A short update with many photos

Paul just chilling out in the Sky100 observation deck in Hong Kong.

Still recovering from the humidity the day before, Paul and I decided to start the day off with a trip to Sky100 at the International Commerce Centre.

In about 60 seconds, the elevator took us up 100 floors, 393 meters above sea level, to the 360-degree indoor observation deck. The building stands 1,588 feet, or 484 meters, tall. From here, you can see the famous skyline of Victoria Harbour.

The views from above are not only spectacular, but they provide glimpse of the city from afar. You can watch the boats in the harbor going about their daily business and, on this trip, I sat and watched construction taking place across the street. From here, you could watch multiple crews working that the same time to finish their project. I’m not exactly sure what it was they were building, I don’t speak Cantonese or Mandarin, but I did look at the construction sign as we walked by later in the day to try and get a hint. Unfortunately, it just had words, no pictures.

Well, that’s one way to move equipment.

Construction in Hong Kong.

The tower is the tenth tallest in the world and, for a relaxing, stress-free morning, this is a good way to start your day. As we walked around the building, taking in the views, Paul and I discussed the history of the buildings, their significance, and the controversy of the Bank of China building. It didn’t fit with the Feng shui of the area, causing much consternation when it was built.

From here, you can see (but my camera cannot) two gun turrets on top of the HSBC building that point at the Bank of China building. This is because the Bank of China building caused bad Feng shui creating two knife edges pointing toward the HSBC building and the British Government House.

The International Finance Centre dominates the skyline. Immediately to its left is the HSBC building and a few buildings to its left is the Bank of China building. It is distinguishable by its triangle-shaped edges and sharp contrast to the rest of the skyline.

Once the bank opened, a series of unfortunate events, including the death of the governor and a decline in the city’s economy. In response, HSBC installed two cannons, made from maintenance cranes, on the roof and aimed them at the Bank of China building to defend the negative energy back onto the Bank of China building. Supposedly, everything has been fine since.

Larger boats in the harbor place containers onto smaller ships. I’m not exactly sure why, but the containers come from the nearby Kwai Chung Container Terminal. This particular container was placed with such precision that adjustments didn’t need to be made. It was put into place on the first try.

The handover ceremony of Hong Kong to China from the United Kingdom was held in the new wing of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on the night of 30 June 1997.

I watched this bird of prey – possibly a hawk – sail through the air for about ten minutes. It circled victoria Harbour, slowly rising and moving away from me.

Boats zip around Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.

The Stonecutters Bridge spans the Rambler channel in Hong Kong.

I only had enough for a toy from one of these machines. It was a tough call, but I went with a guaranteed cat from the left machine.

Paul at the Sky100 observation deck in Hong Kong.

We decide to eat lunch at The Pond, a restaurant, a two-floor restaurant and is unique in the way it serves of food. I ordered Won Ton soup and Sichuan chicken while Paul ordered Won Ton soup and minced pork. We were given our food over the course of 15 minutes in this order: Sichuan chicken, Paul’s soup, minced pork, Irene’s soup. We discovered neither of us like authentic Won Ton soup or minced pork.

Sichuan chicken at The Pond. Cleared my nose out really well.

One of the entrances to Kowloon Park in Hong Kong.

The humidity was extra high today and hit us as soon as we walked outside. Our next stop was Kowloon Park, a respite from the noisy Tsim Sha Tsui section of town. The former British Whitfield Barracks was turned into the park beginning in 1970. Seventy buildings were demolished to make way for the magnificent park. We entered the park near the public pools (yes I said pools, as in six that I saw) and the peacefulness was immediately apparent.

There are three pools in this photograph and three to the left, two of which are indoor, here at Kowloon Park, Hong Kong.

Despite the sweat dripping off my face and into my eyes, just strolling through the park has a way of calming you. Here you can see children playing, visitors relaxing near the pools, ponds, and Bird Lake, and about one hundred species of birds in the aviary.

Greater and lesser flamingos hang out in the aviary at Kowloon Park, Hong Kong.

A greater flamingo goes for a stroll in the pond at Kowloon Park, Hong Kong.

Always look up and be aware of your surroundings. You can find beauty no matter where you choose to look.

The park boasts an area of 13.3 hectares of respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. Every tree I looked at was labeled. I know they are old and valuable, but I’m just not that good at tree identification.

I call this “pretty plant of which I do not know its name.”

This McDonald’s in Kowloon Park only serves ice cream. I was tempted to break my “don’t eat American food on vacation policy,” but I did not.

As the day was mostly over, we wandered through town, opting to walk back to our hotel rather than take the MTR. Sure, it was humid out, but half the fun of being in a new city is exploring, no matter how hot you are.