The MTR
Travel Location: Hong-Kong,China
80% of people movements in Hong Kong are by public transport. It is difficult to believe wen you see the smog which spoiled the views for the duration of our stay. There are a huge number of busses and smaller Public Light Busses and Taxis which clog the streets with commercial vehicles all day. Then there is the MTR. The underground railway is the quickest way to get around. I had forgotten its unusaul nature. There are no partitions between the carriages so it’s like a long benditrain. If you are not vertically challenged you can look down the whole length of the train! It had just opened the last time we were here and what little seating there was took the form of a long smooth stainless steel bench along the side of the car. The acceleration of these trains is fast so if you were unaware you became a human projectile sliding along the seat at increasing speed. I well remember the look of horror as I hurtled towards 2 little old ladies. They have changed the seating so there are now shallow bum dents but you still have to be aware! Th e staions aere also labyrinthine so its easy to pop up mies from where you want to be.
We had expected much change since our last visit but much of the feel of HK remains the same I am pleased to say. The kowloon skyline is becoming very different now that building height is not restricted by the airport and 60- 70 storey buildings are now appearing. The schooling has continued with the English Schools foundation still thriving -it is strange seeing thousands of Chinese children wearing smart school uniforms with blazers shirts and ties all with crests an girls wearing a variety of tartan skirts!
We tried to return to some of the traditional HK districts and went to Mong Kok which still has the Goldfish market and Ladies Market – thriving street markets but right in the middle is now a huge shopping mall and 5* hotel called Langham Place. One part of the shopping area you are elevated to the top and walk down passing by all the shops in a spiral. I eddified this by saying it was like a retail Guggenheim however I was reminded that it was more like IKEA!
