So the plan was to get up early ( for us ) and catch the #15 bus to The Peak from just outside our hotel, on Queen's Road East and get to McDonald's in time for breakfast. When we get to the lobby, we see typhoon signal No.3 is hoisted. Oh well, all adds to the adventure on the best hair raising bus ride ever, hair pinning up to the top. But we're in the clouds and can't see a thing, they don't serve breakfast or choc thickshake here and prices are hugely inflated on a par with the UK. Plus Ripleys has closed to make way for Madam Taussauds. But wait, the sun starts to break through, and we are treated to some spectacular views! Snapping away on iphone, ipad, casio and fuji cameras; the pc will be log jammed with hundreds of shots of the same thing when we get home.
On our descent, I've worked out we can get off at Wanchai Gap and visit the Police Museum. Kai's already decided he's heading back to air con and a nap. What they don't tell you on a map/guide is that the path might be 500m long but then there's 200 steep steps to climb. Seriously, who builds a museum up here? Well worth a visit and very interesting insight into the narcotics trade, triad gangs, protests in 1966 when they tried to increase the cost of the Star Ferry (probably why it is still only 20p), and history of the police force.
Onwards and downwards, it is a very steep descent down a concrete path through tropical forest. We get bitten to bits on every square inch we didn't Deet. The views are spectacular. Then we hit the fitness trail and crazy people are jogging! It's another steep step climb up to Lover's Rock, a 9 metre boulder pointing skyward, a monument to fertility. There are lots of little red shrines along the way with burntout incense sticks.
Now we're on a mission to get back to the civilisation and the road which will have a bus to take us back, but not before we've seen some more great views of Happy Valley and our hotel in the distance.
Our last night in Wanchai so I think we should take The Star Ferry from Wanchai Pier( tram and KFC first and their egg custard tarts are the best) over to Tsim Sha Tsui promenade for the nightly Symphony of Lights. We get up close to the Hong Kong Expedition Centre which is much bigger than I imagined ( the one that looks like a bird). More photo opportunities on a wonderful clear night. The typhoon passed and even left us a rainbow before sun went down.