Day 18: Hong Kong - The Peak

My second day in Homg Kong takes me to the ICC - the International Commerce Centre - which is on Kowloon. Much like the IFC, it's ridiculously tall and the bottom few floors are taken up by a mall. What I find very odd about these malls though is that everything is designer. Whos's buying this stuff?? Weird. I did find a bookshop though. One of my favourite things to do abroad is find a bookshop - partly because it's fun to see what they stock, what authors have reached international levels, but also because they're so comforting when you're away from home.

That trip was followed up by a delicious cappuccino brûlée... Cappuccino... brûlée... So so good. 

The afternoon Sam and I go to Victoria Peak, or just The Peak, a mountain on the West side of HK island offering breathtaking views of the city and Victoria Harbour. I truly feel I've now seen HK from every angle, literally - by plane, by car, by bridge, by rooftop bar, by star ferry, by high rise flat, and now by mountain. Apparently I'm very lucky as we had ourselves a rare clear day. The sun was shining and the haze of pollution that HK citizens wafts down from mainland China (one of several grievances between HK and China) appeared to have temporarily lifted just for me. We took a leisurely walk down the path that circles the peak and got some postcard worthy photos. I love that with HK you get the perfect mix, for me at least, of a busy, exciting, ambitious, modern city and then can go 20 minutes, half an hour and be in lush, peaceful greenery. People keep telling me how great the hiking is here and I'm slightly jealous...

Adding a little to our walk was an abandoned house on the mountain. No one I'll live there as it's apparently haunted. By what I dony know but there's definitely an eerie feel and I'm told scores of exorcisms have occurred there, no doubt by eager estate agents keen to sell one of the best real estate locations in HK!

Having managed to lock ourselves out, we take our time going back to the flat before going out for dinner at Kennedy Town Bar & Grill, a restaurant with a trendy but unpretentious feel, with exposed brick walls and a generally underground, metallic kind of feel. The food is good too - I wasnt disappointed by my Thai beef salad. Apparently the chef had another restaurant in Central but was pushed out by the continually rising rental costs. Lucky for Sam and Rob, it seems Kennedy Town is going to benefit!