A Voyage in the East

I had a brilliant day in Hong Kong. This city is truly one of the world's great cities. There is so much to see and so much arts and culture. It is truly a meeting point for the world. A great Chinese city with strong historical and cultural links to the west. A metropolis of commerce and a bosom of culture. A melange of historical ties and modernity. An important story from the history of the 20th century and a glimpse into the future promise of China, which is 1/5th of humanity. China, a country that has an economy which gallops ahead with 12% annual growth. China, a civilization with thousands of years of history that could very well reshape how the world works. The west, until now history's most successful social system. The two, to a certain extent meet in Hong Kong. How it works out in Hong Kong could very well be symptomatic for how the next century of humanities existence on this planet plays out.

Anyway, I've had a little too much Tsing-Tao (an excellent Chinese beer.) Today, I went up to the top of Mt. Victoria, to take a look over polluted Hong Kong. Visibility was definitely reduced. I walked around Hong Kong's modern downtown corridor taking pictures of soaring skyscrapers with impressive architectural features. Finally, I went on a cruise in the harbour at night. One could feel the first winds from Tropical Depression/Storm Bopha which is due to sideswipe Hong Kong in the next day. I just hope it doesn't delay my flight.