Still stiff from yesterday’s many kilometers, I took the Metro over to the island of Hong Kong. They have a digital transit card here, called Octopus. Truly a handy thing, lives on your smartphone so you just wave your phone at the turnstile without having to keep track of yet another card. NB: the Tourist version is a separate but similarly named app (Octopus for Tourists) and the top-ups are made through the app rather than directly via the Wallet. (Do not ask me how I learned this.)
Anyhow, there I am in Central, of a warm and very humid Saturday morning. Remember when I said every square meter was either high rise or pavement? Yeah, even moreso here.
To solve the problem there are now a huge web of pedestrian raised walkways, overpasses, tunnels, concourses etc, none of which are shown on the maps (I have three). And this is a good thing, because the streets (four lanes abreast) move at freeway speeds. With no street level pedestrian crossings. Quite intimidating, actually.
I’m following the walking tour route from one of the guidebooks. Passing the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, I decided the lobby needed investigation. Purely for research, mind you. Comparison to the Peninsula lobby yesterday if nothing else. Oh my. All done up in black and gold, faux marbling on all (I do mean all) the walls, chamber music, extremely comfortable chairs, and … scent! Roses! I must admit my research went on for quite awhile.
Finally I managed to wrench myself away from this seduction and continued on my way, uphill, to the Victoria Peak tram station. I’d taken this on my first trip here, back in 1983. I had completely forgotten how incredibly steep this funicular runs, but I remembered the views.
And took the tram back down of course, although it is possible to hike it. The HK government takes their slopes seriously- they’re numbered! So they can track their condition and maintenance I suppose.
A few blocks from the tram, at 38 Stanley, was my true goal for the day: Yat Lok. The late, great Anthony Bourdain waxed poetic about the roast goose at this tiny, crowded joint in the heart of Hong Kong.
Those things that look like flowers up on the wall? Those are Michelin stars. Six of them! This is Michelin-starred roast goose! Worth the effort.
There’s a crowd queuing outside of course, as I’m arriving right at noon. But after only a few minutes (joys of traveling solo), I’m summoned inside along with another young woman and directed to small stools at a table for four; the other two stools are occupied by another couple just finishing their meal. We are crammed in cheek by jowl. Fortunately the menu is bilingual even if the staff isn’t, much. There are other options but of course I order the goose.
Delicious! Crisp skin, deeply flavorful meat, and quite a few bones. Well worth the hype.
After the canonical afternoon break, I took the Star Ferry over and back. All the great cities of the world are port cities, and the best way to see a port city is from the water. Despite all the modern construction, Hong Kong remains the grand dame of Asia.
Lodging: The CityView Hotel, Kowloon