Our First Day

We just completed our first 24 hours in Hong Kong. We arrived just after 7:00 pm local time last night and after spending 75 minutes to clear immigration we found the Uber pick up area and we soon arrived at The Mira Hong Kong Hotel.

After checking into the hotel we took a walk along Nathan Street, one of the main thoroughfares in Hong Kong and the street our hotel is on. We walked over to the promenade and looked across Victoria Harbor to the skyline of Hong Kong Island.

After enjoying a wonderful breakfast buffet at the hotel this morning, we headed out for a walking tour. We took the subway to Central Station to meet up with the tour. The tour guide provided a good background on Hong Kong history and she also described how many of the architects use feng shui in the design and placement of their buildings. This is especially true for banks as they are superstitious about making their clients and themselves wealthier.

After the tour we headed out to lunch. We went to a recommendation that our guide provided, Tsim Chai Kee Noodle. The restaurant (pretty much a dive) has been recognized by the Michelin Guide. We enjoyed the meal and ambiance.

After lunch we walked over to Peak Tram. We took the tram to the top and got a great view of the Hong Kong skyline. The skyline here is recognized as one of the best in the world.

Other than the great views and a walking path, the area and shops at the top of the tram were a bit tourist trappy. To escape this area we took the tram back down from the peak.

We walked a bit more and took in some additional sites and stopped for a beer. We took the Central Hillside Escalator Link which is the world’s longest escalator. Since it is not continuous I think this claim is bogus. The Bethesda or DuPont Circle Metro Station escalators are more impressive since they are steeper and contiguous.

For dinner we went to Temple Street Night Market where we had street food such as fried dumplings, lamb skewers, and rice and pork.