hkskyline
December 31st, 2007, 04:00 AM
2007 has been a very interesting year. I had the chance to fly around the region a lot for both business and personal trips, which was a very new and fresh dimension to restablishing my life in Hong Kong.
Now that the year is wrapping up. It's time to bring back some of those memories and share them with you which I otherwise wouldn't have during earlier presentations of these photos.
Rest assured, I've mixed some new photos never posted before with this compilation. In fact, I'm still very much behind in processing my 2007 set, and even some
2006 and 2005 photos haven't made it to Photoshop yet.
My focus is to clear out my 2006 Shanghai set and will proceed then to 2007 Copenhagen. :)
January - India
I never thought India would be my first trip in 2007, and it was a very shocking trip. There was a lot of poverty there, and it was hard to bear sometimes. I thought Mumbai was rather advanced being the financial capital, but my first impression was actually fairly bad. Nevertheless, there are a lot of very interesting buildings in the city, and it was fun to go around the streets trying to capture them all.
Mumbai Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai.htm
1. Sunset by the Arabian Sea
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8751.jpg
2. There aren't that many highrises in the historic core at all.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8894.jpg
3. The Queen's necklace ... with a nice waterfront promenade but many street kids trying to get some change from the unsuspecting tourist.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8897.jpg
4. Gateway of India from the Taj hotel.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9931.jpg
5. Can't believe these ancient buses can still run.
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_8912.jpg
7. Beautiful architecture indeed ...
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070203/IMG_9804.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070203/IMG_9845.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070121/IMG_8590.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_8919.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_8927.jpg
10. Relaxing like a colonial.
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070203/IMG_9892.jpg
11. It was quite a shock to actually walk out to this mosque. On my right, there was a goat feeding on the garbage by the water. Further out, the fishing boat was netting fish. On the left, there was a fairly bad oil slick with more garbage everywhere, and then a few kids picking up bottles in the water. Then there are the beggars on the walkway. Quite an intense scene indeed.
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_9073.jpg
12. Can you find your laundry?
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_9142.jpg
Upon returning home, I realized how fortunate I was living in relative luxury in Hong Kong!
13. Now a break and off to the next city!
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070130/IMG_9664.jpg
Singapore
I ended up visiting Singapore 4 times in 2007, both before and after Mumbai for the flight transfer and two more times in the spring and summer. But it's just too hot down there! I'm more happy with cold weather after years living in North America.
Singapore Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore.htm
14. I had a chance to go up the Swissotel to enjoy a meal against a picture-perfect sunset. The lobster tasted bad, but the view made up for the not-so-good food.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070325/IMG_6207.jpg
15. I was expecting a lot of downpours being in the tropics, but the weather cleared up for a few days and I was out in action taking pictures, hoping to take full advantage of this weather miracle that I didn't think would last.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070120/IMG_8237.jpg
16. These covers over the streets make walking and dining feasible during a tropical downpour.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070326/IMG_6557.jpg
17. I had a chance to eat in this neighborhood, but indoors. I wished we ate outside despite the heat.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070326/IMG_6593.jpg
18. One of the biggest tourist ripoffs was Sentosa, an island just off the city centre. Every minute thing costed money, which I didn't think was worth the price. I should've taken the rails instead. However, I observed that couples could book a cable car for a romantic dinner at night, which is a nice business idea.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070327/IMG_6852.jpg
19. I'm not a beach person. But it was nice watching the oil tankers and container ships pass by the beach amidst the sunset.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070327/IMG_7031.jpg
20. Quite a lot of regulations for supposedly free speech.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070204/IMG_0435.jpg
21. A fun but expensive exercise was to ride the DHL balloon up for a few minutes to get a glimpse of the world around me.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070325/IMG_5953.jpg
22. Incense burning at a temple on a rainy day. What a combination.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070728/IMG_9403.jpg
Beijing
I finally got a chance to scratch off walking the whole Forbidden City off my to-do list. Technically, I still have a small section left, but I think I covered a good 80% of it by now. On a beautiful yet smoggy weekend, I spent 4.5 hours in there taking well over 1000 photos. I still haven't finished putting this set online.
