I spent Sunday exploring Lantau Island—along with everyone from the Chinese mainland. It was still Golden Week - the chinese national holiday and lots and lots of tourists were visiting the giant buddha and monastary on Lantau.

I took the ferry over to the island and then a bus from the docks up to the top of the mountain. About 100 buses were there, with more arriving every moment. It was a major transportation hub. I thought this palce would be more quiet and serene but it is a major destination.

I experienced my first public toilet and was thankful that I have experience backpacking and good knees.

I paid my money and walked up the 268 stairs to the top where the Buddha sat so serenely. This sculpture is amazing. Bronze and huge. You can walk around inside. The views were amazing and it was a shame it was hot and hazy. I would like to go back when it is crisp and clear and do more photographing.

After the Buddha and touring the grounds, I took another bus down the other side of the mountain to Tai O - a small fishing village that is still on stilts. I walked through the fish market—shark fins, live fish, dead and dried shrimp and fish and other strange things. After the village, I took another bus back to the main village where the ferry was. I ate along the water and fed egg from my noodle dish to a family of dock cats. This is an amazing place.

Dining at Yung Kee - Cantonese food that kept coming and coming until we couldn't eat anymore.

Food seems to be very important in Hong Kong and there were restaurants everywhere we turned. Between the great restaurants and the great food at the hotel, we did a lot of eating. This shot is of the awesome seafood curry I had on my last night in Hong Kong.

On Monday we wandered around Hong Kong park and through many of the large bank and finance buildings. Really cool architecture - I didn't really take enough pictures. One of the buildings had a viewing space on the 43rd floor - which we visited and I took some shots. The building actually had 70 floors but they didn't alow random people past the 43rd.

We also saw a lot of brides having their wedding/engagement portraits being done in the park. They were all in their wedding gowns and most had professional photographers following them around with lights and reflectors. As we walked out of the park we passed one last woman being photographed, by her friend with her camera phone. It was too funny - unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it.

I went up to Victoria Peak three times during my trip. Once on the Saturday of Golden week so there were 100's of people up there, once on Monday afternoon once my coworkers arrived and then again on Tuesday night to see the view of the city at night. It was spectacular. The only thing lacking was clear, non hazy skies and puffy white clouds. This montage is from the first day.

Not signs, but lanterns hanging across the street. A remnant from the week before's Lantern festival.

Panoramic of the view outside my room at Le Meridien, Cyberport, Hong Kong.
Most days it was hazy and overcast in the morning and I never really saw the sky. The other images are of the fabulous room and the crazy posh bathroom.

I spent the last week of February in Austin for a DMI workshop and the IA Summit. When I wasn't absorbing all sorts of wisdom I was running around town with my camera. Here are a few shots of the downtown area.