Tour of China: Hong Kong

 This China post has seemed a little daunting to me.  I took so many pictures, and I'm not quite sure how to portray the intensity of the experience.  I'm going to break it down into places we visited with a top ten list from each one.  The lists have no specific criteria or order.  They are simply what I found to be most interesting or enjoyable.  Here we go.

Hong Kong's Top 10 

#1  Hong Kong looks spectacular at night.  We rode the famous Peak Tram to the top of Victoria Peak for this view.  Instead of waiting in line to take the tram back down, then catch a Taxi to the flat where we were staying, we decided to walk down.  Sounds easy enough.  After all, we had taken the path that very morning on our run.  However we underestimated the darkness, and the fact that we really didn't remember which set of stairs we took.  After a good amount of time heading down the mountain we ended up on a pitch black trail that cut across the mountain.  This is the part of the story where we almost die.  Well, we could have died, or been seriously injured by what we are pretty sure was a wild boar.  It was dark so we can't be sure, but I know squirrels and raccoons are not that big and they don't snort.  I'll be honest and say I was quite terrified.  Yet I was also quite thrilled with the fact that we could be in the middle of such a hugh, dense city and be lost in a mountain jungle with wild animals.  Eventually we found our way back to a road, admitted we were lost, and got a Taxi.  

 #2  Being from Utah I just think it's cool to be someplace I can look up and see a wild banana tree.

#3  Seriously, look at this city!  It's got lush vegetation, impressive skyscrapers, surrounded by some of the steepest mountains you'll ever see, and a melting pot of cultures.  While attending church I think I counted about 10 different accents in the English branch.  It's too bad this picture doesn't show how most of these skyscrapers are built on very steep mountainsides.  The flatland by the bay is really land directly from the bay that has been reclaimed.  I think the city motto is "There is always room for more", even though it doesn't seem possible.  

 #4  All these amazingly high buildings were built with bamboo scaffolding that look like this.  Not sure I would be totally comfortable constructing a 75 story building with this method.  Apparently it gets the job done.

 #5  This picture shows two very prevalent aspects to Hong Kong as well as main land China, people and KFC.

 #6  We had Dim Sum with some of my brother-in-laws old coworkers.  They were such nice people and it impressed me that they are still friends after so many years and miles apart.  The table displays a very typical Chinese meal experience, expect for the fact that the food is gone.

 #7  What should we eat for dinner tonight honey?  Let's just go down to the market and grab one of those fish still flopping around.  That's what I call fresh.

 #8  Hong Kong is an island therefore the Ferry is a very typical Hong Kong excursion.  I think most people take the subway or traffic tunnels to get across.  Nobody takes a bridge because there aren't any.  Actually there may have been some on the other side, but almost any Honk Kong view you see will have no bridges.

 #9  This picture was taken in Kowloon across from Hong Kong island.  My brother-in-law was our tour guide of the city.  He used to live in Hong Kong and we found it great to have a locals perspective.

 #10  Last but certainly not least, the Hong Kong temple.  Peace and beauty radiate from this building.  Just being near it made me feel closer to home.