Retired Nomads - Part 3: Big Bus HOHO

February 14

Today was a crappy, windy & cool day with some spots of rain. We have done the HOHO here before but thought it would be a good way to get around to see all of the areas. The Blue Line, which is the Kowloon stop, starts at Lego Land which was right across the street from our hotel. It starts at 10:00 and we sat upstairs but under the covered area. Once I was outside, I realized that I needed the raincoat, and we went back up to the room to get that. (good call)

hotel close to the HOHO stop

We rode the Blue Line around and didn’t get off anywhere. Next, we took the Star Ferry for the Green Line. The views were pretty much a white-out from fog, smog, and clouds. So, when the commentary said "look across the water for the beautiful views" we laughed. It was close to lunch time, and we got off in Stanley and ate at Kam Kee Café. It was full of locals and very good food. I had beef and noodles, and Greg had some chicken dish.

We stopped for gelato, and it was so-so.

walking to the ferry stop

crappy views from the ferry

a Viking ship was in port

St. John's Cathedral

Greg's chicken dish

beef and noodle dish

inside the restaurant

Kam Kee Cafe

gelato stop

We continued on the HOHO and got off in Aberdeen and jumped on a Sampan for a short tour of the Houseboats. Jumbo floating restaurant did not survive during the pandemic and was shipwrecked on its way to Malaysia. Tai Pak floating restaurant is now there. It was supposed to be open by now but is running severely behind schedule. From the look of the outside there is a LOT of work to be done before it opens. It had always been there but was behind Jumbo and seldom seen.

On our first visit we went up to Victoria Peak, but it was a “total white-out”. Today looked the same so we didn’t repeat the effort.

cemetery on a hill

Tai Pak floating restaurant

We switched to the Red Line and took the Central to Mid-Levels Escalators, the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system, providing transport from the urban areas of Central to the steep hillsides of the residential Mid-Levels. They served as a backdrop in films like Chungking Mansion. Great views of Hong Kong’s winding streets and tight alleys.

We thought we might need to take local transportation back to the ferry station, but it didn’t take as long as anticipated, so we caught the HOHO back to the ferry terminal and grabbed the Star Ferry back to Kowloon and our hotel.

on the escalator

various views between the escalators

walking to the HOHO

we stopped in a mall

walking to the ferry

walking back to the hotel - painted on the wall

It was bitter cold (mostly due to the wind) and we scrapped going to the Temple Street Night Market for dinner and opted for the Bonvoy Lounge upstairs again. It really was a lot of appetizers and desserts so sufficed for dinner on 2 of our nights here.

We watched the Laser Light show from there at 8:00. We have never been impressed with the light show and it seemed even less this time around, though the night lights of the city are awesome!