Sepia Dreams in Hong Kong

During my last trip to Asia (in May 2014), I spent 2 days and 1 night in Hong Kong. I was staying at the Sheraton Hotel in Kowloon and was lucky enough to get a harbor view room. I arrived in Hong Kong a bit later than planned on a Saturday (don't recommend driving across the border from China to Hong Kong on a holiday weekend... ridiculous traffic!!)... and did not get a chance to enjoy the room that day (wanted to get out and do some shopping/eating!). When I finally did get back to my room on Saturday evening, I was too tired to even close the shades and passed out. The next morning I awoke to the sunrise. I had been out late the previous evening and was planning to sleep in... so I got out of my bed to close the shades. However, when I got to the window, I could see that the lighting on the city was spectacular. The sun had just peaked above the horizon and it was hitting the buildings at a nice angle. Therefore, I decided to take a few photos from my room before going back to sleep. As I look closer at these photos, I can't help but be amazed at the apartments and townhouses situated on Victoria Peak (the mountain behind Hong Kong City). If you're lucky enough to have 50+ million dollars lying around, you can put your name in the queue to try purchasing one.

The Glow of the Metropolis

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

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.

Parisian (street)Art #6, 7

Found on the streets of the 1st Arrondissement. Granted, the "Metro" photo wouldn't technically be considered "street art" (because it was put there deliberately by the government)... but the signs add character to the urban landscape.

Follow Me Home

Two women walk through one of the bridges along the Seine. 

The Bridges of the Seine

During my first trip to Paris, I received some crucial advice: "The best way to see Paris is on foot." There are so many famous buildings, monuments, and landmarks to just enjoy at your leisure... Madeleine, L’Arc de Triomphe, Jardins du Palais Royale, Place Vendome, Musee d’Orsay, Musee du Louvre, Opera National de Paris, Les Invalides, Jardins du Luxembourg, and many others. It is helpful to set a basic walking route (which will lead to detours). You can see the sights you want, stop by cafes when you get tired and hungry (or thirsty), and plan your tour of Paris that way. It's more enjoyable and you can do things on your own time. Don’t be tied down to specific visits and entrance times (unless there is something you really want to see). The museums in Paris are amazing (and are worth a visit if you go during the off season, have extra, and the weather is bad)... but in my opinion, I have a much better experience of the “real” Parisian life by taking in the city on foot.

With that said, a walking tour must include crossing the bridges of the Seine. They all have a different personality... this means they are different in size, have different sculptures, and take in a different view in each direction (especially since the river bends so much). When crossing the bridges, you can get great landscape pictures of Paris. Sunrise and sunset are the best for colors over the city and reflecting in the water... and also right after sunset when the lights of the city (including the Eiffel Tower) get turned on. It just has a romantic feel when walking over the Seine. Another perk is that there are no "open container laws" Paris... so recommend bringing a bottle of wine and some cheese & crackers to your favorite bridge at the end of a long day.

The Pearl of the Orient

As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterized by low taxation and free trade. This economy attracts people from all over the world and has created vast amounts of wealth (Hong Kong has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world)... but it has also lead to extreme gaps between rich and poor. 

Since Hong Kong is small territory, there is a lack of space. This has caused demand for denser constructions, which developed the city to a centre for modern architecture and the world's most vertical city. The dense space also led to a highly developed transportation network with public transport travelling rate exceeding 90 percent (the highest in the world). Hong Kong has numerous high international rankings in various aspects... its economic freedom, financial and economic competitiveness, quality of life, corruption perception (becoming a police officer in Hong Kong is one of the most difficult application processes), Human Development Index are all ranked highly.

Anyways, when you combine all of these elements in a dense area, it leads to interesting street photography. These are a few of the photos I took while wandering around Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

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!