Floating Above the Metropolis

One of my favorite things to do when in Hong Kong is to go to the top of tall buildings and look down. A lot of the buildings have rooftop terraces where you can enjoy a drink while floating on top of the city. During my last trip, I packed my high powered zoom lens and focused in on a few interesting scenes. It's nice that many of the rooftops are open air with no glass walls... provides a much clearer view (just have to be careful after having a few drinks).

The Glow of the Metropolis

Looking down on the metropolis of Hong Kong as it glows in the night sky. 

Behind Open Windows

A lone man waits in the Star Ferry terminal as the metropolis of Hong Kong towers over him in the background. 

The Metropolis - II

In my previous post, I showed some images of Hong Kong from the rooftops. The images in this post were taken over the same couple of days... but from a different perspective (at sea level). All of the shots were taken while on the Star Ferry or while waiting to board the Star Ferry. Looking back at these images, I'm still shocked to see how crisp/clean the air is. There will be days when you can barely see across the harbour.

The Metropolis - I

During a trip to Asia last year, I had a layover in Hong Kong... and was lucky enough to be there on one of the clearest days of the year! Therefore, I made my way to some of my favorite rooftop bars and took some photos. I don't think I will ever get sick of looking at these views.

The Amazing Soccer Ball Man

The best part of my ascent to Sacré Cœur was watching this guy put on a ridiculous display of soccer ball juggling skills. His name is Iya Traore and he is a bit of a local celebrity in Paris (has been on some TV shows and was a contestant on the French version of "Got Talent"). Apparently, he puts on these shows all throughout Paris and never leaves home without a soccer ball... he's definitely got some skills. The city made for a nice back drop for the photo. 

Basilica of the Sacré Cœur

The basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre (highest point in the city of Paris). Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the excesses of the Second Empire and socialist Paris Commune of 1871 crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ (wikipedia).

If you only have a limited amount of time in Paris, I would suggest skipping this attraction. Yes, the view of the city is nice (since you're basically on top of it). However, the most iconic feature of the Paris skyline is not visible... and not being able to see the Eiffel Tower kind of ruins the moment. For a better view, I would suggest going to the Arc de Triomphe. Also, the panhandlers hanging out at Sacré Cœur are some of the most annoying/aggressive in all of Paris (be on the lookout for pick pockets). You will be constantly hassled to buy cheap tourist stuff, beer, candy, etc. I came here to have a relaxing picnic on the lawn as the sun went down... and ended up leaving early. Some locals warned me that the area is not the safest after the sun goes down.

These are a few photos I took before I left.

Tourist Photos at Victoria Peak

Victoria Peak is probably one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong... and it's kind of easy to see why. The view is ridiculous. On one of my first trips to Hong Kong, I thought I would go up for a quick afternoon tour (ended up staying for 5+ hours just staring out into the vast cityscape). I had not gone back since... however, I was out with a friend and we decided to take a late night trip up the escalators in Soho (Hong Kong island is built on levels and there is actually an escalator system that will take you up... longest covered outdoor escalator system in the world). There were signs that kept directing us up to Victoria Peak... and we  decided to keep on going until we reached the top. However, eventually the escalators stopped and we would have had to continue walking up a steep trail (didn't seem too fun since it was hot and we had a bit to drink). That's when I hailed a taxi! The main observation deck was closed when we finally arrived (it was quite late)... but we managed to sneak onto another observation deck that had also been closed. These are a few of the photos I took before the security guards asked us to kindly leave (think they came out pretty good since I didn't have a tripod). Enjoy!

An Eerie Hong Kong

After eating a big dinner, I decided to take a stroll through the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui. It was a rainy, misty, foggy evening... and the city had an "eerie" feeling to it. The bright lights mixed with the fog helped to illuminate the city streets. These are a few photos from that evening.

"3 Days in Hong Kong" - Torrential Rain, Glorious Sunshine, and Giant Rubber Ducks

During my last trip to Asia, I was lucky enough to spend a few extra days in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is an awesome city. I've been coming here for about 10 years... and have had some great times and have met some awesome people. However, whenever I go back, I seem to fall into the same routine (hit the same shops, restaurants, and sites). This time I wanted to try something different and walk away with some new experiences... I purchased my first tailored suit, ate at new restaurants, stayed in a new hotel, explored different parts of the city, and experienced my first "sunny day" in the city!! (reference the 2nd photo) It was a great trip... more photos and stories to come later.

A Walk in the City

Here are the last few images I took while strolling around Chicago with my parents on a cold/windy December evening... didn't want to spend much time out of the car this evening, but still managed to take some photos.