At first glance Hong Kong appears to just be a concrete jungle buzzing with activity - tall buildings fill the skyline, traffic is insane, and people are absolutely everywhere. But, there are lots of parks and natural areas tucked within the urban environment. It is actually quite surprising.
We started our morning in Hong Kong Park. It is located in the midst of a major business district (Central). It was beautiful.
Taking a break after walking up 105 stairs to an observatory:
Since it was a sunny day with clear skies, we decided it was a perfect day for a trip to Victoria Peak. "The Peak" is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island. We took a tram up the mountain. It was very, very steep and the closest thing to a roller coaster that Lydia has ever experienced. At The Peak, there are restaurants, shops, and places to take in the view of Victoria Harbour.
After eating lunch and sharing three (yes, three) scoops of Haagen Dazs ice cream (can anyone guess who bought it?), we headed back down the mountain and went to the Hong Kong Zoo and Botanical Gardens. It was a very small zoo, but it was still great. We laughed when we saw the North America exhibit - it was a bunch of racoons! We especially had fun watching the monkeys...and sitting on monkey benches.
Finally, as we headed back to the bus stop, we got to see one of the many protests that were happening throughout the city. While many protest groups come out to advocate for democracy on the July 1 holiday, apparently it is a day to air whatever grievances a person has with the government. We're not sure what the small group that we saw was protesting - but it was peaceful, organized, and the police blocked them from traffic to keep them safe. For us, it was good to see that protests were allowed and that free speech is alive in HK.
Now I want a monkey bench of my very own! Glad you had a holiday for the three of you to enjoy together. Great way to see the city.
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