Hong Kong

Hong Kong greeted us with a bit of rain. We spent four days in the ultra modern concrete jungle that is Hong Kong. I barely recognized the city; so much had changed since my last visit almost 15 years ago. The streets are incredibly busy with car and pedestrian traffic. Everything is immaculately clean though. Many locals wear facial masks, because of the swine flu. Hand sanitizing gel is accessible, wherever one goes.
We spent our first day taking a tram to Victoria Peak on an impossibly steep incline (45 degrees?) to an outlook in the mountains above Hong Kong island. The view is great, even on a cloudy day.
Shopping, of course, is something we couldn't resist . Nathan Road and the Ladies Market in Mongkok offer anything one could desire.
On day two, we took the train and bus to Po Lin Monastery and the Giant Buddha on Lantau Island. The ride through the mountains was a bit hair raising; the bus driver's "kamikaze" style handling of the vehicle along the curvy mountain roads is nothing for the faint hearted. The views, however, make it all worth it.
Since the girls wanted to ride a double-decker bus, we decided to take a bus to Stanley on the other side of Hong Kong island. We had a great time exploring the local market, beach, and restaurants. The weather was cooperating; the sky was gorgeously blue and the views from the bus breathtaking. At night, we went to the waterfront in Kowloon and watched the skyline Light Show. What an experience! Accompanied to music, flashing, dancing lights, and light beams projected from the skyscrapers offered an amazingly awesome spectacle to the audience.

Later,
Renate