This is a circular courtyard at the base of the Big Buddha. It's one of my favorite pictures from the trip - I love the way the clouds are descending so low and obscuring the peaks in the background.
268 steps up to the Tian Tan Buddha (known locally as "Big Buddha"). Big Buddha is 112 feet tall.
Tian Tan Buddha. The raised right hand represents serenity, and the upturned left palm is a gesture of giving.
I love the way the Buddha appears to be pushing the clouds away.
This is what the view is like from almost anywhere in Hong Kong. It's absolutely breathtaking.
A butterfly alighting on the island of Lantau, where the Big Buddha resides.
Statuary inside the Po Lin monastery. The look on this guy's face (I didn't catch his name) cracks me up.
The balcony of the Po Lin monastery's temple from the courtyard outside. Even here, a few steps from a restaurant, the atmosphere was entirely serene.
Detail atop one of the incense pots at Po Lin monastery.
Chinese dragon carved on one of the walls outside the Po Lin monastery.
Flowers adorning the central altar at Po Lin monastery.
At the top of the Big Buddha. I love the orange!
This sign is on a window at the top of the Big Buddha.
In the courtyard outside Po Lin monastery.
Spiritual vs. commercial.
View from the top of the Big Buddha.
Outside an outlet mall/subway station.
The Central skyline and Hong Kong's beautiful scenery.
Central skyline and Victoria Harbor.
Taken from Victoria Peak.
View from Victoria Peak - can you imagine living on the side of one of those peaks?
Another view from Victoria Peak.
So much natural beauty.
Victoria Harbor.
So tranquil.
Barrels of rice in a small shop just off the street.
Fruit vendor (one of hundreds) near El's building.
One of the open-air markets near El's building. I spent one day browsing and taking pictures, and the sights (and smells) were unbelievable.
Seafood market by El's building. Just after this, I saw a man walk up with a barrel of freshly caught shrimp, still jumping around.
Bowl of mushrooms in the sun outside a market stall.
Pier a couple of blocks from El's apartment.
At the pier near El's apartment.
Giant bird cage a few feet from our table at a dim sum restaurant called Dragon I.
Beautiful, tranquil setting of my first dim sum lunch at Dragon I in Central.
A bathroom stall in a nightclub in the Central district.
Bundled in borrowed fur at the Balalaika, a Russian bar with a freezing Vodka Room (hence the need for fur).
A cool piece of art in Central.
See, I really was there!
El and I visited Madame Tussaud's and got to dress up like a few famous people, including some sumo wrestlers.
Hong Kong is obsessed with Elvis. Unfortunately, this one looks more like Keanu Reeves than the King.
My best friend in the whole world.
One of my favorite sights - these are burning incense coils in a public altar just a short walk from a major entertainment district. So unexpected to come across something like this in a big city - and the smell was incredibly intense.
Every night, Hong Kong puts on a big light and sound show in which over 40 buildings participate. They use laser beams, spotlights, and other lights synced with narration and music. We sailed around Victoria Harbor one night in a traditional junk, looking at sights like this. Truly a memorable experience.
Dimly lit view of the junk - it was hard to get a good picture with all the bright lights everywhere.
The red sail of our junk.
View of the boat from the deck.
The red sail of our junk upon exiting. That building is called IFC 2 (International Finance Center).
Central skyline at night from our junk.
Mid-light show.
International Finance Center at night.
Sign advertising a restaurant that I will never, ever visit. Ew.
El's fruity drink at the Captain's Bar, located in Asia's best hotel, the Mandarin Oriental.
Drinks and snacks at the Captain's Bar.
The scary-looking spiny fruit is called rambutan. The inside looks kind of like an eyeball.
A mangosteen, an awesome fruit that we don't get in the States. It's tart and sweet, and it has amazing health benefits. We sometimes get the juice here, but it's really expensive.
More Asian fruit - the plum-like fruit is the mangosteen. The pink one is called a wax apple, and the greenish orbs are longan fruit.
So many strange food products in Hong Kong.
Dragon fruit! It tastes like kiwi, with white flesh and little edible black seeds.
One of four pandas at Ocean Park, a multi-level amusement park built into the side of a mountain in the middle of Hong Kong. To get to the different levels, you have to take the world's longest escalator ride (seriously, it's the largest outdoor escalator in the world) or ride the skyrail (like a ski lift).
Jellyfish (or sea jellies, as they're called there) at Ocean Park.
Seahorses at Ocean Park.
Starfish at Ocean Park.
Starfish closeup!
Perfect day at Shek O beach.
Shek O.
Shek O beach.
More Shek O.
Couldn't resist.
Hong Kong reminded me of New York City, frequently. Lots of neon, crowded streets, busy subway system, indescribable sights and smells.
A funny restaurant sign. Yiu Fat Seafood!
Read, then laugh.
Crazy tree in Stanley, the last island we visited during my trip.
HSBC headquarters.
The Bank of China building.
Cool facade in the middle of a small pool in Central.
The most popular American imports. There's a 7-Eleven on virtually every corner.
Funny sign for a restaurant called "The Flying Pan." (Get it?)
Figurine sold in the huge mall in El's building. We named him George.
Sign in the Tokyo Narita airport, advertising shower rooms.
The Chinese are beyond excited about the Olympics. This countdown was in one of the subway stations.
