Flashback moments

While traveling in Bergen, I took a funicular up the mountain on the edge of the city. After appreciating the view for a while, I decided to head back down before nightfall. It’s nice to hop my way along the mountain trail, weaving past joggers and dog walkers occasionally. Halfway down, as I looked through gaps in the trees at the city growing closer, a sudden realization hit me:

If you squint a little, isn’t Bergen basically Hong Kong?

That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? I chuckled at myself. But the more I thought, the more it started to make sense.

The mountain I had just climbed rises right alongside the city, with fancy little villas scattered across its slopes—just like Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. The harbor below has no chance matching the size of Victoria Harbor, but it’s also flanked by city lights, with ferries occasionally gliding across the water.

Whether you take the funicular or hike up the steps, the peak offers a sweeping view of the sea, the city, and the mountains all at once. And if the weather is nice and hikers are in good spirits, they can follow a winding path downhill, gradually descending back into a dense cluster of buildings, just like the Old Peak Road. Oh, all of a sudden, the scenery couldn’t feel more familiar.

I never would have expected that after traveling this far—tens of thousands of miles away—I’d take one step and suddenly land right back where I was six years ago.

Oops, much as expected, no google street view coverage for the small path where I took the photo. I’ll happily keep the beautiful views to myself then.