Mar 28th-30th- Hong Kong

  There is something familiar about this colorful and bustling metropolis. Maybe it's the residue of its colonial heritage from Merry Old, but it has taken it to a whole new level. Hong Kong or "Fragrant Harbor" as its name translates, found its roots in early trade with India and western Asia areas in spices and aromatic woods, and thus its name. It is comprised of an island, Hong Kong proper, as well as neighboring mainland Kowloon and a chunk of new territories to its northwest. The English took posession after the Opium Wars in the mid 1800's, and except for the brief bombing and posession by the Japanese during WWII, Britain retained control until 1997. The national holiday that was Queen Victoria's Birthday is now celebrated as the birthday of "The Budda!"China has acepted Hong Kong's return while allowing it continued special business enterprise status. Fellow travelers who have done business here or visited over the last 15 years say that, like Shanghai, the growth and modern development is nothing short of amazing. What I found fascinating is the incorporation of the traditional Taoist and Buddist veneration at century old temples puffing with hopeful insence prayers and offerings, plunked amid soaring skyscrapers. The traditonal life goes on in the live markets too, where eels battle for space in small aquariun tanks before being snagged and bagged for supper. All this and Luis Vitton and Chanel and Guicci around the corner...a new 280 mile an hour train will cut the commute to Shanghai from 28 hours to 10 by 2015. An interesting fact is that instead of learning English as a second language, Mandarin is being taught here to the native born Cantonese....I think we had better start taking Rosetta Stone courses subito!



Arriving in Hong Kong harbor during laser show



Rickshaws Anyone???