Day 8…
We awoke to another glorious day on Tuesday, so decided to take advantage of the clear skies and see the famous views offered by Victoria Peak. We set out fairly early by bus, and got prime seats for the journey as we were sat right at the front upstairs. However, I had my reservations about whether it had been such a good idea when we started to struggle up the steep roads winding around the mountain. There is such thing as having too good a view, as there were many moments I felt a little uncomfortable with the drop to my side, which was rapidly becoming greater and even more threatening. I don’t usually have a problem with heights, but I would have felt a little safer if the road was a little wider!
Thankfully we survived the perilous journey, and with feet firmly settled on the ground, I was able to take in the spectacular views. We bought tickets to go up onto the sky terrace viewing platform at the Peak Tower, and the views really were breath-taking. There is something hauntingly beautiful about the collection of skyscrapers you see, that make up Central, Kowloon and Victoria Harbour. Suddenly Hong Kong looks like it could be a whole lot smaller and quieter, as you have no sense of the everyday commotion that continues below. Many would argue that the development of such harsh concrete boxes create an eyesore in what was once a transcendent natural environment, yet there is something about the way this dense city sits in the middle of the mountains that makes it look as though it was always meant to be there. The skyscrapers compliment the mountains, and visa versa.
Wow.
After taking lots of snaps, we were soon ready for some lunch, and just couldn’t resist Bubba Gump’s! For anyone who’s seen the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, you’ll find this restaurant to be a very enjoyable experience. On your table is a blue American style car registration plate reading “RUN FORREST RUN”, and you have to flip it over to the red “STOP FORREST STOP” if you want to be served. The menu mainly consists of shrimp dishes, and we both went for Mama Blue’s Southern Charmed Fried Shrimp; delicious! “Mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get!” Very true Forrest, but we seemed to be getting all the good ones lately, yum!
As if we hadn’t already enjoyed our time at the Peak, the entertainment continued as strangely enough it was also home to a Madame Tussaud’s museum! Although many of the waxworks were Chinese celebrities I had to pretend to recognise, I was very excited to see a few familiar faces such as the lovely Brangelina, her royal highness our Queen Lizzie, and the gorgeous Robert Pattinson. Even Shakespeare made an appearance, but unfortunately he was already busy writing a sonnet for somebody else – ah well, he’s too old for me anyway.
Anyone in need of a personal secretary?
Hong Kong 2012 