whitekoi: 5days in Hong Kong & Macau

Hong Kong - Pearl of the East

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The city is bigger than one can imagine, it's virtually a three dimensional city,
lots of up/down walking, even with the help of escalators, there is still plenty of walking.
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Kowloon side :
Viewing Hong Kong harbor from Avenue of stars in Kowloon
skyscrapers is on Hong Kong island

Ferries travel between islands, lower deck cost about $0.25
the upper deck costs more

Humidity is very high, only sea breeze can keep one cool

We wait for the daily light show at 8pm
the grand display no other city can match with

Typical street scene, tall buildings one after other
signs fills the sky, shops fills the side

"woman's street", the only street allows vendor booth,
we arrived too early, no shop open yet

chain jewelry shop can been seen everywhere
mainland people swarm in here buying gold like going starbucks

a few surviving cheap eatery place

Hong Kong side:
the tallest building in HK

most buildings are 40+ stories

convenient walkways connecting high rises in financial district
really feels like living in a futuristic city

all major name brand shops are here
most lower level of big building has a department store like this one
truly shoppers paradise

tram connecting to the peak tower
the highest point in HK island
escalator is also available to mid point, then transfer to tram
doube deck bus goes through residential area and taking lot longer

Peak tower is yet another giant mall

Grand view at the tower viewing deck, it costs $3 to get up here

Kowloon is across the harbor

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The famous floating restaurant is on quiet side of HK island

since taxi is hard to find in this area, so we did not stay too long

Lan Kwai Fong is the place for bar and night life,
we happens to be here on hollowing night

streets are entirely filled, we decide to follow rest of crowd and leave

LANTAU (DA-YU) Mountain in New Territory

1hr subway + 1/2 hr bus away, sits the largest Budda , its temple and a brand new toursit village

last stretch to Budda is this 200+ stairs,
the entrance ticket also get you a nice free meal at the temple restaurant

Coming down is easy, godola drops 1500ft in 30min
the HK airport can be seen below

Airport bus A21 goes through this super long suspension bridge

MACAU
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Unlike British to HK , Portugese actually pays rent to lease the land for 400yrs to facilitate shipping industrial. New Macau consists of three islands that are connected by highway and bridges,
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brand new vegas style casinos are the main attractions, which erected on land fill zone in the middle island