Hotel vistas

Hotel pool - currently empty

Looking out towards the harbour from my 14th floor room
...and at night

Hong Kong is not the only Island

I'd noticed other small islands when flying into Hong Kong a few years back - and it had made me curious to explore them one day - they are such a contrast to the densely populated highrises of Hong Kong proper.

So I got a ferry to Cheng Chau. It was sunny and warm and soooooo pleasant to wander around the island away from the hustle and bustle.

You couldn't ask for better 'tracks'

There are the obligatory temples en route

...where a lot of incense gets burnt
And up top was this lovely array of letterboxes...
and this strange dwelling built in a very mickey-mouse fashion

The Catholic cemetary was also very densely populated

Obviously cremating is more efficient

...especially when you can have ones for couples and families.

There are no cars on the island but you gotta get your groceries up the hill and home somehow

By the end of the day I'd walked over 10 miles - today was a day of rest!

Boats, boats, boats

Yesterday I went to see the main Art Museum. I am staying on Hong Kong island and the museum is over on Kowloon (the mainland). The quickest way to get there is via a ferry.

There are lots of ferries and boats going hither and thither.

It's a brilliant way to travel, except maybe in a typhoon

I think this one is more for the tourists

Hello Hong Kong

Well all the guide books say you need to go up The Peak on the tram. But not these double decker trams fortunately as it is quite a steep incline.
Up top there is a pleasant walk around the mountain - past some very expensive real estate.
Which is why I was intrigued with this place - derelict...

The views are great - if a little hazy

Out in the sun, and with no wind, it was actually very warm - probably around 20 degrees.

I had dressed for about 5 degrees.

I'm not sure why you would need to register your slope

There were quite a few side tracks - one down to an old battery from WW2 and another up to the top of a hill for even more views.
A lovely day for my first day in Hong Kong

Better late than never - farewell to Korea

Well it is now a few days after Christmas - but the thought was there.

It got pretty hectic in the run-up to Christmas: going to the Post Office daily and sending stuff home, organising to leave and farewelling friends (the really hard part).

I spent Christmas Day cleaning my shoebox/apartment. Wow - it looked so good by the time I'd finished that I almost wanted to stay. I quickly dismissed that thought.

The temp had been below zero all day and a New Zealand summer was beckoning.

I left on a late night bus to Incheon/Seoul airport. The buses have Business Class style seats that are reasonably comfortable for snoozing.

We arrived around 4.30am so I just crashed for another few hours on seats - like a lot of others in the same situation.

At Immigration they asked when I was coming back and I replied "I'm not"

Bye bye Korea.

Christmas Art

I walk past this Art Academy on the way to school - and noticed some new pictures recently.

I just love kids art.