City of Endless Opportunities and Endless Adventures

We have already travelled through much of the city on Hong Kong Island by the Big Bus, a hop-on-hop-off bus this morning. The ‘red’ line, which we ride on until we reach the Peak tram, or the official end of the ‘red’ line, had taken us through the city, and the excellent commentary, which is delivered through earphones, points out important buildings. What I thought was a homeless camp on a major intersection was merely the gathering of market stall owners, piles of ‘pov’ bags being quickly unpacked for the hordes of people expected to look at their goods. There are two ships in port, and nobody is more determined to try extract as money as possible from tourists as these sellers.

But what impresses me are the roads, which seem to wind in and out of different areas, sometimes one-lane, and elevated sections joining the main road in an incredible but effective manner. I am surprised to see that there are few private cars here. But there is plenty of public transportation, in the shape of the unique two-storey trams that run along the main thoroughfares where it is flat, plenty of buses and underground trains. Sometimes I feel that the bus is not going to make it up the steep hills, and when it eventually gets to the top, I just hope that the brakes are in good order, should it slide backwards. The driver seems to know what he is doing.

I can see why Hong Kong is considered a ‘blue zone’, a place where its citizens have a longer lifespan than most parts of the world. There are parts of the city here on this island that are inaccessible by public, or any transport and series of stairs connect the high-rise homes with the downtown commercial areas. People of an age where walkers and wheelchairs are the norm at home, take measured steps up huge outdoor staircases whilst carrying shopping bags bulging with vegetables.

As we come off the Peak tram, a Big Bus is sitting at the designated stop. We show our ticket and make our way to the top. I have not checked which of the two lines that operate on Hong Kong Island it is, so we will either go back to the ferry port if it is the ‘red’ line or will continue its circuit if it’s the ‘green line’.

It doesn’t take long to realise that we are on the ‘green’ line and now that we are on it, it may take some time to reach the end of the line, because the ‘green’ line will take us around most of the island. Before long, we leave the city streets and the many skyscrapers that crowd into the smallest spaces behind us as we wind our way through green hills. But this is Hong Kong. Wilderness lasts for a very short time before signs of life appear before our eyes. Tall apartment buildings, and resorts for the rich and famous, are dotted throughout. We wait for several minutes for access to the road across a causeway. With only one lane, we must wait for all traffic to clear the road and the traffic light to turn green before we can cross. On ‘my’ side of the bus, the Tai Tam Reservoir looks depleted. Its water levels are low, but it still provides a space for recreational sailing. On this side of Hong Kong, several reservoirs have been built to catch as much water as possible, but Hong Kong’s several dams do not store enough water for it population of 7.5 million people, and they have to import over 80% of its water from China.

We pass the popular resort and beach towns of Stanley and Repulse Bay and hear of the ghastly activities after the British Colony fell to the Japanese for the three years and eight months from December 1941.

The bus has virtually done a full circle of the island and as we approach the Hong Kong residential and commercial area, we pass a traditional village, buildings built higgeldy-piggeldy next to one another of concrete, brick, stone, galvanised iron. Now a heritage site to preserve and appreciate the way many villagers lived before governments placed people in high-rise units. I’m sure for many that had been uprooted from their homes and put into impersonal apartments, there would have been a sense of loss socially and economically. I’m particularly interested in seeing that there has been preservation of this tiny village, and whilst I understand the need to build apartment blocks for a surging population, there is no thought put into how the people feel about the removal of the only place they have always called home.

Our ‘green’ line bus stops at the Star Ferry port, and it’s time to return to the ship. Despite not booking any shore excursions, I am delighted that we’ve been able to see as much as we have.

My hair is knotted and looks like a bird’s nest from being on the open-top bus. It’s a lot cooler than I had anticipated, and as I try to untangle my hair, I curse the wind and that I didn’t think to wear a hat.

Our night is nicely rounded off by a local Shaolin Kung Fu school, which provides our entertainment for the evening.