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Hong Kong will be remembered by me as an exciting city where East meets West and where something is happening 24 hours a day. Those who have been will know the overwhelming feeling you get as you scan the horizons with skyscrapers everywhere. This is the most densely populated country in the world! It is set on the shoreline with mountains as a backdrop, it's not easy to see how 6.9 million people can fit in, thats just the residents and not including Hong Kong's visitors.

I thought I would like to see the famous Pandas, An An and Jai Jai so off I went to Ocean Park. The posters said "We are waiting for you......" but it was not happening. I was told that they had disappeared on holiday to Russia while their home was being refurbished! Never mind, maybe I might see one in China...my next stop.

The road systems are often two or three levels high. My first stroll took me into the Kowloon area through Time Square shopping centre then into the traditional fish markets. The fish, lobsters and shrimps were so fresh that they were jumping off the traders stands. Thats okay though...they just get picked up out of the gutters and put back onto the tables for sale.

My visit was just before Chinese New Year and it was 'year of the boar' so there were pigs/boars everywhere leading to wealth and wisdom.

Most of the time I like to explore on my own, but I decided to take a full day tour as there was so much to see and I wanted to make the most of my 4 day visit, so with Andy as our guide, our first visit was one of Hong Kong's oldest temples. Inside, people come to burn candles, bang a drum and bell, then burn incense. The temple was so smokey that many left choking from it all.

Our next stop was The Peak Tram (the steepest funicular railway in the world!). At the top I got some great shots of Kowloon and the mountains.

Then we were off to an Aberdeen fishing village where I took a san-pan around the harbour, full of poor people living on boats and fishing which is a dying trade in Hong Kong. Finally we spent some time browsing around Stanley Market which was full of traditional crafts and locally produced goods of all kinds. Andy asked us what we thought the people of Hong Kong like to be called. As one of us (not me) repled with "Honkies" he told us that Hong Kong people do not think of themselves as Chinese or English, but as an individual country/race and like to be known as "Hong Kongers" so now you know.

One of the highlights of my visit was a stroll down to the harbour in the evening. Every evening the hotels put on a magnificent light and laser show which involves many hotels lighting up like enormous flashing neon signs with brightly coloured reflections on the water. I have no idea how its done, but it has to be seen as it looks great!

I visited Hong Kong as part of my journey around the world in the Spring of 2007. I hope you like the photos that I have chosen. They are just a small selection.

If you have a desire to see Hong Kong, then you may also consider other great spectacular places like 'The Great Wall of China' in Beijing, China which should also include a visit to Tiananmen Square and 'The Forbidden City'.

Please feel free to call me if you would like to know more about Hong Kong and thank you for reading my personal travel journal.