The streets of Hong Kong are magical places, with old and new together, and gleaming skyscrapers competing for attention. The walk from the Star Ferry terminal on Hong Kong island up to Elgin Street is a real mixture. The Central walkway is lined with information boards on the history of the area, but is so dull compared with the original area which housed a wet market.
Being on this route and on the Central escalator allows a top-down view onto the streets below.
The Central escalator is a life-saver to get up the steep streets of Central to the Soho area, but it is due for renovation work so people will get some unexpected extra exercise in the future.
We were staying in the Novotel in Nathan Road, near to Jordan MTR Station, and this part of Hong Kong is much less glossy than the island side. I am always amazed to see that bamboo scaffolding is still used for building and repairs of such tall buildings.
The streets of Hong Kong are never the focus of attention when you visit this city… the harbour is the place to see. The Star Ferry continues to provide the cheapest and best tourist experience in Hong Kong. Although I hate being on boats, have been on a Star Ferry when it collided with another Star Ferry, and been stuck in the middle of the harbour for 10 mins, I always try and take this ride whenever possible. At the start of our trip, the weather was terrible, but even a grey view of Hong Kong is still magestic.
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