Monday, January 24, 2005

Hong Kong Trip

Arrival. 4 hours flight from Singapore. Excited, just can't wait to get to the city. Just ozzing around the airport looking for more information and where to go. Weather wasn't that cold, and was just hovering around a mere of 16 degrees celcus plus minus.
Some shots taken from the bus on the way to the city. To the right is one of HK's Government Flat, with at least 30+ floors... Just sorta make me wander how would it be like staying so high ups.
Nathan Road and Sai Yong Choi Street, both as Crowded as the Chinatown or Orchard Road in Singapore, Lotsa people doing their last minute shopping, many lingering around the city awaiting for the 31st Dec Countdown. Things around here are cheap, but hei they dun call HK shopping heaven for nothing...

Was pretty on a rush locating the few Camera shops with the address I've got. Manage to locate Wing Sheng, one of the reputable cam shops around, but they dun carry Gitzos'. Did some more walking and found Mang Sheng... I was lingering inside Mang Sheng checking out their cam stuff while my Gf went shopping in Espirit diagonally opposite. Got my Gitzo 1228 in Mang Sheng finally... but didn't get the use it cos can't find the appropriate ballhead for it... xien.
Yen, my Girlfriend. Most of my shots taken in HK have a composition of her. HK's a great place for a couple traveling free and easy. I'll say, there are things just for both of use to look around. Had a really enjoyable time together this trip :P
These pictures were taken on Nathan Road. Did I mention that the HK gov actually close down the whole stretch of Nathan Rd for New Years Eves?... I guess they HAVE to do it cos the crowds is so humongous that normal pedestrial path won't take the load. But besides the crowd, it is not squeezey at all, pretty unlike christmas in singapore where everyone crowd around orchard road pedestrial path and u can barely get from Point A to Point B.

Far Left: Me, taken by my gf, Result of Handshake. Point is, DSLR is not suitable for girls with weak hands... Left: my gf.
Crowds on Nathan Rd. Pretty interesting don't you think? if the entire nation of HK went on riot against china for communism, nay, don't think tat's what china wannna go, that's why you see this new One-Country-Two-System facade going on now... HK is still pretty much HK after 1997, thou many places start accepting RMB, some even provide 1:1 exchange against HKD...
Pic 1: A Shopping center with all the porshey brands. Nope didn't went it cos recon if even they offer a 50% discount on the goods, I won't be able to afford it. It's a pretty striking building along the way from Nathan Rd to Starlight Harbour

Pic 2: Did you English Teacher never teach you don't translate directly?...lolx
After dinner, we recon we could take a walk to the harbour, so we walk and walk and walk along nathan road, total distance is approx to 4 MRT Stops. My Legs were so sour.

Pic 1: Tired. Resting in the Middle of the road in the blistering cold. We are at Starlight Harbour, didn't manage to get in cos of the crowd, thou did get a glimps of the magnificient Skyscrapers in HK Island from there.

Pic 2: The Crowds from Nathan Rd is still amazing... and it's all flowing towards Starlight Harbour... many were expecting fireworks... but aparently fireworks was called off to mourn for the tsunami victims. No Complaints, and I silently pray for them...
Day 2, Didn't manage to get to Starlight harbour yesterday so that's what we did the second day... had a good view of HK island. The Crowds around there are still a lot, lotsa tour bus parked beside the road.

Pic 1: I had the Skyscrapers of HK Island behind me, shot taken on starlight harbour.

Pic 2: My Gf, standing in front of the Science Center just next to starlight harbour.
Same location: Starlight Harbour.

Pic 1: Skyscraper from HK Island with the evening sun reflecting from the buildings. Damn I forgot to bring my CPL... else would have gotten a much better shots...

Pic 2: Me and me gf, Yen, same place. pic taken by another photographer. I saw tat guy using a SLR also, therefore rekon he can handle it. The result: Good...
The Clock Tower next to the Starlight Harbour and Starlight Pathway...
Left and Far Left: Statue on Starlight Pathway. Seems to symbolize something related to the movie/entertainment industry. It have the same style as the statue for the grammy, thou the post is different...

Top Left and Top Far Left: Silhouette. Skyscrapers from HK Island casting their shadows longer and longer as the sun sets lower and lower.

Top: My gf against the silhouetted skyscrapers.
We took the ferry to central from Staylight harbour. The fare: approx SGD$2. Pretty old type of ferry that had been running the commutting between the two lands way before bridges were built.

Far Left: Buildings from HK Island fromm the Ferry.

Left: My Gf on the ferry... :P
Ok now, why are we heading to central? well, actually it is not a destination but a path... :P we have to take bus 2xx from Central Station to reach The Peak( Tai Ping Shan ). Oh yea, did I mention is was the coldest winder in HK today?... avg of 6-12 degrees, and on The Peak, it was around avg of <6 I guess.

Far Left: Visitors, Sighseers and Photographers, all cramp along the side of the shopping center balcony to get a glimps of HK's Night Cityscape.

Left: Well, there we are at the Peak... me? of course holding the camera lar..:P
Top all: cityscape night scene from The Peak. Me Tripod not usable yet therefore manage to borrow a small lightweighted tripod from one of the photo shotter there... luckily my 300D + Grip + 24-70 F2.8L + 420Ex did not cripple the tripod...

Far Left, Left: Nightscene portrait shots. Was super cold up there, my gf can't really stand it, have to use the hood for wind insulation... the shots without, she tot it was prettier without the hood...lol...
Far Left, Left: Coffee after a cold encounter on the balcony on the peak at Pacific Coffee...
On the way back to Mongkok. Took the MTR Instead of the ferry to avoid the wind... Super hungry, just can't wait to get back to Mongkok for dinner. This concludes the day.

Top All: The H.U.G.E Central MTR Interchange station. Took the Tsui Wai Line up to Mongkok.

Left All: Me and my gf on the MTR, I do look tired don't I?...
More to come...

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