Hong Kong

The last stop was Hong Kong, where we spent 4 days eating everything! And a bit of walking around to work up our appetites.

The smog followed us to Hong Kong. Across Victoria Harbour towards Hong Kong island from Tsim Sha Tsui.  

Meeting up with friends from Calgary for dinner at a seafood dai pai dong (food stall-type restaurant) located in the upper level of a parking lot. 

Yes, this is beer in a rice bowl. And yes, they served it that way for everyone. 

My first squid ink pasta. Looks horrible, but surprisingly tasty. 

Night 2 - dim sum dinner

Xiao Long Boa (Shanghai soup dumpling)

View from a rooftop bar - Victoria Harbour across to Tsim Sha Tsui. 

This building kept going into the clouds - well, into the smog. 

We spent an afternoon cycling to Plover's Cove. Will, who was suffering from some travel bug, was a real trooper.

Fishing along the cycling path.

Thankfully most of the route was on a divided cycling path. 

Cycling to Plover's Cove with a Buddha watching over a village in the background.

Exploring side streets in Wan Chai

Taking the tram to Victoria Peak

The tram goes up an impressively steep track.

A smoggy view from the top. 

Central Hong Kong, with Victoria Harbour and Tsim Sha Tsui in the background.

More dim sum! Baked BBQ pork buns

Turnip cake

Ha gao (steamed shrimp dumplings)

Hong Kong's grungier side - because we had to do something other than eat.

A break from Chinese food for Japanese ramen. 

A friend introduced us to the best dan tat (egg tarts) in Hong Kong.

UNESCO Sites and Tea Plots - Wuyishan, Fujian

Between Shanghai and Hong Kong we stopped in the town of Wuyishan to spend a day exploring the nearby Wuyi National Nature Reserve. The park and surrounding area are home to many tea plantations. Unfortunately, it was cloudy/smoggy for our visit (again), but the park was still beautiful. It consists of valleys, tea gardens, steep cliffs, some temples and many, many stairs.

Crossing the Chongyang Brook towards Wuyi National Nature Reserve. 

Wuyi National Nature Reserve

On a bridge looking down into a long, narrow gap between two cliffs. 

Tea gardens in the park's valleys.

Overlooking more tea gardens from a mountainside path. 

A temple in the park.

A man carrying a bundle down a long stairwell into a valley. 

  

View from one peak over the park. 

One of the many creative paths through the park. 

This is what happens when you give me your camera and ask me to take a photo of you. 

Will on a bridge over a stream.

Another stream crossing.

That hut is farther away than it appears. 

A delicious beef  noodle soup that we had our last day in Wuyishan. I have no idea what it's called, it was ordered with various hand signals and guessing. But it was amazing. 

Shanghai - Paris of the East (one of them, at least)

I read that Shanghai had, long ago, been known as Paris of the East. Though later discovered that many cities have claimed this title.  This particular Paris of the East surpassed all of my expectations. It was beautiful, friendly, full of interesting architecture, delicious food and more shopping than I had contemplated. Perhaps I simply hadn't done enough background research on the city before going, but I was happy with this surprise.

The start to our trip was good. A flight attendant on our flight from Vancouver to Shanghai happened to be the mother of a colleague of mine. That colleague mentioned we would be on the flight and her mother made sure we had wine waiting for us when we boarded. Easily the closest I have ever been to first-class treatment. 

Wine selection for the flight over. 

A rainy walk down East Nanjing Road - a portion of which is pedestrian-only.

Among the many things for sale: any type of dried meat conceivable. 

From a balcony overlooking the Bund and Huangpu River. 

Walking along the Bund. Unfortunately it was a smoggy day, so our view was hazy.

The stately Pudong Development Bank along the Bund. 

The Bund Bull, just across from the Pudong Development Bank. Designed by the same artist of the Charging Bull on Wall Street. Supposedly the government asked that this bull be younger, stronger and larger than the NYC version. It is also more red in colour. 

More ornate architecture along the Bund. A pipe organ-themed building. 

At the Yuyuan Bazaar

At the Yuyuan Bazaar

We even found a micro-brewery in the French Concession area.
Sadly, we discovered shortly after taking this photo that it was closed that day. 

In the French Concession. These brick-style buildings and lane-ways reminded me of the Halifax Brewery Market. 

Hard to make out, but this person is on a ladder that has two rungs hooked onto a seemingly live power line and suspended in the air, while his coworker holds the bottom steady.  Maybe a longer ladder would help? Or a cherry-picker?

Posters at the Propaganda Poster Art Center.

Anti-capitalist poster at the Propaganda Poster Art Center.

Poster at the Propaganda Poster Art Center.

One of my favourite things about Shanghai? The abundance of food stalls that popped up near our hotel everyday.
Cheap, convenient, delicious.

And of course bubble tea at every corner.
Will thoughtfully took this photo as he waited for me (again) to get bubble tea.