The streets of Hong Kong

26Jul12

I really like Hong Kong so much that I’m not sure where to start, so I’ll just start with a few photos of the streets of Hong Kong.

Maybe it’s all a matter of expectations.   I really didn’t expect to like HK all that much and had simply added it to the end of  our Nepal trip just because . . . well, we had a layover there anyway, so why not make it a real visit.  I expected crowds and concrete, and while there’s plenty of that, I was taken by the bustling energy of the city, the mix of old and new, East and West, and remnants of the British colonial past.   HK probably won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but quite simply, I found it to be fabulously enjoyable — and that’s saying a lot for me, especially given that it was overcast most of the time I was there, and extremely humid the entire time.

Hong Kong has one of the best public transportation system anywhere in the world, including a tram system that’s been in operation since 1904.  How adorable are these double-deck tramcars?  (aka “Ding Ding”).  I had just as much fun looking at them come and go as I did riding them — an amazing bargain at about 50 cents a ride.

Not very original, but I love all the loud, colorful signs in Chinese characters.  A sorta funny story.  I wanted to do some night shots of these signs.  In fact, I happened to have bought a postcard of a fantastic maze of neon signs, all lit up at night — on the very same street my hotel was on.  Convenient, right?  So one night I must have walked at least two miles, determined to find a similar shot.  No luck.  Yes, there was neon . . . but it was mostly just OK, nothing even close to the photo.   Maybe most of the signs had been removed for beautification reasons??  I later looked at the card again, right before mailing it, and that’s when I noticed that it also said something like, “a collage representation”.   Oh.  Totally obvious photoshopping, I just didn’t see it.

Total oblivion amidst all the hustle and bustle can be a good thing . . . .

Thanks for stopping by.  Till next time.

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Filed under: Hong Kong, Travel   |  7 Comments
Tags: photography, travel