Friday, February 06, 2009

Getting around in Hong Kong

I'm on vacation visiting family in Hong Kong and I couldn't resist shooting some geeky transportation videos to post here. Bear in mind that these were shot on a cheap casio camera that I only just learned could be used for video. So its rough but hopefully illustrative of my uninformed impressions.

Where are the bikes, you ask? Stay tuned for a full on audio podcast to come some time in the next month.

Here are some off-the-cuff impressions of high density living, Hong Kong style in the upper crusty Mid Levels neighborhood



Here's a view of De Voeux Street taken from above on a pedestrian walkway



A ride on the MTR, the privately operated subway system which is more like a horizontal elevator than a train.



The MTR is always clean, cheap and efficient and the advertising is entertaining too!



If you have some time, the "ding ding" streetcars are a treat.



Here's a longer video from the shotgun seat on top as we trundle down De Voeux Street.



Some shaky video of the streets of Kowloon in the densest square mile on earth.



3 comments:

Paul Souders said...

HK might be my favorite city on Earth. I was amazed at the close coexistence of dizzying humanity and lush greenery. As a lover of both urban and rural spaces, HK gets a special place in my memory.

On one amazing day my wife, sister-in-law, and I day-tripped from Kowloon to Shek-O on the south shore, specifically for the purpose of eating Thai food on the beach. It like taking the subway from Manhattan to Ko Samui. That evening we spelunked the ChungKing Mansions to find a fabulous tandoori restaurant.

The world has a lot to learn from the way HK manages its urban space.

http://axoplasm.blogspot.com/2007/01/hong-kong.html

jon said...

Yes HK is seventy percent uninhabited. There are miles and miles of great hikes and many lovely beaches, all within a half hour bus ride from downtown.

Also, Lantau Island is a nearly car-free bike paradise just forty five minutes from the center of town by ferry.

I finally just set up a flickr account. Here are some photos. More to come.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikescape/sets/72157613826525981/

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