Wednesday (I Need A) Vacation Blogging: Hong Kong

Has it been a week and a half since I last posted anything here? Jeez. That must be causing my regular reader no small amount of consternation (sorry, Marissa). Okay, so here's my fall-back standard: a post of vacation shots. No politics today, sorry.

At the end of our China trip, we spent four or five days in Hong Kong before we flew home. It was raining most of the time we were there, though not heavily, so the views were somewhat obscured by all the clouds and such. Still, it was a fascinating city, and one I'd love to go back to someday. The funniest thing about it, though, was that after spending over two weeks in mainland China, Hong Kong seemed very much like being back in America. The shops and restaurants and signs everywhere in English were markedly different from what we had experienced in Beijing and Chengdu and Shanghai and Yangshuo. (Especially Yangshuo.) It was, in some ways, not much different from walking around Union Square or Chinatown here in San Francisco. Except even more expensive.

As always, click on the pictures for a larger view.

I can never remember what this official building is -- City Hall, or something like that. It's one of the first things you see when you get off the ferry from Kowloon.

Hong Kong is extremely vertical.

In the inclement weather, a lot of the taller buildings get lost in the mist.

We stayed on the Kowloon Peninsula, just off the main drag, Nathan Street. At night most all of Hong Kong is a riot of neon and lights.

The view looking across Victoria Harbor.

In the midst of all the urban verticality is Kowloon Park, a nice respite from the noisy, crowded city.

There are flocks of all sorts of birds and other wildlife living there.

A view of the city from a hill in Kowloon Park.

These flamingos apparently don't get much shrimp in their diet, which is why they're not very pink. Did you know that it's eating shrimp that makes flamingos pink? I didn't, before I visited here.

The view across the harbor as reflected in the glass of the Royal Pacific hotel.

The Star Ferry line has been running across the harbor for over a century.

Once we got across, we found that they had a very special place just for us.

Downtown Hong Kong, looking a bit like a combination of London, New York and San Francisco.

Amazing that they still have room for more construction.

Mrs. Generik and I got out and checked out the night life and the night market.

Just an ordinary corner tea shop.

I love neon almost as much as I love big buildings. Hong Kong is full of some really great neon signs.

Not really sure what goes on in this place; Mrs. G didn't think it was a good idea to go in and find out. Darn the luck.

But... what is it today? Okay, okay, I'll be back in the morning.

This shot of a guy working in a steamed-up little food stand appeals to me no end. It reminds me of a scene you might see in New York.

The seafood on display at various little shops throughout the city is most intriguing -- and often unidentifiable (at least by me). But tasty!

A subtitle to most of these Wednesday Vacation Blogging posts should probably be "More pictures of buildings and food."

My brother, standing in the rain, with Victoria Harbor and the city behind him.

Me at the Kimberly Hotel, where we had the smallest hotel room I've ever stayed in. On the other hand, it was very expensive. Okay, sorry, you probably didn't need to see that. And yes, that is Betty Boop underwear, lovingly made by the talented Mrs. G.