The City by Day - HK - 28.12.2008 - 04.01.2009

......Consider this as Chapter 1 on the story.
......As I said before, I went there with a group of tourists. We arrived in HK after a long flight with a stop in Istanbul. We travelled all night long. It was almost evening when we landed. There was somebody waiting for us at the airport (which is huge as you'll see later). It was a very bad weather. a little chilly and it was raining. We didn't need rain. Rain is bad. Bad for holidays.
......The hotel was located in Kowloon, on the busiest street, Nathan Road. Prudential Hotel, to be exact.
......First day brought the first trip, a city tour by coach. After crossing the Victoria Harbor through the tunnel, we went up to Victoria Peak, the highest point on the island (552m). The actual summit of Victoria Peak is occupied by a radio telecommunications facility and is closed to the public. However, the surrounding area of public parks and high-value residential land is the area that is normally meant by the name The Peak.
......The view from up there is spectacular. Below you can see the northern part of the island, the Victoria Bay and Kowloon peninsula on the other side of the harbor.
......The Peak Tramway is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Central district to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of Hong Kong. The guide said we should come back here in the evening. Which I did, one day later.
...... The IFC Tower (the pencil shaped one) and the Bank of China (the one with "x"s)
The Peak Lookout. With restaurants, bars, and a huge E&A Games lobby.


......Repulse Bay Beach, located on the southern side of Hong Kong island. In 1841, the bay was used as a base by pirates and caused serious concern to foreign merchant ships trading with China. The pirates were subsequently repulsed by the British Fleet; hence the name. Another theory holds that the bay was named after HMS Repulse which was stationed at the bay at one point.
......In the 1910s, Repulse Bay was developed into a beach, and the Repulse Bay Hotel was built in 1920. It doesn't exist anymore. But there is another hotel here. With a huge hole built in it. People here say that there is a dragon living in the hill behind the hotel. And the dragon needs to have access to the water.

......A temple at Repulse Bay.

...... Buddha


...... You saw the rich part. Hong Kong is not just that. It also has poor neighborhoods. Like this one. People live on these small boats. They have dogs, chickens...
......And those blocks of flats are horrible. They're so high and grey. Like in a SF movie.
......You see. That's not very touristic...



..... The fish up there on the rope.. will be sold in a store on the main road. Bad smell.
......Back to the nice part. This was taken inside a mall on Nathan Road. All the malls were full of Christmas decorations and colorful lights.

...... IFC Tower and Central Square
......Central Square and Bank of China in the background

......The Christmas tree in the lobby of the Bank of China
......View of the Central Square from the 43rd floor of the Bank of China
......The IFC Tower seen from the 43rd floor of the Bank of China
......Victoria Harbor seen from the 43rd floor of the Bank of China
......Iinside a mall on Central Road

......Behind the Bank of China
......Also on Central Road there is a sort of open air market seeling everything.
......A newspapers stand
......The market








......End of Chapter 1.
......Chapter 2 follows - Hong Kong by night






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