Beijing Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing.htm
23. How grand!
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_2959.jpg
24. I was told that there are no trees in these areas to prevent assassins from hiding in the vegetation by day to do their deeds by night.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_3034.jpg
25. I must say after 3 hours I got a bit numb from all the buildings in the Forbidden City!
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_3056.jpg
26. Chairman Mao greets all visitors entering one of the main gates to the Forbidden City.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_2776.jpg
27. A lot of tourists were already waiting to get in early in the morning.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_2833.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_2936.jpg
29. Hutong preservation has been a hot topic within Western press lately. While it's important to preserve Beijing's historic architecture, the reality is a lot of these hutongs lack the basic necessities, and it's not possible to keep them the way they are now.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_4280.jpg
30. Quite surprising to find this church just a few blocks from the Forbidden City!
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070318/IMG_5411.jpg
31. Enjoying Beijing's parks.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_4130.jpg
32. No cracks in this bell.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_4099.jpg
33. The Military Museum is quite a hidden gem, with all sorts of interesting gear on display, and an impressive exhibition on China's history.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070318/IMG_4766.jpg
34. Quite an impressive monument to CCTV!
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070311/IMG_2549.jpg
Qingdao
I decided to take a break by flying again. This time I picked Qingdao, which is an emerging popular destination for Hong Kongers who have grown sick of going to Beijing and Shanghai for the millionth time. It was a good choice.
Web gallery under development.
35. This was also the first time I witnessed a sandstorm, which is not exactly the prettiest encounter.
http://www.globalphotos.org/shandong/20070331/IMG_7877.jpg
36. However, the old architecture was still interesting.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8229.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8175.jpg
37. Yet there is a lot of new stuff as well. The city itself looks quite good, but ocean, beach, and hill views, and a lot of German-style architecture remains.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8475.jpg
38. However, the highlight of my trip was climbing Tai Shan, one of China's great mountains. No, I didn't climb it physically. There's a cable car for lazy tourists like me.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9772.jpg
39. Hard to believe they built so much stuff up there way back then. How did they haul all the materials up?
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9725.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9748.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9746.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9762.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9732.jpg
Seoul
Time to return to Korea, and catch up on stuff I missed on my 2 previous visits. With the help of a Korean local, eating was no longer an impossible feat and I got to try some delicious local delicacies.
Seoul Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/seoul.htm
44. I miss the clam udon soup already.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070606/IMG_2388.jpg
45. I went back up KLI63 again since my previous visit was ruined by thick smog so bad I couldn't even see across the river. This time the visibility was quite good. However, the walk from the subway station was still too long!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4426.jpg
46. Ahhh ... that stream that used to be a highway. A wonderful new addition to Seoul's parks.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_3368.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_3333.jpg
48. I walked the stretch from start to Dongdaemun. It goes on further east but I was just too tired to continue.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_3408.jpg
49. I've longed to go up Seoul Tower to admire the views, and on a clear day, I got my treat. The view was just awesome, and I didn't have to wait forever at the cable car station!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070609/IMG_2496.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070609/IMG_2666.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070609/IMG_2596.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070609/IMG_2648.jpg
53. I went out of the way to see this old prison that was used by the Japanese invaders as a torture facility for Korean nationalists opposing colonial rule. Quite a lot of sad stories echoed through these walls.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_3766.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_3773.jpg
55. I also did a long walking tour of Gangnam along Teheranno. In retrospect, I had no idea how I could walk so far that day - from Apgujeong to Gangnam Station.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4314.jpg
56. I really liked how uniform the heights were all along the street, with a mix of traditional and not-so-ordinary architecture.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4399.jpg
57. Yet, Seoul still has a lot of quieter quarters as well, despite being a huge city.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4190.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4192.jpg
59. I'm beginning to hate the spider. I've seen the same thing in too many cities around the world.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_3883.jpg
Busan
I also made a quick weekend trip to Busan on the KTX.
