Gorgeous spring morning in Hong Kong. Passing by the little temple. I love a little temple.

Yes, this used to be a waterfront temple, way back in the day. https://twitter.com/odaiwai/status/1254612238284910593?s=21 https://twitter.com/odaiwai/status/1254612238284910593

The little temple (I love a little temple) is down that road on the right. https://twitter.com/highlandpaddyhk/status/1249899565550952450?s=21 https://twitter.com/highlandpaddyhk/status/1249899565550952450

I never tire of the banyan trees. A thing so familiar, yet also so strange. A beautiful reminder I ran as far away as a boy can run.

On the walk into Admiralty, little reminders of the past. A lone uncle up on the bridge with a yellow umbrella. A tram stop’s protest graffiti’d adverts papered over. Appropriated road barriers replaced with plastic chain (red, not yellow, on this side of the harbour).

Terrapins basking in the sun near the waterfall in Hong Kong Park.

That’s a lot of terrapins.

The fake waterfall in Hong Kong Park, which gets turned off at night, is so ridiculous that it’s actually amazing.

The signs in this park, which is in the heart of the city and includes a marriage registry, are amazing.

You can provide your own social commentary on these images.

I don’t think I’d ever actually been in the teeny tiny Olympic stadium before.

There’s a tall vantage point tower with a double helix spiral staircase, and at the top you get this amazing 360 degree panorama. It’s a real hidden gem of the city.

Double helix staircase I nearly fell all the way down.

The memorial to the 8 medical workers who died during the 2003 SARS outbreak. If Hong Kong was more ready to face Covid-19 than other places, at least part of that is because we remember what came before.

A pretty old colonial-era building, and a little park vehicle. I love a little park vehicle. The aviary is closed, so having to enjoy the big Jurassic Park 3 vibe from outside it.

I posted that video separately so as not to clog his notifications for the rest of the thread. Not, and I repeat not, because I forgot to attach it.

No, listen https://twitter.com/hongkonghermit/status/1254654948366618624?s=21 https://twitter.com/hongkonghermit/status/1254654948366618624

The Peak Tram is running. Been a year since I was last here, and lower terminus is closed for renovation. The track now ends temporarily at the other side of the little car park. Feels strangely jarring considering I’ve ridden this railway since 2007.

If you don’t love trains, trams, and any combination thereof, we can never truly be friends. Look at this beauty.

P.S. as I just told some newbie Peak Tram riders, always sit on the right as that’s where the good views are. It’s all mountain to the left.

Pulled up the mountain by a cable, often at a 45 degree angle, this is one of the best rail journeys in the world. It never disappoints.

I almost in trouble, as the tourist trap souvenir shops sell LEGO. But I already have all the LEGO. The same shop was also selling the oddest collection of playing cards. You can tell I’m getting old as instead of buying a set with a Japanese AV model I got these:

Ok, maybe I have a *small* imperialist streak when it comes to finding humour in badly translated product descriptions. I promise you it’s done with affection though, I love that stuff.

Meanwhile, the world’s strangest theme restaurant continues to thrive up here.

I also got two awesome lenticular postcards. One of them between day and night views, the other between present and past. Best use for this gimmicky tech I’ve ever seen.

“Look at me ma, top of the world.”

It costs a few extra bucks to go onto the Sky Terrace at the Peak Tower, but the view is worth it. The weather is perfect today, and there are only 5 people on this roof.

I love this city so much.

It’s not often you can describe an escalator journey as interesting but the ride down from the Sky Terrace has its own quiet drama with those views.

On my first day in HK all those years ago I made the same journey up into the rain cloude wreathing the building.

This mural inside the Peak Tower seems lowkey subversive now.

I only have enough daylight to make one of these big walks. Normally I head to the right, to take the big “morning trail” loop around the mountain, but it’s got maskless dogwalkers and joggers from the prosecco mum set so I’m going up.

The first of three secret parks up here. They’re never crowded, have grass for the kiddies to run around on, and people bring tents to hide from the sun. That more people don’t know about this awesome *public* space up in billionaires’ row is a scandal. Reclaim the parks.

Is it a cascade? A pond? An artificial lake? Whom’s’t can say.

I’m also curious why there are police tapes everywhere.

The trees up here are amazing. Sheltered by the mountain from the worst of the monsoon rain and typhoon winds, and high above the smog, so they are covered in vines and lichen.

The second secret garden, and three separate couples are all having wedding photos taken during the golden hour. Below one couple, a pair of anime bubblegum princesses are also having photos taken.

A scholar has written in. https://twitter.com/get9_/status/1254707955833769985?s=21 https://twitter.com/get9_/status/1254707955833769985

Secret garden 2 is the most sheltered, hills on all sides, and usually sees the fewest people. It’s all mini pavilions and photoshoots. If only it were easier to get to I would laze on the grass with a book and a bag of cans.

Secret Garden 3 - Revenge of the Park, is immediately above it. 2 more brides and a graduation couple doing photoshoots. It’s so quiet up here, just an oasis at the top of the world.

Sunset on the roof of Hong Kong. It’s a long, steep walk up here. And for 10 years I thought the Peak Tower was as high as it gets because it took me that long to look up. It’s magic up here.