Sunday, August 7, 2016

An Afternoon In Kowloon...

Later this evening, I fly back to Incheon. But before that, I headed to Nathan Road in Kowloon for a while...



On Nathan Road...


Passing by the very famous Chungking Mansions...

Chungking Mansions, in the heart of Kowloon is a microcosm of this bustling metropolis. Built in 1961, this 17-storey building is home to over 4000 people from an estimated 120 different nationalities, all lured by the immense opportunities that Hong Kong offers.
While Chungking Mansions is designated for residential use, the building includes a wide variety of commercial establishments including three shopping malls, forex outlets, export-import companies and restaurants. The building is home to cheap guesthouses for backpackers.
But the place has also gained some notoriety for illegal activities such as smuggling and drugs. Despite that there is something indescribable about this place that led an anthropologist, Gordon Mathews to say "Whereas the illegalities in Chungking Mansions are widely known, the wondrousness of the place is not."



And I land up at the legendary Sarvanaa Bhawan, which indeed is a temple for great South Indian cuisine, irrespective of the shenanigans of its owner P. Rajagopal...


Vada sambhar, it so heavenly...


Rava masala dosa - the goodness of South India in every morsel...


South Indian filter - the bitter sweet nectar, the elixir that jolts you into action!


On the way to the Airport Express station in Kowloon...


A Tesla electric car!



Beware!


On thee way to Chep Lap Kok!!!


Saturday, August 6, 2016

I Don't Want Nirvana! I Want Great Food, Always! -- Part XXVII - Taiwanese Deju Vu...




From Quarry Bay, we headed to Causeway Bay...


A ding-ding - Hong Kong's heritage tram on the run...


And guess what, I landed up at local branch of Din Tai Fung...


Stir fried water spinach...


Mushroom dumplings...


Chicken xiaolongbaos...


Those are mine - the juiciest, delectable pork xiaolongbaos...


The Din Tai Fung style of having xiaolongbaos...


When in Hong Kong, you just have to do it, do it HK style!


Stopping to say Hej at the Causeway Bay outlet of IKEA!

Sunset Over Kowloon Bay...



And now comes a well deserved day of rest in Hong Kong, before returning back to Incheon tomorrow, in just about 24-hours from now...


Heading towards the Quarry Bay Promenade...


Dusk sets in...


And this is as peaceful as it gets here and I am enjoying it!


Overlooking Kowloon Bay...
And straight ahead is the runway of the old Kai Tak airport, which has been converted into a cruise terminal...



It so calm out here!



The Kai Tak cruise terminal. And Chep Lap Kok is great, it must have been such a thrill to land into Hong Kong, at Kai Tak, with the steep-bank at the Checkerboard Hill and I feel sad I never could land here at Kai Tak...


Sunset over Kowloon Bay...


A tug from Victoria Harbour...


Enjoying the peace here...


It is indeed bliss!

Fragrant Harbour (香港), Here I Am...



And here I am in the Fragrant Harbour, or Hong Kong, the amazing city that never ceases to amaze me.
This is my third visit to Hong Kong. I would be here for exactly a day before I leave for Incheon tomorrow. I intend spending the day here, meeting family and resting before getting into the heat of things back home...


Chep Lap Kok is indeed one of favourite airports, it makes my heart race, whenever I arrive here!



Oh! That's Cathay Pacific's Boeing 747-400 - this aircraft will be retired from the fleet very soon!



The ramp at HKG is so full of action!



Reverse thrust in action on the Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 that just landed...



Onward to our parking bay...

I cleared immigration and customs within 30 minutes of landing and then I headed to buy my Airport Express tickets before heading to Hong Kong Station, from where I transferred on to the MRT line. And the MRT is the best way to see Hong Kongers on the move, as always, they remain glued to their cellphones!


And all I can say "I Love Hong Kong" after getting reminded of the melodious title song from the 2011 Cantonese comedy film "I Love Hong Kong", which Neeti and I had seen in 2013 and  had absolutely enjoyed...

Up In The Air .... Part 43

As my plane descends into the Fragrant Harbour (the literal meaning of Hong Kong in Cantonese), I get trigger-happy clicking the urban landscapes of this amazing city...



The haze around magically started lifting as we descended into Hong Kong...


Hong Kong island on the left and Kowloon on the right, with the runway of Hong Kong's old and legendary Kai Tak airport jutting out into Kowloon Bay... 


And a clearer view of the Kai Tak runway...
I can imagine how Kai Tak would have sent aviation enthusiasts' pulses racing in the yesteryears...




And again another view of Kai Tak...



Zooming in, into views of the IFC Tower and the ICC Tower...






Hong Kong indeed looks magical...



Heading towards Chep Lap Kok...




Tsing Yi and Ma Wan islands...




Tsing Yi island...





On finals into HKG...


Reclamation for Hong Kong International Airport's expansion underway...





On short finals...


And finally I am at my favourite airport...

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