...And Up Close

This is a little harbor on the east side of Hong Kong Island. This is where we began our attempt to climb the mountains of Hong Kong. Why at the one place where you are guaranteed not to be one a mountain? We asked the cab to take us hiking (after several attempts at asking him to take us somewhere more particular) and ended up at the Museum of Coastal Defense. Rather than waste time getting driven somewhere else we couldn't hike, we decided to just walk towards the mountains and hope for the best. The island is mostly covered in mountains, so it shouldn't be that hard.

After a little effort, we finally made it. And by effort, I mean, withstanding the complaints from the person pictured above. And by a little, I mean, a lot. That was a very satisfying "I told you so" when she was ecstatic about the scenery. There were little treats scattered about, as well. Heather is sitting next to a little shrine with incense for passers-by.

The trails were a well-worn, but cozy. It was a great combination for trail running. If only we had started sooner, we could have gotten a real workout.

We didn't do too bad, though. From here you can see down to the bay where the first photograph was taken. It seems like a long way, but it isn't that far. We could have gone a lot further.

These are the apartment buildings we passed on our way to the mountain trails. They are all extremely tall. It's no surprise that Hong Kong houses about half of the 100 tallest residential buildings in the world. These aren't luxury apartments, either. This was not a neighborhood I would want to live in. Maybe I've just been spoiled by the immaculate conditions of Tokyo.

This was the view in the other direction. As you can see, plenty of room to roam. And as you can also see, the pollution leaves no place untouched.

This was the great complement to our workout. These are the Xiao Long Bao that Hedy addicted me to in Shanghai. They are so delicious. In 3 Chinese meals we had 7 orders of these. I hadn't had good Chinese food in so long. I couldn't get enough. It was such a relief to not be charged an arm and a leg like in Tokyo. I could finally eat to my stomach's content. Food probably costs less than half as much in Hong Kong, along with just about everything else. Cheap food and cabs make it a great city to visit, but with the Tokyo-range rent prices, maybe not so great a place to live.

This is a view of a typical street around Hong Kong. This picture was taken near Spencer's apartment and near where we hung out. This area felt a little more cramped than the rest of the city. It wasn't uncomfortable, though.

Well, that was until this. This was a bathrooms of one of the places where we hung out for a bit. I didn't think anything of it until I couldn't get in. I am certain that someone much bigger than me would have to use the urinal from where you see me standing.

This was a hookah bar we went to with Spencer, his girlfriend, and her friend. That is Spencer in the background. This is the second time Heather has seen Spencer since she was 7, and I was with her the last time she saw him. It's fun because we're getting to know some of her family, together.

I had a great time in Hong Kong and would love to go back, but right now my sights are set on Thailand.