several ways to get across the harbour; I traveled into town via the Airport Express subway route, and there is another subway crossing for the more commonly-used lines. There is the possibility of bus service via tunnels, but the historically accurate, most interesting, and cheapest (that I can think of) method is via the ferry.

 The ferry buildings themselves are nice to look at architecturally, and the trip across the harbor gives plenty of time and opportunities to take pictures of that famous skyline.

 Unfortunately, I never really had nice weather when I had a chance to look across the harbor. But at least you can get a taste of what you might see.

 On the Kowloon side, there's a walkway that I'll visit later which also provides great views across the water.

 These "traditional" boats can be seen running tours up and down the water.

 While the nicest view of Hong Kong should include the Bank of China Tower, there is also a great collection of skyscrapers further down.

 Ah, panorama mode. My friend. Kowloon doesn't have a great skyline - it's the Brooklyn of Asia - but like Brooklyn it affords good views of the city across the water.

It seems that weather really wasn't on my side for this trip - I didn't get rained out of anything but the overcast, hazy sky meant that my photography just doesn't feel as good as usual.

The ferry has frequent departures as it is a regular commuter service; try not to get in people's way if you're trying to get photos. I traveled across during a weekday while everyone else was at work or school so my ferry was relatively empty.

The Star Ferry has been running since 1888, and naturally can be accessed from Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. Kowloon's ferry terminal is a short walk from the MTR (subway system) Tsim Sha Tsui Station - head toward the clock tower. On the Hong Kong side (Central), the ferry is at the end of Man Yiu Street, a short walk from Hong Kong Station or Central Station. There is also a ferry at Wan Chai. Ferry rates are $2.50 on weekdays and $3.40 (HKD) on weekends. That's less than 50 cents per ride in US dollars.

Hong Kong: Central-Mid-Levels Escalators and Downtown

Most of Hong Kong's iconic skyline is actually near Admiralty Station. A little bit down the way is where you'll find a greater density of structures and a much livelier downtown area.

 The trams are really amazing to me - very narrow and tall. They look like they'd tip over with just a slight push! I would like to ride the line from end to end in the future.

 The buildings are much closer together here, and many of the alleyways and narrower streets are lined with stalls and shops.

 While some shops clearly cater to tourists, others are there for residents.

 There are plenty of smaller markets selling herbs, produce, and meat.

 For the tourists or for the locals, the shops are all fun to look at.

 Not being a "seafood" guy, I don't know what a lot of the food is. Then again, it might not be seafood.

 The elevation change in the area allows a good view of the upper floors of some buildings. It was interesting to see all the air conditioning units attached outside. I wonder if it would be cheaper and more efficient overall to have a single system for the whole building.

 After browsing around a little bit I finally got to the escalators themselves. But not before seeing this cool mural wrapping around a building.

 The escalators themselves are exactly what you'd think they are. A total of 20 escalators and three inclined moving walkways make up the 800 meter route. It travels along Cochrane Street and then Shelley Street.

 The system runs above street level making it very easy to quickly get from one end to the other without worrying about cross traffic. There are entrances and exits at each cross street, sometimes on both sides of the street.

 The system runs downhill from 6:00 to 10:00 in the morning, then uphill from 10:30 to midnight. The escalators and walkways are wide enough for people to stand on one side and walk on the other. It takes 20 minutes to go the entire route, though most people walk to shorten the transit time.

The streets it travels along have lots of shops and restaurants, and the escalators themselves have become a tourist attraction too. As a transportation fan, I know this will be another area I will want to look at more in detail on a future trip!

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.