Peak Hong Kong.

I’d long dreamt of visiting Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak – known locally as simply “the Peak”. I tried my luck last year hoping for good weather, but it was a total flop. Sure, we got up there, but the cloud cover was so low you literally couldn’t see a thing. This time though everything worked out!…

There are a few ways to reach the tops of the hills surrounding Hong Kong. For example, you can rent a car for the whole day, which you pick up from and later drop back off at your hotel; sure – it’s comfortable being in air-conditioned comfort all the way, but it’s also a bit boring. So we decided to do it differently: first take the ferry across the bay, and then the funicular all the way to the top. And on the way back, sure – why not take a cab?…

So. First up – ferry! ->

Turns out this mode of transportation is a hit as much with the locals as it is for tourists; accordingly – it gets busy. The locals are glued to their phones, since they’ve seen the surrounding views plenty before, while the tourists – us included – are also on their phones (or sometimes proper cameras) but using them to snap the views all around…

Next – the funicular. You could easily walk up instead (it’s about a kilometer-and-a-half, up a slight incline), but in the crazy summer heat, being near AC is much better. And at the station itself, there’s a cool little display with the history of the funicular:

There you can learn how and why it was built, what people rode in it, and what kind of technology they used back then ->

More info – here.

Off we go!…

In case you didn’t click that link for more info – here’s a summary:

At first, this was exclusively a transportational-logistical route, to get the English colonizers up to their estates on the hills faster and more comfortably. I guess using porters was just too slow and not nearly as comfortable.

// photo from the same source

But that’s all in the distant past, and Hong Kong has practically shaken off its ties to overseas empires; I hope its future (like that of the rest of China) is bright.

Meanwhile, farther up we go!…

Interestingly, the track for this funicular weaves side to side as you go. So the cables pulling the train up and down also snake around, and there are special guide wheels and rollers to keep them on track. It’s a surprisingly clever bit of engineering, but it’s better seen live.

We pass through residential neighborhoods, with some buildings still under construction:

Almost there:

And we’re at the top:

Here’s what the train cars look like these days:

And yes, it really is a funicular – check out the two cables between the rails:

And what’s this in the nearby store that’s attracting so much of the attention of our ladies and kids?

Turns out – Labubu dolls. And they bought… the lot!

So much for Trump’s fewer dolls talk ).

I guess these dolls are just today’s version of kids’ collecting crazes. When I was a kid back in the USSR in the seventies we collected… American chewing gum wrappers! Then (or around the same time) there were Japanese magnetic bracelets. Then, also from Japan, came Tamagotchis. (I’ve heard that in Europe Panini football (soccer) stickers were all the rage.) Afterward – when I’d already become an adult, I lost track of hyped kids’ crazes. I guess they updated constantly, maybe gradually. Anyway – today, at least in China, Labubu are the latest craze. Well I never; you live and learn :-). But I digress…

Meanwhile – we’ve made it to the top! Here’s the view:

And that’s all for today from Hong Kong, but I’ll be back with more soon!…