Hong Kong:
3-hour flight from Bangkok to visit James,

(with our up-side-down glasses on!)

the cool guy I originally met on this trip, in Portugal.  I’ll be here for 7 days to visit and explore the area.  Staying on a great island called Lamma.  It’s such a bizarre place.  There’s a huge expat community here and those who aren’t speak perfect English.  It seems that everyone knows everyone else here.  I’ve met quite a few people so far and am really loving it.  Today is my second day, and already I have friends to greet in the streets.  There are no cars allowed here, so the “streets” are nothing more than pedestrian walkways.

Well, now, back in Bangkok and at the same tired hotel… ;)  Soon to the islands…

I was under the weather for my first few days in Hong Kong.  Good for some R&R.  James started work (at Chick on the Run, none the less!) the day after I arrived, so I was on my own.  I explored the island of Lamma and, when I felt better, went for a run from our town to the next town up, near the peak.  James’s girlfirend Pam suggested we gather a crew and go for a hike up the main peak on Lamma.  It was a great idea and we made the round-trip in about 5 hours!  Good, steep, rugged climbing.  Very overgrown and steep.  Brush was occasionally overhead for 20 meters at a time.

Spent some time in Hong Kong city.  The ferry ride from Lamma was about 30 minutes and then transport in the town was quite simple.  The shopping is insane.  They have electronics that we’ll likely never have in the US…and this matters to ME!! ;)  I bought a simple picture storage-device/ viewer.  Now I don’t have to worry about my memory cards filling up…

Took a tram to the top of Hong Kong island for the spectacular views found there.  Amazing architecture.  Everything’s so clean…the lines, the streets, everything.  I had set my timer to 2 seconds and was just spinning around to the camera in this shot. 

At night after James would get off work, we would go to one of the pubs on the island.  It wasn’t inexpensive, either.  Prices were just below those in the US, save anything electronic.  Food could be found cheap, but often it was not.
one particular evening, we got a whole crew together for dinner…picture…