hkskyline's 2014 Year in Review (January - June)

[hkskyline]

2014 was a record-setting year for my travels. I flew the most distance ever, and my year got to an exciting start with a trip into China's remote mountains.

I first landed in Chengdu, characterized by smoggy winters, which has enhanced the sunset while damaging your body.





I am not a big fan of historic re-creations, which seem popular here as commercial developments.



What interested me more was the glacier. It took a long journey to reach Hailougou but the mountain scenery was worth it. The cloud cover gave way soon after.







Penang : This was a cheap trip thanks to low-cost carrier Hong Kong Express, which still had very reasonable fares for Chinese New Year. Full of history at every street corner, I felt like I went back 40 years ago.











My friends wanted to explore a historical place for a few days as a long weekend outing. I quickly jumped on the idea of visiting Lijiang, which I expected would be a classic historic town untouched from modernity. However, much of it has been reconstructed and the hordes of tourists have destroyed the ambiance. I needed to set out early in the morning to get a piece of the town to myself.





This is the postcard view. Some building owners in the old town open their roofs for visitors at a nominal charge. There is also a hillside path that offers views. Both are worth a visit to see the traditional, albeit rebuilt, rooftops.





Chongqing : This is a civil engineer's paradise. The city seems to be able to grow through mountains and valleys with incredible density.





New metro lines may render this unique mode of transport obsolete soon. They have already closed the cable car on the other side of the CBD, and there actually is a metro station within waking distance of this stop.



The central business district is under construction with lots of new skyscrapers and neon.





I redeemed a free reward flight to Sapporofor a few days, but soon I realized why the airline released seats. It was the wrong time to visit. The flowers were still dead and snow made its last debut of the season. Thankfully, the hotel was cheap and the food was great.





This would be the perfect place to use the bathroom and hog over the urinal.



The view from Mt. Moiwa was a bit odd. Facing the city were thick clouds, but the opposite side was clear. Right above me was the transition zone.





Hokkaido is surrounded by ocean and I could not emphasize yet again that the seafood is great!



Otaru was once among the top Japanese ports in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and can now be reached as a day trip.





Sapporo has a small tram system that doesn't really hit many of the tourist sights and it does not reach the main railway station. This is the end of the line.



Train enthusiasts would also be very happy in Japan. There are many railway museums throughout the country, including this one in Otaru. It was a long walk from the main canal area but well worth the journey.





It was a long train ride to Hakodate, which is at the southern tip of Hokkaido. There were lots of tourists huddled at the top of Mount Hakodate for the sunset view, and for good reason.



This is a hilly city, so views are everywhere.



Construction of the Old Public Hall began in 1909 and was completed in the following year. It is not a particularly beautiful building but the location is great.



The plebian class would be more interested in the warehouse district downhill.





I finally gave in and tried an expensive cooked seafood dish. It was worth 500 yen.



Too bad the cherry blossoms were a few days too young for my arrival.



The full set : http://www.globalphotos.org/showcase2014-1.htm

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Tremendous as always.