Three Trams

Three Trams, originally uploaded by Pumpkin Media.

Trams have been running through Hong Kong island since the early 20th century. An efficient, cheap and fun way to get around Hong Kong.

Lamma Winds

289891_10150520189527576_639977575_11533115_1029044386_o, originally uploaded by Pumpkin Media.

I’ve lived on Lamma Island for 3 years and it was only this weekend when I left the comforts of home to go on a mini-hike with my friend, Sheena.

I found out two things:

1. Hong Kong is indeed a beautiful place and there is more to it than tall buildings and shopping centers. It teems with beaches, nature hikes and breathtaking vistas; and

2. I’m so out of shape

I wonder if this can get me blogging again?

Discovered the WordPress app for the BlackBerry, and I wonder if this could get me blogging again. I’ve stopped posting for a year because of many reasons, and one of them is my old nemesis – “manana”. Just lost momentum and one day I realized that a year has gone by without one post, one photo. Seriously Ria, get it started again.

74: IFC Gotham

Tags

400D, canon, gotham, hong kong, IFC, night, skyline

IFC Gotham, originally uploaded by The Lady of the Lens.

What haze, a lone lamp post and a lighted building under a starless sky do to inspire the Gotham lover in me.

73: The Ferry Life

Tags

400D, canon, ferry, hong kong, IFC, lamma island, victoria harbour

Discovery Bay Ferry Leaving Central Piers – 2010, originally uploaded by The Lady of the Lens.

Living in Lamma Island requires me to take the ferry every time I decide to take a break from paradise. The  scene in the photo above greets me every time I go into town to do some serious shopping and hobnobbing. Isn’t it beautiful? But not long ago this scene was a saving grace to me more than it was a thing of beauty. Because soon as I see the IFC building from the Lamma ferry window, I knew that it would only be a few minutes more until I reached safety and stable ground. You see, I’m famous for my motion sickness. I can hardly go to Baguio without throwing up sometime during the journey. So you can just imagine my hesitation and fear when my husband, my beloved, sweet husband, decided to settle us in Lamma Island.

But since HK was to be one of my many adventures with my husband, I decided to stow away my fears and hop on that ferry to our island paradise. So, after 2 years of hopping in and out of ferries I no longer have to shut my eyes and force myself to sleep every time it leaves the dock. I also no longer stumble and wobble my way off the pier every time I get off a ferry like a drunkard.

Talk about small personal victories.

72: Twice the Fun

Tags

400D, blue, canon, color, ferris wheel, hong kong, ocean park, rides, roller coaster

Twice the Fun 2009 – Ocean Park, Hong Kong, originally uploaded by The Lady of the Lens.

Everybody say “wheeee!!!!”. Before there was Disneyland, Ocean Park ruled the Hong Kong amusement park scene. It’s actually a whole other animal. With exciting rides, cable cars, performing sea life this ancient gem as endured!

The Pearl of the Orient

Tags

1930, americans, black and white, colony, manila, old manila, youtube

Loving this video of Manila, Philippines taken during the 1930′s (before World War II). I’ve often referred to this video as the “original Travel Channel”. It’s just such a shame that a lot of the buildings and bridges shown in the video no longer exist due to the  bombings in WWII (during the American’s re-occupation of Manila) and because of urban blight. Nevertheless, Manila may look a lot more different nowadays, but it still promises a cacophony of sound and a smorgasbord of experiences.