Chad’s Blog

I took the shots for this panorma and have never had any time to do anything with them. With 15 hours of flying time I have plenty of opportunity. I’m not overly impressed, but then again it’s my first attempt.

Here’s the full size photo.

There’s always large piles of Bamboo hanging around the streets in Asia. It’s used as scaffolding for almost all construction projects. In Hong Kong, a complete scaffold can be set up, a huge billboard changed, and all the evidence removed within a day.

It’s even more impressive when it’s used to build a skyscraper like this one in Macau. The entire scaffold is bamboo strapped together.

We took a couple of rides on the Star Ferry between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. There’s something amazing about a ferry service that thousands of people use daily to commute.

I particularly like the sailor uniforms with a big Star Ferry patch that the deck hands wear. It’s all very “Anchor’s Aweigh.”

For less than a dollar, the ride offers the best views of the Hong Kong skyline.

Wandering around Hong Kong is a great way to see the city. To be effective, a wandering can’t really be aimless wandering. The route can be varied, but a destination or a goal is essential. In our case, the goal was usually food related.

Along the way, we encountered a lot of interesting sights. These guys were playing a game keeping an oversized badminton birdie in the air in an Asian version of hacky sack. Seeing guys twice my age jumping around with that kind of grace was impressive to say the least.

It was interesting to see all the food products and wonder how little pieces of dried fish or meat can become so delicious.

There’s a reason why they built the mid-level escalators, although taking the stairs would definitely keep you in shape. There’s something about this shot that I really like.

This temple was so filled with the smoke of incense that I couldn’t get a decent shot, but you still get an iddea of the vibrant reds.

There was also some shopping to be done. Hong Kong is one of the few places where I can find clothes in my size. It’s not easy, but at least I know they exist. Here’s my mom rushing back to let us know she found a good sale.

I’m always intrigued by the things you see through second floor windows, like the salon or a guy cooking for the restaurant below.

No translation reqiured.

My parents started off their second Asian adventure in Hong Kong. I dragged them around Kowloon for the day.

This was the closest we came to roast duck. I was hoping for some Hong Kong or Peking Duck, but there were just too many other food options.

I’m still captivated by the sheer number of people that flood onto the streets. It seems especially evident in Mong Kok, where the people and the signs compete for attention.

Despite the chaos around him, this guy still managed to sleep solidly on the street corner. I’m not sure if he was supervising the construction behind him, but that didn’t seem to get in the way of his nap.

This building was absolutely incredible.  The photos don’t give a true indication of the volume of space in this lobby.

I couldn’t resist another attempt at capturing the crowds on the streets.  This time, I waited just a little to late in the evening to get it right.

I tried to catch Ed in the crowd, but he kept moving.  I think it had something to do with the good looking Hong Kong women.

Oh how I miss public transport… proper, clean, efficient, public transport that is. The MTR was fantastic.

So impressive in fact, you can even watch TV while waiting.

We took a dinner cruise around the harbour. It was quite nice, except for the entertainment.

While we were waiting for the boat, boredom set in and we started taking photos.

It’s only when you see the apartment complexes from a distance that you get a sense of the density of people in Hong Kong. The island is made even more dense by the steep hills and parks that haven’t yet been encroached upon. This was one massive apartment building that seemed to go on for a kilometer along the river. I’m sure the rent isn’t cheap either.

Well, the Ladies’ market is goods for ladies, not ladies. Thank god for spell check – “ladie’s market” just looked so right.

Anthony and I ended up ahead of the gang at one point and couldn’t figure out where the wretched smell that surrounded us was coming from. I thought it was the open sewer repair going on down the street. As it turns out, we were experiencing stinky tofu. Emily decided to get adventurous and give it a try.

I thought that bamboo scaffolding was just a developing nation thing. I was wrong. Even Hong Kong skyscrapers are surrounded by bamboo scaffolding.

I wanted to head back to Mong Kok just to get a couple photos of the crowds of people.