Blossoms at Kiyomizu

Still a little early for cherry, but plum are in full swing! The other
trees are mostly maple, so the place also has a reputation for fall
foliage.

About that trip to Hong Kong...

Here are photos from it!
https://plus.google.com/photos/111012416162387816811/albums/5856150117697064721

It was absurdly foggy the whole time we were there, but we were lucky that didn't really translate into actual rain. Those conditions are basically the norm for spring, but I think I'd much rather be there then rather than during the uncomfortably warmer months when it might be clearer.

If you have the slightest inclination to go I highly recommend you make the trip. I've never seen an urban area so densely populated and so international. It was as if in walking a block you'd pass restaurants specializing in cuisine from every continent.

If, on the other hand, you have no intention of ever setting foot on Chinese soil, I encourage you to visit the photos and live vicariously. 

One of Big Buddha's guardians

A visit to Nara

Riding the Gondola

A directed us on a round about way to the peak, via ferry and then bus. It worked out brilliantly since it turned out there was a line several hours long at the bottom. It also meant few people were retuning, so we had the gondola to ourselves - a $3000 value! (Hong Kong Dollars)

Oh the humanity!

Why did they give the buildings laser-beams?!

Retro Ferry

Hungry for a tiny pie?

Why not pay a visit to the Pie & Tart Specialists? These folks aren't playing around, they're pie professionals.

Another cloudy day

Taking a break after the Warhol exhibit at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Visiting the Night Markets

I think in most people's minds Hong Kong is synonymous with pirate goods: fakes, reproductions, and knock-offs. Based on what we saw tonight I'd say that's not entirely accurate. You MIGHT be able to get a watch or bag by following a hawker off the street and into a backroom or alley, but that sounds like a recipe for disaster. The fakes are just as grey here as they are at home, so the only things you'll find out in the open seem to be watches that look like they belong at Walmart and bags that look like craft projects.

Then again, we're probably just in the wrong places. I may not have the hookup for the copyrighted goods, but if you're looking for a styrofoam crate of crabs on a Friday night, I'm your man.

High-rise apartments

Clouded view from Victoria Peak

Soooo cloudy today, although luckily no rain.