Those trains go quite fast! Busan is a wonderful city with ocean and hill settings. Since I was on my own though, I had quite a hard time trying to order the fresh seafood they're so famous for.
Busan Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/busan.htm
60. So I had to settle for an abalone congee at the hotel. Still good nevertheless!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_1305.jpg
61. But look at all that street food!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_1195.jpg
62. Welcome to Busan.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_1888.jpg
63. Connecting the dots.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_1919.jpg
64. I had a mix of cloudy skies and blue skies. The walk along the beach during the annual sand festival was especially nice with the sun shining above.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_2167.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_2247.jpg
66. A lot of joggers around here as well, but I was too lazy to go faster than a brisk walk!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_2276.jpg
67. My gosh ... look at all the seafood ready for consumption raw or cooked!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_0520.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_0535.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_0617.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_0587.jpg
71. A sea of spicy kimchi.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_1059.jpg
Shenzhen
Being right next to HK, it was easy to hop over for a day trip, and a bunch of us forumers decided to go see the modern side of Shenzhen on a hot summer day. In fact, we did 2 visits - one in February and another in June.
Shenzhen Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen.htm
72. Amazing pace of developments over the past 30 years.
http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen/20070624/IMG_5825.jpg
73. Neat new buildings.
http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen/20070224/IMG_1557.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen/20070224/IMG_1612.jpg
75. Ironically, the Hong Kong side is quite empty greenery.
http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen/20070624/IMG_5871.jpg
This covers January - June 2007. In the next part, I'll cover my travels in the latter half of the year, including my trip to Europe.
Other Year in Review Threads
First Half 2005 :
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=253809
Second Half 2005 :
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=302059
Now that the year is wrapping up. It's time to bring back some of those memories and share them with you which I otherwise wouldn't have during earlier presentations of these photos.
Rest assured, I've mixed some new photos never posted before with this compilation. In fact, I'm still very much behind in processing my 2007 set, and even some
2006 and 2005 photos haven't made it to Photoshop yet.
My focus is to clear out my 2006 Shanghai set and will proceed then to 2007 Copenhagen. :)
January - India
I never thought India would be my first trip in 2007, and it was a very shocking trip. There was a lot of poverty there, and it was hard to bear sometimes. I thought Mumbai was rather advanced being the financial capital, but my first impression was actually fairly bad. Nevertheless, there are a lot of very interesting buildings in the city, and it was fun to go around the streets trying to capture them all.
Mumbai Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai.htm
1. Sunset by the Arabian Sea
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8751.jpg
2. There aren't that many highrises in the historic core at all.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8894.jpg
3. The Queen's necklace ... with a nice waterfront promenade but many street kids trying to get some change from the unsuspecting tourist.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8897.jpg
4. Gateway of India from the Taj hotel.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9931.jpg
5. Can't believe these ancient buses can still run.
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_8912.jpg
7. Beautiful architecture indeed ...
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070203/IMG_9804.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070203/IMG_9845.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070121/IMG_8590.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_8919.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_8927.jpg
10. Relaxing like a colonial.
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070203/IMG_9892.jpg
11. It was quite a shock to actually walk out to this mosque. On my right, there was a goat feeding on the garbage by the water. Further out, the fishing boat was netting fish. On the left, there was a fairly bad oil slick with more garbage everywhere, and then a few kids picking up bottles in the water. Then there are the beggars on the walkway. Quite an intense scene indeed.
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_9073.jpg
12. Can you find your laundry?
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070127/IMG_9142.jpg
Upon returning home, I realized how fortunate I was living in relative luxury in Hong Kong!
