11/14
Mong Kok, Kowloon
Finally, it's come to the last day. This is also more or less an off day; I have one point left to hit in the New Territories, mostly to get omiyage for work, and the harbor tour, and that's it. Two more point-ats, another try at getting animu junk, and it'll be time to sit up for the Celtic game with beer and snacks -- but since it's tonight rather than last night, it'll be in my room while packing up rather than out trying to find a bar willing to put it on.
645. Waiting for the elevator out, this building catches the light.
646. Yuen Long -- mountains and railway bridge.
I got lost trying to get to Huang Heng on the first attempt, but at least the views were nice.
647. Mountain to the east.
648. Yuen Long cityscape.
Cakes are in; another pass on Nathan, bunker this stuff, and we're done.
649. Restaurant with a silly name in the MTR station.
I got back, and also successfully got my anime crap. A full set of Railgun keyfobs, the second series of Sukuran minifigs, featuring artist Harima and cheerleader Eri, a Capt. Gotou keychain by 100% accident, and the requisite K-On junk, a posable Mio figurine capable of doing bass drops. The only challenge is to get all this shit home.
Since lunch was mostly two cans of Blue Girl (plus some dried fish), I got some drying out to so, but by three I should be on the tour. With that sorted, and the pics written up, another pack of dried and a couple tins and I'll be set for the night.
650. People from Glasgow keep telling me to get down here. I wonder why.
Sorry, that joke doesn't translate at all into normal-people English.
651. Into Central through the haze. The API in Mong Kok this morning was 94 -- glad I got out, but I wasn't especially feeling it.
652. CCP quitting station at the Star Ferry pier. Full service, yeh?
The tour wasn't leaving till 4:05, so I went to get some eats in the median.
653. Banyan by Heritage 1881.
White hippies who've hiked Nathan in full dreadsack, tire sandals, and patchouli stench need to wire in as to whether they've gotten barked up by the tailors. I really suspect that the trigger here is Nilla-P and Nilla-P alone; I'm in a battered army hat with a death metal pin through it, stinking to high heaven and slugging San Mig out of a can -- in what rational world do I look like I'll ever need a handtailored suit?
654. TST clock tower up close.
655. Closer view over to Central.
656. Youth band playing a showcase in the clock tower park. The lack of DIY venues and opportunities really hurts; if I were rating this event, these guys would come in at about a 2.5/7: mediocre A-rock, devoid of flavor and not really nutritious, much like this ham-and-egg bun I'm currently eating.
It feels like rain -- maybe there's been a point to hiking about with this ultralight rainjacket in my bag all week.
657. Next band; 3/7. Less boring, and they missed fewer notes.
658. For the death metal fans; I ended up paying a monk like $120 for this picture, so enjoy it.
659. My wrist is about 1" greater in circumference than Buddhist touts expect.
Lazy
660. Star Ferry and Central skyline.
661. Towards Kennedy.
662. Ships on the roads.
663. Centered on the BoC tower.
664. Plane against the sky.
665. Tower on the Kowloon side.
666. Cotai ferry coming in.
667. Central and tramp freighter.
668. Bridge and typhoon shelter.
669. Waves as we roll.
670. Another of the TST typhoon shelter.
671. Pilot boat -- it's coming right at us!
672. More of the western roads.
673. Central and Lantau fast ferry.
674. Freighter and houseboat.
675. Central waterfront.
676. IFC and surrounding buildings.
677. Wake of a hydrofoil and the K-town side.
678. Central waterfront again.
679. Kowloon side, better view.
680. IFC and further east.
681. Houseboat dwarfed by Central.
682. Central and opera house.
683. Paper floating in the harbor.
684. Just the tip of Kowloon.
685. Houseboat in front of the opera house.
686. Kowloon again.
687. Eastbound out of Sha Tou.
688. Closer in on the stern.
689. Houseboat and pier.
690. Central pier house.
691. Bank of China and neighbors.
692. The IFC recedes as we pull out from Central.
693. Freighter 'under escort'.
694. Chopper inbound.
695. Overflight.
696. Buoy in the harbor.
697. Small boats plying the channel.
698. Freighters crossing in front of Central.
699. Freighters, houseboat, skyline.
700. Houseboat dwarfed by the towers of Central.
701. A high-riding freighter fills the frame.
702. Another old boat against the gleaming skyline.
703. Kowloon and Central reaching out to touch.
704. Wide view of Central under cloudy skies.
705. A headland in east Kowloon.
706. A helicopter crosses up the IFC.
707. Rubbing strake and the water.
708. AIA building, Wan Chai.
709. Housing blocks, a little further east.
710. Freighter pounding eastwards.
711. North Point.
712. Terracing and cruise ship, Kowloon side.
713. East Central.
714. Coming onto the end of the Kowloon peninsula.
715. Back over to Central.
716. Cool apartment blocks in east TST.
717. Also on the tour.
718. Containers loading in Kowloon.
719. Scrap barge on its berth.
720. Sand barge and Central.
721. Sino Group Christmas decorations part 1.
722. Part 2.
723. Part 3. (These aren't lit yet.)
724. Highrises in southern Kowloon.
725. Big ads in Central.
726. Tug and Central.
727. Sand barge, same spot.
728. Peninsular Hotel with tower.
729. Motor junk Aqua Luna tying up.
730. A differently-liveried ferry coming across.
731. Old fire engine, Salisbury Road underpass.
732. Nathan stirs to life at dusk.
With this, the trip is all but over. I still have to get dinner and figure out how I'm going to pack all this shit up, but I'm not going to see anything new of Hong Kong in the process. This was a good vacation; time to wind it down, be sure to get the plans for tomorrow morning set, and get ready to go back to work.
It's either the insoles or just acclimatization, but I've got my kick and my second gear back -- either that or everyone else just moseys along on Sundays rather than going at their normal pace.
Dinner was at the MK Eat Together, a local chain restaurant; kickass yummy cuisine at the $20 price point. I'm going to miss this when I get home.
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