I gave you LOTS of clues in my third video and I bet some of you were able to guess this city. Hong Kong is near and dear to my heart for a lot of reasons. It is an exciting place to be with lots of activity, great people, wonderful shopping and a huge variety of restaurants and food. I also loved seeing friends I had not seen in years.
Remember in my video how I showed you the Ladies Market, the Flower Market and Bird Street? My friend Mrs. Beselt went with me. To get there, we took several different kinds of transportation. (Transportation is a way of getting from one place to another.) When you go somewhere in Minnesota, you probably take a car or maybe a bus. I started out by taking a taxi to the bus terminus.
Next, we took a ferry across Victoria Harbor. If you can find a map of Hong Kong, you will see the harbor on the map. The ferry I took was the Star Ferry. There are twelve boats in the Star Ferry fleet and they have been taking people across the harbor since 1888! That is over 100 years. Maybe you can figure out exactly how many years it has been running. It carries over 70,0000 passengers a day or 26 million each year.
There are other ways of getting across the harbor, such as a train called the MTR that travels in a tunnel under the harbor and buses and taxis that go on a bridge over the harbor, but the Star Ferry is still very popular and not very expensive at all. Since I am considered a “senior citizen” in Hong Kong, I was able to take the Star Ferry for only $1.10 in Hong Kong dollars. In US money that is only 14 cents!! What a cheap and exciting ride it was for me. For everyone who is not a senior citizen, it still only costs HK$2.50 which is only 32 cents. In my next video, you will see what the harbor looks like when you ride the ferry.
After we got off the Star Ferry, my friend and I took the train. The photo below was taken in the MTR station when my friend and I got off the train. It helped us know which exit to use to get to the Flower Market and Bird Street.
After we went to all of those markets, we ended up in an MTR station that was not very handy. Can we believe we had to change trains 5 times to get to Causeway Bay where we were meeting another friend for dinner!
Finally, we took a tram to a part of Hong Kong called Happy Valley for dinner. Happy Valley is also where the racetrack is for horses.
So, on just one day in Hong Kong, I took a taxi, a double decker bus, the Star Ferry, the MTR and a tram. To get home from the restaurant, we took another taxi. Because I am a “senior citizen,” I probably spent a total of US$1.00 all day except for the taxis. I must say I was pretty tired by the end of the day, but it was all worth it to get the photos and videos for my YouTube video about Hong Kong!
Which of these kinds of transportation would you like to ride most? If you have time in your class, maybe you could talk about them or maybe you could write about them in Writers’ Workshop. Be sure to post your questions or comments.
Hi Mrs. B!
1. How much American money have you spent so far?
2. Where are you staying?
3. Did you ride on the second level of the bus?
4. How was your dinner with your friend?
5. How long were you in Hong Kong?
6. What is your favorite food from your trip so far?
We look forward to your next post.
Hong Kong island has a an amazing transportation. system! With 1.3 million people in only 34 mi.², it needs a lot of ways to get around. In contrast, Apple Valley, Minnesota has 49,000 people in about 17.5 mi.². Of course, in Minnesota, most people get around by car:
1. I’m really not sure exactly how much American money I’ve spent so far. Every country that I’ve been to has different currency, so it’s all a bit confusing! However, in Hong Kong, I spent only about US$3.00 total on public transportation not counting taxis.
2. I stayed with one friend in the Happy Valley section and of Hong Kong and another in the Tai Tam section. In my last four cities, I am also staying with friends.
3. I nearly always right on the top level of the bus! If the front seat is available, I’ll sit right there.
4. I have already been lucky enough to have many dinners with friends, and they have all been great.
5. I stayed in Hong Kong for 12 days. I will stay in each of the other cities for 4 or 5 days.
6. Although I have had a wonderful variety of food, I still love the King crab and lobster tail (both with butter) in Seoul. However, I plan to do an entire blog on wonderful Asian food from Korean pancakes to fried seaweed in Hong Kong to cashew chicken and Thai green curry in Thailand–and I still have four places left to visit!
Wow that is so cool and so affordable!💵💵💵💵💵💵
Yes, Owen. I think we all like a good bargain!
You should bring some food back for us. IT LOOKS TASTY
I think some of these foods are available in Minnesota, but probably not all of them. I wish I could bring some of the food back for you! You would love it!
The double decker bus is so cool!!! It’s like the ones in London but just not red. Are there red ones there also? That is really cool that you only spend that little of money. I can’t wait to hear were you go next!!!!😊😄lyla
There aren’t any red buses in Hong Kong. Yes, it is like the ones in London. Hong Kong used to be what is called a “British Protectorate”. That means it used to be under the rule of the United Kingdom. That is why they have buses like the ones in London and why the steering wheels are on the right side of the vehicles.
Yes, I always love a bargain!
Ms. Barthelemy