13. Now a break and off to the next city!
http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/20070130/IMG_9664.jpg
Singapore
I ended up visiting Singapore 4 times in 2007, both before and after Mumbai for the flight transfer and two more times in the spring and summer. But it's just too hot down there! I'm more happy with cold weather after years living in North America.
Singapore Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore.htm
14. I had a chance to go up the Swissotel to enjoy a meal against a picture-perfect sunset. The lobster tasted bad, but the view made up for the not-so-good food.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070325/IMG_6207.jpg
15. I was expecting a lot of downpours being in the tropics, but the weather cleared up for a few days and I was out in action taking pictures, hoping to take full advantage of this weather miracle that I didn't think would last.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070120/IMG_8237.jpg
16. These covers over the streets make walking and dining feasible during a tropical downpour.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070326/IMG_6557.jpg
17. I had a chance to eat in this neighborhood, but indoors. I wished we ate outside despite the heat.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070326/IMG_6593.jpg
18. One of the biggest tourist ripoffs was Sentosa, an island just off the city centre. Every minute thing costed money, which I didn't think was worth the price. I should've taken the rails instead. However, I observed that couples could book a cable car for a romantic dinner at night, which is a nice business idea.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070327/IMG_6852.jpg
19. I'm not a beach person. But it was nice watching the oil tankers and container ships pass by the beach amidst the sunset.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070327/IMG_7031.jpg
20. Quite a lot of regulations for supposedly free speech.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070204/IMG_0435.jpg
21. A fun but expensive exercise was to ride the DHL balloon up for a few minutes to get a glimpse of the world around me.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070325/IMG_5953.jpg
22. Incense burning at a temple on a rainy day. What a combination.
http://www.globalphotos.org/singapore/20070728/IMG_9403.jpg
Beijing
I finally got a chance to scratch off walking the whole Forbidden City off my to-do list. Technically, I still have a small section left, but I think I covered a good 80% of it by now. On a beautiful yet smoggy weekend, I spent 4.5 hours in there taking well over 1000 photos. I still haven't finished putting this set online.
Beijing Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing.htm
23. How grand!
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_2959.jpg
24. I was told that there are no trees in these areas to prevent assassins from hiding in the vegetation by day to do their deeds by night.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_3034.jpg
25. I must say after 3 hours I got a bit numb from all the buildings in the Forbidden City!
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_3056.jpg
26. Chairman Mao greets all visitors entering one of the main gates to the Forbidden City.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_2776.jpg
27. A lot of tourists were already waiting to get in early in the morning.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_2833.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_2936.jpg
29. Hutong preservation has been a hot topic within Western press lately. While it's important to preserve Beijing's historic architecture, the reality is a lot of these hutongs lack the basic necessities, and it's not possible to keep them the way they are now.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_4280.jpg
30. Quite surprising to find this church just a few blocks from the Forbidden City!
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070318/IMG_5411.jpg
31. Enjoying Beijing's parks.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_4130.jpg
32. No cracks in this bell.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070317/IMG_4099.jpg
33. The Military Museum is quite a hidden gem, with all sorts of interesting gear on display, and an impressive exhibition on China's history.
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070318/IMG_4766.jpg
34. Quite an impressive monument to CCTV!
http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/20070311/IMG_2549.jpg
Qingdao
I decided to take a break by flying again. This time I picked Qingdao, which is an emerging popular destination for Hong Kongers who have grown sick of going to Beijing and Shanghai for the millionth time. It was a good choice.
Web gallery under development.
