Remembering Hong Kong ....after a week

It is hard not to fall in love with Hong Kong. The intimidatingly tall skyscrapers that line both the sides of narrow lanes and alleys appear to envelop you in a claustrophobic hug, but it is an embrace suffused with warmth and energy. As dusk arrives, the city transforms itself into a fairyland straight out of a story book. The concrete and glass monsters that looked so hideous and fearful during the day are bathed in soft light of myriad bridal colours that bounce and shimmer off the waters that surround the island city. It is a classic yin-yan transformation. Tourists packing various vantage positions to watch this orgy of light are driven to ecstasy. 

If Hong Kong can be criticised, rightfully so some would say, for this extravagant waste of power in getting decked up like a bride, its citizens can also take justifiable pride in conserving energy by walking and wholeheartedly adopting public transport. One of my yardsticks for measuring the quality of life in a metropolis is the availability and accessibility of public transport. Hong Kong scores very high on this. There are red and white wide-bodied taxis, custom built by Toyota, to accommodate 4 persons at the rear. Comfortably air-conditioned buses and subterranean MTR (Metro) provide quick and convenient connections to various points of commercial and tourist interest. And then there is my personal favourite, the quaint double-decker tram which costs a mere HKD 2.3 flat for any destination. 

Hong Kong is exceedingly photogenic, but make sure to have a wide angle lens to capture the entire high-rise in your camera. Nearly every frame that you expose in the city whether at park, temple or racecourse will have the obligatory skyscraper. A tripod is also highly recommended while shooting post-twilight.