Sunday, January 26, 2025  Hong Kong, China (Day 1)

Bob was feeling a bit better so we ventured out on tour today.  Hong Kong is a city with a spectacular skyline, soaring towers and neon lights.  It's a vibrant, immersive metropolis and cultural center.  At night a dramatic harbor front laser and light show transforms the waterfront's skyscraper's into a colorful canvas.  The Symphony of Lights comes to life each evening and thousands of locals and visitors stop to admire the cacophony of lights and sounds.  

Even the architecture is exciting.  Many of the skyscrapers are designed with gaping holes, intended to allow spirit dragons to soar from the hills to the waterfront unimpeded.  There is a multitude of ways to spend time in this thriving metropolis.  You can wander through the fascinating shopping streets, make your way through the sprawling markets or just soak up the exciting energy of this metropolitan city. Hong Kong is always an exciting place to visit and enjoy the fabulous restaurants, shopping malls, and cultural areas.  It's one of our favorite ports to visit.

Today we took a tour we have taken on previous visits.  We ascended Victoria Peak, took a ride on a sampan, and shopped in Stanley Market.  Getting to the top of Victoria Peak is always an adventure.  I am constantly amazed at the skill of the bus driver to navigate the narrow, twisting roads that lead to the top. There are places on the way up the mountain where he has to stop, and go back and forth until he can make the turn, but the drivers always manage to get us there safely.  Since we arrived at the city on a Sunday, it was very crowded everywhere we went and especially on Victoria Peak.  Although there was no rain, the skies were overcast and the wind was strong.  The bus let us out at the top where there is a large indoor shopping area and the station where you can ride the gondola down the mountain. 

Our group rode the gondola down the mountain, along with many, many other people, both tourists and locals.  Since it was a holiday week there were lots of people enjoying the city.  We saw many families with tents on the sidewalks.  In Los Angeles we would assume these people are homeless and living on the streets.  When we asked our guide about their status she told us that since it was a holiday the Filipino people have the time off so they bring their families to the city and enjoy the sites.  Evidently, the local Filipino people work mainly in the service industry and work at least six days a week, with only Sunday off.  Since today is Sunday and the week of Chinese New Year (Year of the Snake), it is a joyful time and many people come into the city to celebrate.  Families on the sidewalk had bbq's and were playing games.  Once we knew that they were not homeless and just enjoying time off, it was nice to see them enjoying family time. 

Once we were safely down the mountain we walked back to the bus and returned to the ship.  In the evening we went up to the top deck to see the Symphony of Lights that illuminates Hong Kong's skyline every evening at 8:00 p.m.  There is a myriad of searchlights, lasers, LED screens and lighting which illuminates this nightly spectacle that transforms the Hong Kong skyline into an outdoor audio visual feast for the senses.  It lasts for about 15 minutes and is a lovely sight.  Many other passengers joined us and it was a great time for socializing and sharing the delightful experience.  

Now, we look forward to another day in this thrilling metropolis, which moves day and night at a break-neck pace.




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