Getting around

Getting around in Hong Kong couldn't be simpler. The only problem you'd probably run into are the hoards of people crowding the streets at night, especially the streets Tsim Sha Tsui and Central. Other than that, public transport is both accessible and efficient. Buses run on clockwork schedule and if you prefer something faster, then the MTR and KCR train systems, which connect every part of Hong Kong island, Kowloon and the New Territories. More info at http://www.mtr.com.hk/ and http://www.kcrc.com/. (Above is a picture of the MTR system I took the last time I was here. The updated one has a stop for Disneyland on Lantau Island.)

For payment, all you need is an Octopus card. All you do is to tap it; it has a little RFID chip inside which stores value. They're the same as the EZLink cards in Singapore, only more versatile. (I think this goes to show how slowly Singaporeans adapt new technology, even after Hong Kong's been using this system of electronic money for so many years.) And don't be fooled by it's name, because you can definitely use it in more than eight ways. You can use it on the MTR, the KCR, the Airport Express, buses, mini-buses, the light rails, Island trams, Peak trams, ferries, 7-eleven and other convenience stores, fast food restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets, car parks at shopping centers, parking meters on the street (see below for the retro parking meter, and note the orange Octopus logo), video game arcades, Watsons and Mannings stores, gas stations, drinks and snacks vending machines, various schools' canteens and libraries, some wet markets, photocopiers, cinemas, public swimming pools, public recreational centers, Jockey Club outlets, the racecourse, stadiums and sports venues, government departments... the list goes on. You can virtually use it at a million places - anywhere where you can possibly need to pay in small amounts. Some office buildings and swanky condos even program their tenants' Octopus card as a security pass at electronic entrances to the buildings.

Hmm... That guy on the right better come back soon to top up the meter.