Transport!

Tuesday was taken up with buying tickets. Today is partially devoted to preparing for my train trip. Yesterday, I decided, was my day to explore Hong Kong. Until then I had only been getting around by MTR. The main benefit of the MTR is that it is fast (and cheaper than a taxi). On the other hand, it is crowded, and--unlike in Taiwan--the stations can be truly labyrinthine. Signs appear pointing the way to your destination, and a hundred meters later they disappear without a trace. You think you are coming back the same way as you went, but then a tunnel spits you out somewhere on the other side of town and you have to find your way back via street level. At least, that was my perception on the first day.

On Wednesday/yesterday, after a little bit of much-needed research, I realized that alternate modes of transportation made it possible--in theory--to do away with the MTR completely. Instead of simply walking the half block to the station, I strolled in the opposite direction, toward the waterfront. In about ten minutes, I reached the terminal of the Star Ferry, and the harbor and the incredible skyline of Hong Kong Island suddenly materialized.

The ferry is great. For about 25 cents, you can cross the harbor on a simple but comfortable little boat. The view is amazing and the ride is peaceful. The only downside is that it takes eight minutes to cross on the surface of the water instead of the five it takes to cross below. The little double-decker trolleys and buses on the streets seem to follow the same principle. You can go anywhere for a negligible fee--and comfortably, or at the very least with novelty--as long as you aren't in a hurry. Unless, of course, the trolley happens to be crowded. Yesterday evening I was using the trolley to get to a particular bus stop, but I accidentally overshot it on the first pass. I didn't feel like walking back to the previous stop, so I got on the next trolley going in the reverse direction.

Brian said the trolleys look like tin cans. He's right; extremely narrow and with two floors, they look like sardine tins turned on their sides. Getting on that second trolley, this comparison turned out to be even more apt than I'd thought. To solve the congestion caused by their narrowness, the trolleys have turnstiles that only allow people on through the back. When you want to get off, you have to work your way to the front, pay the driver, and exit through the front doors. When the car is packed with people who have no intention of getting off at your stop, however, this becomes slightly impossible. So, on the second pass, I overshot my stop again.

By climbing up the spiral staircase, forcing my way through the slightly less crowded upper deck, and lowering myself down the staircase in front, I managed to detrain about three stops too late. Needless to say, when I got on the next trolley going the other way, I made sure it wasn't crowded.

Brian, I followed your advice and avoided the Victoria Peak tram. Instead I took a bus, which was cheaper by about half. The bus ride, including waiting, took about an hour. Still, I was not bored. Sitting on the upper deck of a bus as it winds up a narrow road in darkness on the edge of a steep cliff with cars zooming past in the opposite direction does not make you bored. The bus ride had another silver lining, however--I met a nice couple visiting from China, and we stuck together for the rest of the time we were on the Peak. So, yes, I saw the famous view of Hong Kong from the top of Victoria Peak. The sky has the particular reddish glow common to all big cities at night, but this was the brightest nighttime sky I've ever seen. Unfortunately, someone decided to place a huge shopping mall right at the best spot for viewing, and to charge $3 for a ticket to the building's rooftop, which, cleverly, is the only place in the building where you can get a good look. On the way down, I opted for the tram, which cost a little bit more but took about five minutes. And the tram, which at times turns more vertical than horizontal (I was glad to see that the front window looked thick), is thrilling in its own way. But I'm happy I experienced both methods of transportation.

From what I've heard about Hong Kong-style food, I was a little worried. But my fears were misplaced; I have managed to have great food here while eating solely at vegetarian restaurants. After getting back from the Peak, I walked to a restaurant called Life, where I had the first veggie burger I've had since Seattle, and spirulina and carrot juice. Life is located in SoHo, on the "vertical" Shelley Street. The street is actually a steep walkway made up completely of escalators and old stone staircases. Trying to find this area was somewhat difficult, and I had to ask for directions several times. On the way back, after dinner, I took the covered walkway down Shelley Street. I expected it to end at the bottom of the hill, where I would walk in a generally north direction until I got to the water, and hopefully find myself near the Star Ferry pier. But the walkway didn't end. It branched, and kept going, and by following the signs I actually walked all the way from SoHo to the pier without ever going down to street level. I don't know how I didn't realize it before, but apparently there's an entire network of interconnected walkways above the street. Now I see why Hong Kong is known for being friendly to pedestrians.

In Taiwan, most people don't speak English. Naturally, I expected communication to be easier in Hong Kong, where English is widely spoken. But that fact that it is British English--and not always perfect--led to its own interesting problems. On Monday night I went looking for the vegan restaurant that Brian had told me about, called Loving Hut, which is located on Hennessy Street. I took the MTR to the nearest station, but I didn't have a map yet, so when I came out I had a hard time getting my bearings. I went into a 7-11 to ask for directions. The two old ladies were busy counting the money in the cash registers. I waited until one of them looked up.
"Hello, can you help me? I'm looking for Hennessy Street."
The lady on the left frowned, shook her head, and went back to counting the money. Did they not know where it was? It was supposed to be right near the station. I asked again.
"Hennessy Street. Hennessy?"
"No, nothing." She shook her head again. From the way she said it, it was like I was asking for something completely unreasonable. They must be pretty jaded to be so unwilling to offer simple directions to tourists like me, I thought.
The one on the right looked up for the first time. The other lady said something to her in what must have been Cantonese, and the lady on the right started scowling too. That's when it occurred to me that "Hennessy" sounds a lot like a Chinese pronunciation of "anything." They thought I was begging for money. I almost shouted at them "Wo zai zhao Hennessy lu!" Whether it was my pronunciation, or that they didn't speak Mandarin, that just made them perplexed.
"Nevermind," I said, and left.

Anyway, I found Loving Hut without too much trouble after that. Loving Hut is an extraordinary place, for several reasons, but I'll have to write about it another time.

Today I took the ferry ride to Lamma Island. Lamma Island is an idyllic, green island, completely devoid of cars. Near the wharf there is a little street lined with seafood restaurants, a cheese shop, an organic grocery store, a used bookstore with a vegetarian cafe called "Bookworm", and another vegetarian cafe called "Green Cottage", which sits right on the little bay where the ferry pulls in--that's where I'm writing this. For lunch I had spelt rotini with mushrooms, an almond smoothie, and an espresso. This area of the island is a little touristy, but compared to Hong Kong it's absolutely serene. And something about the lack of roads and the relaxed atmosphere remind me of Cortes Island.

There's a lot more I could write about, but it will have to wait, because I have a ferry to catch. Tonight I'm meeting my friend and old DXARTS teacher, Annie. Then I'm packing my stuff and heading to the border. If all goes well, my next communication will be from Chengdu!