Light Rail

One of the great things about living up in the New Territories is that there is a Light Rail system.  It's a mini set of trains that run along the streets and get to the places where the MTR cannot get to.  

In Yuen Long, the Light Rail runs along Castle Peak Road.  There are mainly FIVE stops:

1.  Shui Pin Wai (which is near the Yuen Long Plaza and the Yuen Long West Bus Terminus)

2.  Fung Nin Road

3.  Hong Lok Road

4.  Tai Tong Road (which is the main intersection)

5.  Yuen Long MTR Station (which connects to Yoho Mall)

The entrance and exits are quite open, but there are Light Rail staff there to catch anyone who hops on without paying!

Speaking of…in Seattle, there have been a handful of people who I've seen just jump on the Light Rail without paying.  But, there are the Light Rail "police" who jump on at random times to check people's tickets.  It's such a hard system to apply trust to…when you don't have a clear ENTRANCE and EXIT gate!

When entering the Light Rail platform, you have to "doot" the Octopus Card on the Entrance Machine (for a lack of better words to describe!)

When exiting, you "doot"the Octopus Card again and an automatic charge for the distance traveled will be deducted.

The platform is pretty standard…with some benches and an overhanging cover to protect patrons from the rain.  Times of the oncoming Light Rail cars are also displayed on the platform.

A map, which is pretty tough to figure out at first (but comes in time) is also available at every stop.  So, you can stand there and study where to go!

On some platforms (the bigger ones in the city centers) also have Octopus Card recharging machines.  So, if you find your Octopus Card empty, you can always top it off at one of these machines.  English language option available!

The Light Rail is pretty handy during those times when you just don't feel like walking the 15 minutes to the other end of Yuen Long!  It's often quite crowded though…just like the streets, but it does make life a little bit faster!

A word of caution…always watch where you are going when crossing the street…I've seen people not even look both ways before crossing over the light rail track...

…and a HUGE SOUNDING HORN from the Light Rail conductor will blow and totally make your heart stop!  Because there are no barriers when the Light Rail goes by, it is pretty dangerous to cross the road without the OK from the Cross Walk Sign.

The Light Rail System extends from Yuen Long to Tuen Mun and a few places in between!

Traveling Tuesday: Tin Shui Wai Park

It's mid-March.  The Spring Season is here.  And, somedays, it is nice just to take a walk in the park.

We headed out to Tin Shui Wai and thought we would see what was out there.  That's what I like about living in Hong Kong.  I just pick a place to go, get off at the MTR stop, and get to walking!  This area was very residential.  Even though I had seen the Park before, I hadn't really checked it out.  There couldn't have been a better day to decide to explore Tin Shui Wai Park, being that it is not too cold or too hot at the moment.

How to get there:
You can either bike out to Tin Shui Wai New Town or take public transport.  Biking took us about 30 minutes from Yuen Long.  There are a handful of bike rental places in Yuen Long, if biking is your cup of tea.  But, going by public transport (MTR) is a lot more convenient, if you don't have a good sense of direction!

From Tin Shui Wai MTR Exit C or E, take a short walk over to the nearby Tin Shui Wai Light Rail Terminus and hop on the 705 or 706.

Light Rail Stops that take you closest to the Park: 
1.  Tin Shui Station
2.  Ginza Station

Like many of the local parks, there is a lot to do

There are great things to find, which make a great day of exploration... 

The Sculpture Walk is pretty interesting

The beautiful fountain in the center of the park

There are some beautiful places to sit, play chess with friends at, to read...or sleep

There is a little lake out there where people drive model boats

You can also find a bit of art out in Tin Shui Wai Park

Overall, it was a good early evening ride out there.  It was also great to see the amenities that the City had built for the people living in Tin Shui Wai.  I didn't expect the park to be as big as it was.  It is no Victoria Park, but comparable!

There weren't a lot of people out there.  There were people though!  There were people taking strolls, families playing on the gym equipment, kids playing with their model boats, and people engaging in all those other normal park activities (taking photos by the fountains!).  But, the park wasn't crowded, which is precious for me who doesn't like being in a crowd for too long.