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| From the ship as we sailed into the harbour around 6 am this morning |
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| View from the top |
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| The viewing platform up top |
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| Taken from the bus as we drove down towards the second viewing platform |
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| The view from mid-way down |
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| The suspension bridge |
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| Another view of the suspension bridge |
This morning we drove out through heavy mist on our ‘Hong Kong Panoramic Drive’. While the mist masked the sights we were meant to see, at least it muted the feeling of being overwhelmed by densely-packed high rise apartment and commercial buildings and hotels, which are the only way over 7 million people can fit into a land area of about 1100 square kilometres.
It was almost eerie driving up the slopes of a hill behind the city to reach a high viewing point. You could see very little. The tops of the tallest buildings disappeared up into the clouds. I was very glad I had taken my Stemetil, however, as we went round and round often hairpin bends, up and up, along very narrow roads, with buses, trucks and private cars all competing for room.
As we completed this drive, our tour guide, who spoke excellent English, told us how costly it is to live in Hong Kong. Only the very rich can afford the 2 million or more USD to buy even 50 square metres of residence. It costs over $1400 USD per month just to rent a space of about 30 square metres in an ordinary area. To live up on the slopes behind Hong Kong, the price goes up. Houses can cost up to 40 million USD on this prime land! Yet the 2 million or more residents who do not earn enough money to rent on the private market, are provided with public housing, which from the outside looked sturdy and pleasant. Some buildings were very old, though.
We also learned many other interesting facts. While there is no limit to the number of children per couple, and never has been, the cost of living is so high many couples choose not to have children, some ‘compensating’ for that by owning a dog. Few own a car, because the cost of parking it somewhere is prohibitive. However, the excellent public transport system will get them quickly wherever they want to go. Unemployment rates are just above 3% and the tax rate for everyone is less than 20%. Schooling and medical care is free, though classes are quite large. Our guide was in class of over 40 when he was at school (he looked about 30 years old), but apparently the government is trying to bring the numbers down and now it is around 30 per class.
As you would expect we could not really see anything from up top, but half-way down again we could see a little more. We then saw what I gather is the biggest suspension bridge to carry both road traffic and trains in the world, though we did not drive on it and instead travelled under the bay several times through tunnels. Since it is Spring here, the chairlift to the top was not working. With my fear of heights, that did not disappoint me at all! Apparently the chairlift only operates in their Summer, though it is very hot and humid then. (We were quite cool and most of us wore our raincoats.)
Many of our number are off shopping this afternoon, but that is something I will not do on my own in a city with which I am not familiar. In any case, since I am travelling for 8 months, I simply cannot afford to accumulate more luggage. Instead I prefer to go on escorted tours and invest my money and time in communicating with my family and friends.
After today we have a couple of days at sea and then visit Shanghai. That will be very interesting too, I am sure.
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