It’s funny, in the states I couldn’t imagine life without a car and here I can’t imagine having one. There are times I miss having a car, but I hear the hassle of having one out weighs the perks. And with all the public transportation options, I don’t really feel immobile.
Mid-Level Escalator:
For those of you that know me well, will sympathies with my next
sentence. Hong Kong Island is dominated
by steep, hilly terrain, which requires for some rather unusual methods of
transportation up and down the steep slopes.
Through the center of Hong Kong is one of my favorite methods (depending
on time of day), simply known as the “escalator”. Hong Kong has the world’s longest outdoor escalator
traveling over 2,600 feet from start to finish and elevating over 440 feet
(that’s like going up 44 floors of a high-rise). I’m sure you’re
thinking Ken isn’t great with things that move, especially things that move
Ken! However, when I have the
opportunity to be mobile without effort- I’m all over that! While traveling up the escalator you’ll pass over
some of my favorite areas of the city.
Areas like Central (city center at waterfront), Noho (area north of
Hollywood Rd.), Soho (area south of Hollywood Rd), and the Mid-Levels (at the
top where the escalator ends).
Interesting Escalator Facts:
- Total travel time from bottom to top takes 30 minutes
- Built in 1993
- 80,000 travelers daily
- Consist of 20 escalators and 3 moving sidewalks
- Runs daily downhill from 6am to 10am
- Runs daily uphill from 10:30 am to midnight
- You can exit and enter on each road it passes.
Helpful Hints:
- If raining, don’t wear slippery shoes.
- Be prepared to fall, IT WILL HAPPEN!
- Standing is only allowed on the right side, leaving the left side open for walkers.
- Don’t text! When the escalator stops, so do you!
- Once you arrive at your level, make sure to move out of the way for others to exit. May seem to be common sense, but not always the case.
MTR (Mass Transit Railway)
When I lived in Chicago I used the Metra railways to get around. In Chicago the rails are above ground with
windows, but the MTR runs underground with no outside views. I can get on the MTR just around the corner
from my flat, ride into Central, go to the gym, grab a coffee at
Starbucks, get back on the MTR going under the harbor ending near my office, and
never go outside or see any views of the outdoors. Now, don’t get me wrong, not seeing the
outdoors means you don’t feel the outdoors.
Even though I used the Metro in Chicago, the MTR and the pace in
which people move in Hong Kong, can be a little intimidating. But the MTR could
not be easier to manager, safer or more reliable. It’s the only transportation method that is
always running and always consistent. I
can leave home and be in Central in 7 minutes, anytime day or night. And for only .59 US cents, you can’t beat it! It’s true a taxi for that same route will
only cost you a little over $3.00 US, but depending on traffic could take 15-30
minutes.
There are 10 rail lines and hundreds of stops, but with the help of
my IPhone app, I can plug in my current location, where I want to go and
the app will guide me step by step. Although
the MTR is very reliable, you never know what the crowd will be like until
you’re right smack in the middle of it.
The local people in HK have no concept of “personal space”. After now living here, I understand why…
there’s no space!
Interesting MTR facts:
- Opened in 1979
- 4.6 million travelers daily
- System includes 131 miles of rail
- 155 stations
- Over 4 million trips made daily
Interesting Ken Fact’s:
- You may think you’re in a hurry, but you’re not.
- Don’t be the first person off the train, unless you have a plan.
- The Octopus Card is your best friend.
- The Octopus Card auto-drafting from your checking account- even better!
Trams
The most environmentally friendly means of public transpiration, the Tram is also the island's original. At over 100 years old, it is the only tram system in the world operating exclusively with double-decker cars, and is one on only three tram systems in the world that use double-decker cars. Personally, I find walking faster and not tall-people friendly (I can't stand inside the tram, which I forget ALL THE TIME). The Party Tram (bottom left image) can be reserved for private events. Personal experience suggests a warning... drinking beer all night on a moving tram without a restroom can be challenging.
