A walk down Memory Lane

Today was all about nostalgia and unashamedly so. My travelling companions and I braved the morning rush hour to catch the MTR to Admiralty where we then waited at the bus stop for our old friend, the No. 15 bus to the Peak.

Familiar sights - the Bank of China Building (L) and Lippo Centre (R)

The bus wound its way along a very familiar route up Stubbs Road and made its usual detour down Mansfield Road.  How strange and wonderful to return to the place I grew up!  I was so fortunate to call this home for 15 years.  I recognised the old watchman's office on the ground floor, the playground where I spent so much time, the wall I used to sit on, the route to the shops...  And yet everything seems so small now and a little bit weary like the buildings are drooping under the weight of all those years and the hopes and dreams of the countless souls that have lived in them, cherished them and then left them behind.   

Here it is - 9 Mansfield Road.  Home was on the 11th floor (second from the top)

The Mansfield Road playground - happy memories

We could not have chosen a better day for visiting the Peak.  Visibility was freakishly good and there was a clear view across the harbour.  Days like this are vanishingly rare so we counted ourselves very lucky indeed. 

The magic carpet of Hong Kong laid out in all its glory

Clear views from the Peak

We continued along the nostalgia trail down Barker Road, onto Peak Road and Coombe Road.  Past all my dad's old haunts from his running days and the familiar weekend walk trail we would do as a family past the old playground mum and dad took us to as kids.  

One last glimpse of Mansfield Road for old times' sake

Sadly the Police Museum was closed today but my dad still managed to tell us some stories about the traffic control podium exhibited outside.

Traffic control podium

It was a beautiful walk down the wooded hillside back to Wan Chai.  Hard to believe really that this is the same Hong Kong where 7 million people live.  We only passed a handful of people on our steep descent back down to street level.

Gorgeous tree covered in epiphytes

The path back down to Wan Chai

The hum of traffic started to drown out the trill of the kites above and the trees gradually gave way to concrete.  Before hitting the mayhem of Queens Road East, there was some tranquility to be found inside Pak Tai Temple.

Dad inside the temple

A little bit of solitude in a crazy world

Finally we reached Queens Road East and were reabsorbed into the crowds, traffic and consumerism.  You can buy anything in Hong Kong if you have enough money...

A bathtub shaped like a shoe

Or a flash car if you prefer.  You can't see it but the McLaren had a SOLD sticker on the windscreen...

McLaren showroom

Joy of joys, we had a break from dim sum and indulged in a sandwich at Pacific Place for a change!  Back to Tseung Kwan O for a breather before Part 2 of the day...