35. This was also the first time I witnessed a sandstorm, which is not exactly the prettiest encounter.
http://www.globalphotos.org/shandong/20070331/IMG_7877.jpg
36. However, the old architecture was still interesting.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8229.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8175.jpg
37. Yet there is a lot of new stuff as well. The city itself looks quite good, but ocean, beach, and hill views, and a lot of German-style architecture remains.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_8475.jpg
38. However, the highlight of my trip was climbing Tai Shan, one of China's great mountains. No, I didn't climb it physically. There's a cable car for lazy tourists like me.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9772.jpg
39. Hard to believe they built so much stuff up there way back then. How did they haul all the materials up?
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9725.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9748.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9746.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9762.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_9732.jpg
Seoul
Time to return to Korea, and catch up on stuff I missed on my 2 previous visits. With the help of a Korean local, eating was no longer an impossible feat and I got to try some delicious local delicacies.
Seoul Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/seoul.htm
44. I miss the clam udon soup already.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070606/IMG_2388.jpg
45. I went back up KLI63 again since my previous visit was ruined by thick smog so bad I couldn't even see across the river. This time the visibility was quite good. However, the walk from the subway station was still too long!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4426.jpg
46. Ahhh ... that stream that used to be a highway. A wonderful new addition to Seoul's parks.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_3368.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_3333.jpg
48. I walked the stretch from start to Dongdaemun. It goes on further east but I was just too tired to continue.
http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase/2007/IMG_3408.jpg
49. I've longed to go up Seoul Tower to admire the views, and on a clear day, I got my treat. The view was just awesome, and I didn't have to wait forever at the cable car station!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070609/IMG_2496.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070609/IMG_2666.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070609/IMG_2596.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070609/IMG_2648.jpg
53. I went out of the way to see this old prison that was used by the Japanese invaders as a torture facility for Korean nationalists opposing colonial rule. Quite a lot of sad stories echoed through these walls.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_3766.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_3773.jpg
55. I also did a long walking tour of Gangnam along Teheranno. In retrospect, I had no idea how I could walk so far that day - from Apgujeong to Gangnam Station.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4314.jpg
56. I really liked how uniform the heights were all along the street, with a mix of traditional and not-so-ordinary architecture.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4399.jpg
57. Yet, Seoul still has a lot of quieter quarters as well, despite being a huge city.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4190.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_4192.jpg
59. I'm beginning to hate the spider. I've seen the same thing in too many cities around the world.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070610/IMG_3883.jpg
Busan
I also made a quick weekend trip to Busan on the KTX.
Those trains go quite fast! Busan is a wonderful city with ocean and hill settings. Since I was on my own though, I had quite a hard time trying to order the fresh seafood they're so famous for.
Busan Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/busan.htm
60. So I had to settle for an abalone congee at the hotel. Still good nevertheless!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_1305.jpg
61. But look at all that street food!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_1195.jpg
62. Welcome to Busan.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_1888.jpg
63. Connecting the dots.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_1919.jpg
64. I had a mix of cloudy skies and blue skies. The walk along the beach during the annual sand festival was especially nice with the sun shining above.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_2167.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_2247.jpg
66. A lot of joggers around here as well, but I was too lazy to go faster than a brisk walk!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070603/IMG_2276.jpg
67. My gosh ... look at all the seafood ready for consumption raw or cooked!
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_0520.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_0535.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_0617.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_0587.jpg
71. A sea of spicy kimchi.
http://www.globalphotos.org/southkorea/20070602/IMG_1059.jpg
Shenzhen
Being right next to HK, it was easy to hop over for a day trip, and a bunch of us forumers decided to go see the modern side of Shenzhen on a hot summer day. In fact, we did 2 visits - one in February and another in June.
Shenzhen Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen.htm
72. Amazing pace of developments over the past 30 years.
http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen/20070624/IMG_5825.jpg
73. Neat new buildings.
http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen/20070224/IMG_1557.jpg
http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen/20070224/IMG_1612.jpg
75. Ironically, the Hong Kong side is quite empty greenery.
http://www.globalphotos.org/shenzhen/20070624/IMG_5871.jpg
This covers January - June 2007. In the next part, I'll cover my travels in the latter half of the year, including my trip to Europe.
Other Year in Review Threads
First Half 2005 :
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=253809
Second Half 2005 :
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=302059