Today we all went on The Land Between Tour, which is a tour of the region between Hong Kong and mainland China. Here are some of the highlights.
Above: Pics from the Yuen Yuen Institute: a temple complex dedicated to the three major religions of China: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
Mel and Antionnette at the Institute.
If this guy gets tired of being a Taoist deity, he can get a job dealing blackjack in Macau.
This is known as a "squatter". You can see why.
This is the gang on the bus. Looking good. Well, as good as they ever do.
This is our little "jook-sing"'
This is John. John is addicted to riding buses. No doubt this crept up on him slowly, but now he is hooked. He says to himself that he can quit at any time, but we know better.
The view of Hong Kong from the Tai Mo Shan lookout point.
Deniz at the point, looking spiffy in her new boots.
The extremely narrow streets of Fanling Village.
The doors of the old villages are often decorated with these stern looking fellows. Contrary to their forbidding appearance, they represent protection and prosperity. Or something. I can't quite remember.
This is a Banyan tree in Fanling village. Sitting under a banyan tree is supposed to give you good health. Or good luck. Or something. I forget.
The kitchen of a tiny little apartment in Fanling village. These houses can't be more than a few hundred square feet each, if that.
Some of the folks in Fanling drive cars bigger than their houses. Cars are the main status symbols for Hong Kongers. (Hong Kongians?)
Brian at the Luk Keng Road lookout point. The area is known for its rare egrets.
An ancestor worship hall in a Hakka village. The Hakkas are mainly farmers, although this village is sparsely populated, mainly with very old Hakka.
The red, feirce looking peppers John picked at the Hakka village.
If you think Americans are crazy about grilling / barbecuing, you haven't seen anything. There are these kinds of grilling stations all over the rural areas of Hong Kong.
Bride's Pool Falls. Legend has it that some woman or other got dumped in the water and drowned here. Learn to swim folks.
Just past Bride's pool falls, we saw
one of these big fellows right up beside the road.
One of the coolest places on our tour. This is Sam Mun Tsai Fishing Village. The fisher folk live out on the water in floating houses, and breed fish in nets under their houses.
Some of the gang at the fishing village.
Some fish at the restaurant where we had our lunch.
The view from the 55th floor of the HK International Finance Center number 2. IFC2 is home to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
The gang at the HKMA, our last organization visit.
Chris and Deniz, bravely about to dig into a chicken gristle skewer. Yes, that is its name.
Above: A fountain and sculpture type object, outside the exchange building.
Sweet water buffalo statue. I want one for my lawn.
The gang outside the exchange building, waiting for our appointment.
One of our hosts, explaining the use of the exchange terminals.
Russ, Tim, Brandon and Alfredo, seeing how they would look on the trading floor. Rather frightening.
Yely, about the ring the bell to start the trading day.
Chris and Brandon, practicing having real jobs.
Deniz with an all day sucker, perfecting her little girl persona. One shoe stall owner chastised her for wandering around the mall without supervision. She could order off the kids menu with no questions asked.
The gang, or at least their heads, at Stanley Market.
Courtney showing off her mini-burgers.
A dog in one of the shops at Stanley Market. So homely it's cute.
Brian, Shannon, and Deniz at one of the Stanley beaches.
The financial district of Hong Kong, as seen from our ferry.
Above: Pics from the Yuen Yuen Institute: a temple complex dedicated to the three major religions of China: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
Mel and Antionnette at the Institute.
If this guy gets tired of being a Taoist deity, he can get a job dealing blackjack in Macau.
This is known as a "squatter". You can see why.
This is the gang on the bus. Looking good. Well, as good as they ever do.
This is our little "jook-sing"'
This is John. John is addicted to riding buses. No doubt this crept up on him slowly, but now he is hooked. He says to himself that he can quit at any time, but we know better.
The view of Hong Kong from the Tai Mo Shan lookout point.
Deniz at the point, looking spiffy in her new boots.
The extremely narrow streets of Fanling Village.
The doors of the old villages are often decorated with these stern looking fellows. Contrary to their forbidding appearance, they represent protection and prosperity. Or something. I can't quite remember.
This is a Banyan tree in Fanling village. Sitting under a banyan tree is supposed to give you good health. Or good luck. Or something. I forget.
The kitchen of a tiny little apartment in Fanling village. These houses can't be more than a few hundred square feet each, if that.
Some of the folks in Fanling drive cars bigger than their houses. Cars are the main status symbols for Hong Kongers. (Hong Kongians?)
Brian at the Luk Keng Road lookout point. The area is known for its rare egrets.
An ancestor worship hall in a Hakka village. The Hakkas are mainly farmers, although this village is sparsely populated, mainly with very old Hakka.
The red, feirce looking peppers John picked at the Hakka village.
If you think Americans are crazy about grilling / barbecuing, you haven't seen anything. There are these kinds of grilling stations all over the rural areas of Hong Kong.
One of the coolest places on our tour. This is Sam Mun Tsai Fishing Village. The fisher folk live out on the water in floating houses, and breed fish in nets under their houses.
Some of the gang at the fishing village.
Some fish at the restaurant where we had our lunch.