Hong Kong is beautiful from the air (Photo-essay)

I spent some time away from Hong Kong recently.  Up until the pandemic, I regularly travelled out of Hong Kong between three to four times a year.  But this was the first time I did so in around three and half years; with the previous time prior to this being back a trip to Japan back in October 2019.  

 

I know many Hong Kongers' first destination once international travel became a thing again recently was Japan.  But this wasn't the case with me.  And neither was this first trip primarily motivated by an urge to be on foreign soil for fun once more.  Rather, there were certain things I needed to get done that involved having to spend some time in another part of the world.  So off I went; with some reluctance -- and, if truth be told, some (probably) irrational fear that I'd get stopped by immigration officials when going out or prevented somehow from returning!    

As it turned out, I ended up having a good as well as productive time these past couple of weeks or so.  But it also is good to be back in a Hong Kong which, while it most certainly has its problems, including continued political repression, is the part of the world I truly feel most psychologically connected to still.  This feeling was hammered home as the plane I was on made its descent into Hong Kong air space and I (and my fellow passengers) were treated to the kind of views that affirmed my sense that Hong Kong is really beautiful, and I really f**king love this indelible city:   

When I saw the Po Toi Islands (which include Hong Kong's

southern most island), I swear I felt my heart flutter!

 

My feeling that I really do know Hong Kong was

strenghtened with my being able to easily identify

sections of the territory while being miles above it! :)

 

Here's taking the opportunity once more to say that 

I really love Hong Kong's mix of urban and rural scapes

 

It was interesting to see the aircraft take a route that saw it 

go from southern up to eastern Hong Kong (including over 

the Sai Kung Peninsula) before veering west over to Lantau

 

Flying over Sha Tin, whose very recognisable landmarks

include the Sha Tin River and racecourse

 

Flying over the Shing Mun area with its reservoir

and surrounding green hills

 

The grayest of my photos but I still have to include

it thanks to Lion Rock being in the frame!

 

I know the current regime is trying but I still do feel -- and hope 

I'm right -- that it's really hard to majorly ruin Hong Kong