Travel Memories: Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

The Chinese Special Administative Region (and former British colony) of Hong Kong encompasses thousands of islands and the Kowloon Peninsula. My hotel in Causeway Bay was located on Hong Kong Island, a 10-minute ride on the iconic Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour (costing less than USD 1) to the mainland.

The Tsim Sha Tsui district at the southern tip of Kowloon Peninsula provides a great vantage point to watch the nightly laser light show held at the harbour.

The best I can offer are some illuminated characters (possibly Olympic mascots) that lined the waterfront at the time

The Olympics were quite a big deal at the time - China was just 3 months away from hosting the Beijing games. There was even a countdown board in one of the MTR stations.

No matter which side of the harbour you find yourself on, you’ll inevitably be confronted with a myriad of dazzling signs strung between canyons of high-rise apartment blocks. Prepare your eyeballs, for you may indeed start to wonder whether the sky itself hasn’t simply morphed into a sea of flashing Cantonese characters.

If you start to find the onslaught of signs and the frenetic city vibe is getting you down, the perfect antidote is to head out to Lantau Island, the largest island in Hong Kong (accessible via MTR), for something a little more zen. Namely a ride in the Ngong Ping 360 cable car over the lush mountains and blue waters of Tung Chung Bay to the Tian Tan Big Buddha. It takes a good 45 minutes, and it is advisable to have a reasonable head for heights. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).