Monday, April 23, 2012

T is for Harbour Town aka Hong Kong

The end of April is just around the corner and you know what that means. It means we're almost to the end of the alphabet. We're not there yet, but almost...just six more posts and this A-Z blog challenge will be nothing more than a happy memory. I still have one whole entire amazing city to squeeze into those six posts so I best get started.

T is for Harbour Town

Hong Kong is special...it was here we met up with old friends and on top of that we experienced one of our very best 'it's a small small world' encounters ever. Those events will get their own post before the challenge is over.

I thought I'd kick things off in Hong Kong by introducing you to the star of the show-


Her name is Victoria Harbour and wow.


Just wow.


The harbour is situated on the South China Sea between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. I found the two sides a little confusing at first...isn't it all Hong Kong? In a word, yes. Well then, is Hong Kong a city or a country? Hong Kong is a city in China, but their government is different than China's. It's not a country but operates sort of like it is.

All you need to know right now is that on one side of Victoria Harbor sits Hong Kong Island and on the other side sits Kowloon. There are 260+ islands that are also part of Hong Kong but we won't worry about them today.


Both Kowloon and Hong Kong Island are jam packed full of tall buildings and more tall buildings. The International Commerce center, at 108 stories is currently the 4th tallest building in the world.


I'm not sure you could work in this city if you had a fear of heights. I know for sure I wouldn't want to be a window washer in Hong Kong. Or a construction worker. Or a ferry boat captain but that's a story for another day.


Besides the tall buildings and the taller buildings you'll also find hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants along with shops whose number I couldn't even begin to guess.


From the street market stalls to the highest end designer shops plus everything in between you quickly discover that shopping is a hobby, a pastime, a literal art form in this city.


Hubs had some shirts made while we were here because that's just what you do when you're in Hong Kong.


We stayed on the Kowloon side of the Harbour since that's where he was working and I loved the location. You could be on the Hong Kong Island side in less than ten minutes via ferry or subway and we be-bopped back and forth every day.


We stayed in the Sheraton Hong Kong Towers and they had this amazing space on the 18th floor...a bar/restaurant overlooking Victoria Harbor. We sat up there almost every night with co-workers and friends and our last night in town just the two of us. The view is positively spectacular.


More than 40 buildings take part in a permanent laser light and sound show on the harbor at 8 pm each evening. You'll see a great show from either side of the harbor. We watched it one night from the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade which is a walkway running along the riverfront on the Kowloon side.


Near the walkway is something called the Avenue of the Stars which in essence is a Hollywood Walk of fame for Hong Kong.


Chinese film celebrities have their names and hand prints in the cement here and its a fun place to walk and admire the harbour view. Again.


Every city I've ever been in seems to have its own unique personality and Hong Kong is no different. It's old world British colony meets new world China. It's a cacophony of sights, sounds and smells. It's skyscrapers and alleys. Its steep hills and people everywhere. The bankers, the shoppers, and the vendors selling produce all share the same air and sidewalk space. It is bustling, crowded, loud.


In the middle of all this noise there is a harbor.
It's magnificent.

The harbor is why someone on a business trip with her husband falls in love with a noisy-busy city called Hong Kong.

26 comments:

  1. I have so enjoyed sharing this trip with you. This one in particular was interesting because several years ago my husband visited Hong Kong and has shared much about his visit, but your pictures made it more personal. He also purchased tons of clothes while there. In fact, he still wears a suit he had made for himself. So, thanks again for letting us enjoy this wonderful trip with you.

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  2. I didn't stay up late just to check your blog...but so glad I did! :D That harbour is awesome, huh? The lights on the building are pretty cool, too. Fun to see your pictures! We stayed on Hong Kong island. Looking forward to this week's posts!

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  3. Oh my gosh that harbor is to die for! Beautiful! Your pictures are amazing. Looks like a very busy area. I love it that you and hubs got to spend the last night overlooking the harbor from the restaurant. Just too cool! I am so enjoying traveling with you! I also love the pic of you with the statues. What fun, I love statues like that!
    until next time... nel

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  4. I visited Hong Kong a few years ago and fell in love with it. Enjoyed your photos.

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  5. I can see why you love it there..amazing pictures and experience! I hope to visit there some day....my bucket list is getting longer thanks to you and your travels! Have a wonderful Monday!

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  6. What an amazing place to travel to. Thank you for sharing all the wonderful pictures of your trip.

    Susanne
    PUTTING WORDS DOWN ON PAPER

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  7. The night shots, especially, are just beautiful. I have never ever had an interest in traveling to the Orient, but this post is really the first (although I've read all the others) that really sparked an interest. I guess it was the water and the lights and the skyline. Maybe I'll have to make a bucket list too - and expand it beyond North Yorkshire. lol

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  8. Hubby lived in a small apartment building on the hill in Victoria. This was back in 1966. He flew R&R shuttles during the Vietnam War for Pan Am. Yes, he and his wife had clothes made and a live in Ama to care for their son. He did love it there.

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  9. I would hate to be a window washer here, too! I got dizzy just looking at your photos of the buildings :)

    I love the Harbor, and I can only imagine how beautiful the laser light/sound show must have been!

    You've really done a great job in recapping your trip through your photos!

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  10. Amazing! Hong Kong is definitely on my list of places to visit!

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  11. OK...I must visit Hong Kong one day! What an incredible place! Thanks for bringing it to life for all of us, Joyce!

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  12. how beautiful it all looks especially at night---i love how the store signs, look like flags to me--wonderful post

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  13. hubs enjoyed the relics outside of town...the views are incredible

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  14. I don't know how you did not just shut down at some point in this trip! The sights and shops and . . . everything are just overwhelming to me.

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  15. Wow, I never knew Hong Kong was stunning! Maybe it's your photos combined with your words? I bet that light show was fabulous and the harbor, well...harbors are close to my heart.

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  16. I'm SO enjoying this trip vicariously through you! ;-) Although I have to say that when I hear/read Harbor Town (or Harbour Town), I automatically think of Hilton Head. ;-)

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  17. Very cool! Hong Kong is a neat city to be sure:)

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  18. Hong Kong looks beautiful. I've never been to the far East, but you have peaked my interest.

    ScribblesFromJenn
    Happy A to Z-ing!

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  19. Here I thought Hong Kong WAS a country. I'm for sure learning via your travels and tales. Knowing your love of all things water related it didn't surprise me that you fell in love with the city on the Harbor!

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  20. Fantastic photos - you look as though you are having fun. I agree you should just 'go with the flow.'
    New follower from A - Z
    http://sallys-scribbles.blogspot.co.uk/

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  21. That harbor is lovely! This was quite the trip! :) Makes my life seem a bit . . . dull.

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  22. It is all very impressive, I would love to take a trip there. The buildings are beautiful!

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  23. Thank You for sharing these photos of Hong Kong, I enjoy seeing and reading your narrative.

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  24. Amazing! My dad is going through old photos from his Navy days in the early '60's and he had pictures of Hong Kong. It was crowded then, but looked NOTHING like it does today in your pictures. Hong Kong may have to be on my places to visit. It just looks amazing.

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  25. Beautiful! I think this post might be my favorite in your trip recap. Stunning views night n day of the harbor.

    I quit the challenge because our laptop adaptor cord got frayed. Not another computer in the house that kids will give me the password to. I got a nasty virus from one of the other A to Z blogs on the letter I. Wiped out a whole bunch of etuff on sons computer....schoolwork. he had everything backed up but has since changed his pw again. I cant blog on this little tablet. So i am challenging myself to get 26 things done around the house before the new adaptor comes in.

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  26. Looks very interesting. Beautiful photos.

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