I was able to cover most of the popular tourist spots in Hong Kong
when I came here two years ago: Ngong Ping, Disneyland, Ocean Park, Avenue of
Stars. I decided to avoid The Peak because I remember arriving at the tram
station and noticing a blockbuster queue which left me disgusted and backing
out. Sorry, I have some sort of aversion toward long lines. I was even more
naive back then and was not aware of alternative means to get there such as Bus
15 and its sisters 15A and 15B. And now I am back, mostly for academic purposes
but with a day or two to spare. While going back to Ocean Park to ride the new roller coaster they installed after my visit was a tempting proposition, I
decided to just give The Peak a chance. Being based at Causeway Bay, proximity is not
really an issue. So, what did I see there? Aside from Tita Meryl Streep,
nothing else but fog.
It was a bad decision that I will no longer regret simply because
there is no point in doing so. That is my new mantra nowadays: Stop hating what
you cannot control, or could NO LONGER control. I admit being lost after the
second day of my CPE exam, but more on a figurative sense. Exams do that to
you. You just want to go home and have a nap. But I found out yesterday that
Dirty Dancing was still showing and tonight was the last show before they jump
over to Singapore, which is the stop before they conclude the international run
in Manila. There really is no need to hurry. I will be in Singapore next month
anyway, and I could see it there, buy maybe my mind was looking for some kind
of diversion that was not travel related? And so I called the hotline and
booked a ticket for the 7:45 PM show. What I should have done was book the
afternoon show at 3:45 PM and go to The Peak in the evening, when it is at its
most beautiful. Switcheroo. No no regrets, you don’t want no regrets!
So yeah, as mentioned, a flamboyant gang of fog greeted us as we got
off the tram at The Peak Tower, but before that, let us reminisce how I got
there in the first place? Peak Tram. I actually found it weird that the queue
was shorter despite being there on a Sunday. I thought I hit the jackpot when I
found out that those buying a Madame Tussauds combination ticket could fall in
line directly at their counter. As it turns out, the cashier there is much
slower than the cashier manning the tram ticket booth, so in spite of the
longer line there, all of them still ended up ahead of us. Nice. Some promo
girls from Kodak will try to sell you your photos for HKD100 or your photos in
key chains for less. It takes around half an hour to get in the tram, depending
on the volume of the crowd. The actual ride is less than ten minutes.
If you are not after the novelty, then I suggest you just ride a bus
to the top. For just around HKD10, you can catch one at Admiralty. It offers
nothing fancy though, aside from being a double decker. I assume that the tram
ride is lovely if and when the weather cooperates, which in my case it did not,
so hooray you, weather! What I saw while on that short ride up was all white
because of the fog, followed by all green care of the lush vegetation where you
will all end up if the tram decides to commit suicide. Machines and their mood
swings. Otherwise, it will be a rather uneventful ride full of chatter and
gossip exchanges among middle-aged women enjoying their day-off.
You get off at the Peak Tower, which is that weird looking building
made famous by its weirdness. Well, it also boasts an observation deck, the
entrance for which you have to pay for and is said to offer the most awesome
views of Hong Kong down below. You could also arrange a romantic dinner but
make sure to reserve in advance because I have heard that it is quite popular.
What time? Try 6 AM. Dinner, hello? Regardless of time there are many fast food
chains and restaurants to choose from, but not all of them have that “view”.
I decided to cross out Madame Tussauds off my list. I am not really
amused with the place, which explains the lack of anticipation. If you are
going to the Peak and planning to spend hours in that wax museum, then sorry
but half an hour would suffice, if you are not such a camwhore. The place is
not that big, and their collection of life-sized wax figures is not that big.
Some are not convincing, like Nicole Kidman and Jay Chou. Some look too real
they are freaky, mostly those local actors. The Lady Gaga figurine apparently
had a catfight with the Madonna figurine, and they had to bring her to the
hospital to recuperate. So no, no Lady Gaga photo-op for me.
The next best alternative would have been Brangelina, but why should
I chase the power couple when I could have Meryl Streep all to myself? I mean,
you do not do that to Queen Meryl Streep. No one puts Queen Meryl Streep in a
corner! A dark corner facing Brangelina and not readily visible from the get
go. You don’t do that to Meryl Streep! Do not mind me, I just lack sleep; thus, the not
so convincing hysterics. Anyway, that wax figure of the multiple Oscar winner
is that of a younger her. So while everyone else was harassing Aaron Kwok and
Robert Pattinson, I was there with Meryl Streep trying to find a way to get a
good photo.
Once you are done with the celebrities, you still have more to go
representing different spheres of the society: Obama and the British royal family
for Politics; Shakespeare for Literature; some politicians that I would rather
not name; Albert Einstein with arms crossed like some primadonna diva for
Science; Yao Ming and David Beckham for Sports; and then the music legends, and
then the souvenir shop. Wait, we are done? That was quick. I told you it is not
that big. It would not fill your whole itinerary at the Peak.
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