Days 56 and 57 - Last Stop Hong Kong and then Homeward Bound

We arrived into Hong Kong late last night getting to our hotel (the W hotel in Kowloon) just in time for last orders at the bar! This transfer was managed under our own steam despite no friendly guides waiting with our name sign like all of our other stops - we've been so spoiled! So, we didn't get to see a lot of Hong Kong tonight, just a few glimpses of the skyline from our taxi ride.

Steve has been to HK before on work trips and was keen to show Lauren the view from Victoria Peak (plus it's the tallest thing - so you've got to climb it!). Therefore, our first activity after breakfast was to head over to Hong Kong Island, which we managed with a few pointers from our concierge, via the efficient public transit systems here. After a short walk through the city, we boarded the Peak Tram, a funicular like train that whisks you up to some amazing views over the city and the busy harbor.

The view on the ride down was fun too and you could get a sense of how the city is built into the hillside:

Steve's friend Ho Man (a HK native) recommended a restaurant where we had a yummy dim sum dumpling lunch and then we wandered around the city. This included a slightly weird series of escalators and moving walkways that connects center and mid-town. Given the steepness of the hills the city is built into, it is an important transport system for locals and tourists alike. Apparently, it's the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world! Is that a thing?

Feeling a bit tired after all of the walking, we took a ride on one of the old trolley buses they have here to the Wan Chai District. It was a comfortable way to get more views of the city as it was convenient and cheap. Finally, we caught a ferry back to Kowloon-side where our hotel resided. We were feeling brave with our self-navigation, and as a bonus we got a great view of the city from the ferry which cost us only 69cents each!

After a delicious Thai food dinner at Mango Tree, (another Ho Man recommendation), we walked down to the waterfront to admire the nighttime lights from the HK Island skyline

On Friday, we had a quiet morning getting ready to GO HOME! Then off to the airport for our final flight (18th flight of the trip) to Boston, a 16hr nonstop on Cathay Pacific again. We'll make a final post once we're back in Framingham tomorrow.

Fun Facts:

• Hong Kong consists of 3 areas, Hong Kong Island (or island-side), Kowloon-side and the New Territories.

• HK is a "special administrative region" of China. It became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War, was occupied by Japan in WW2 and then turned back from the Brits to China in 1997. It maintains separate governing and economics systems from mainland China though.

• The city is very modern and clean. We virtually saw no trash!