Trip to Hong Kong With Mark & Diane

This year we plan to make a few trips out of the country. In our first three years Mark & I never traveled to neighboring countries so we hope to see other Asian cultures this year. For our first trip we met up with our good friends Mark & Diane in Hong Kong. We knew them in Beijing in 2013 before his employer relocated them. Now they live in southern China, about 2 hours from Hong Kong.  

After visiting Hong Kong, we decided that we prefer Beijing. Because the British originally owned Hong Kong, we liked the fact that most people spoke English, albeit with a British twist. We saw many more tourists here than in Beijing. But the British influence also dictated how Hong Kong developed. A local person told us that British land development allows a certain percentage (c. 60%) of land to be developed and the remainder stays 'green' or undeveloped. Therefore, Hong Kong's populations density outweighs Beijing's. We like Beijing's quietness and spaciousness. It's all relative. :)

One of many pedestrian bridges

Overlooking a street from a pedestrian bridge

A street
market

I don't know how to turn this picture 90 degrees, but notice how the bamboo scaffolding rests on the ground. Every area of HK had construction zones with bamboo scaffolding.

Steps up to a park

Looking across the bay

We rode the 10-minute ferry to reach the other side of the bay.

Almost every bus was a double-decker bus - another British influence.

Look at this at 90 degrees. Another example of bamboo construction protection.

Mark & Diane really wanted a western steak because they aren't available in their area.

Another example of British influence. I kept looking the opposite direction to cross the street.