A Breezy Afternoon

On Tuesday we were on a tropical cyclone 1 alert. That means that there is a cyclone in the area and winds are picking up. This particular storm would not strike Hong Kong but go past us to the South. By Wednesday we were at a level 3 alert with strong winds and heavy rain squalls. By Friday (today) it is sunny and all alerts are gone - for now. We may be back on next week.


Anyway, what do I decide to do on Tuesday? Take to the water. Actually, all I did was take the ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui which is directly across the harbor from Central on the Kowloon side. There were some very small whitecaps and a heavy breeze but the crossing was fairly smooth and uneventful. 


The ferry docks are all in a row and each ferry goes to a different island or port. The one I took was the shortest route by far. It was a great day for some beautiful views of the harbor with the clouds showing stark contrast with the sunlight peeking through.

Central Pier is just a short walk form the apartment (downhill) and the ferry looked inviting.

After boarding and casting off, it was a thrill to see both Central and Kowloon from the middle of the harbor.

We passed by the cruise ship terminal as we headed in to port.

Upon landing, you are at the Hong Kong Cultural Center. This spacious area contains an art museum, a space museum, performance spaces and more. I did not have time to explore too thoroughly, but I can tell you that the art museum gift shop is fantastic.

From there the walk along the waterfront is quite long and interesting.

The highlight of this area is the Avenue of the Stars. Think Grouman's Chinese Theatre meets Atlantic City boardwalk. This area is dedicated to the stars of Hong Kong cinema. Along with the stars and handprints are some beautiful bronze statues related to film and very popular for posing.

I even found some familiar names. There was Bruce Lee who has been immortalized in bronze as well as having his star on the walk.

And one of my personal favorites - Jackie Chan.

Walking back along the water one of the old style tour boats was sailing while another was at anchor. It brings to mind all of the stories of the harbor being filled with junks and sampans long ago. Although they still are in use today, modern ships outnumber the older vessels by far. They coexist quite nicely.

After another relaxing ferry ride it was home to the apartment with the winds picking up. Even at level three there was little to interrupt the flow of things as long as you had an umbrella. The only tough part was the window in our apartment which whistled constantly all night long. Hopefully it will be adjusted before the next gale force day.