Author: Andrew

A Father, Photographer and Computer Geek living in Chester County (PA).

My Photo Journal of images taken in Chester and Lancaster Counties, including Covered Bridges, Barns, Nature, Fine Art and Events. Images can also be found on VisitPA.com and ExplorePATrails.com.

Categories
Hong Kong Personal Travel

First day in Hong Kong

Note – All images are scanned from slide film.

Close-Up on the Bank of China
The view from on top of Mt. Victoria
The view from on top of Mt. Victoria 02
Looking back at Hong Kong
Hydro Foil
Side of a Museum
Museum Sign
Star Ferry
Construction 01
The Museum from Hong Kong
Construction 02
Sitting in the Emperor’s chair
Looking over Hong Kong
Bank of China
Interesting Building 02
Between Buildings

View from the Hotel Balcony

This was my first real viewof Hong Kong

Assignment: Get my Visa into China

Walking around Hong Kong

  • Interesting Building 01
  • Interesting Building 02
  • Between Buildings
  • Close-Up on the Bank of China

Cable Car to the top of Mt. Victoria

We took a very steep cable car ride to the top of Mt. Victoria, where we walked around the top. At one point, you can see the other side of Hong Kong.

We then took a taxi from the top, all the way down, and into Kowloon, where dad was getting new glasses.

Walking around Kowloon

I had a “Fast Food” Chinese meal!

Dad and I walked along the water front.

  • Looking back at Hong Kong
  • Side of a Museum
  • Museum Sign
  • Hydro Foil

Took the Star Ferry back to Hong Kong

Sat on the porch and watched the life before me

  • The Museum from Hong Kong
  • Construction 01
  • Construction 02

On the way to dinner, I saw forests of apartment buildings!!

Dinner on the Floating Restaurants

Sitting in the Emperor’s chair

While waiting for our table, a Chinese man tired his English on me, and only managed to say to me: “I’m a SEX MACHINE!”

– Andrew
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Categories
Hong Kong Japan Personal Travel

Last Day in Japan

LAST DAY IN JAPAN

Asahi Evening News (English Newspaper)

Macs in their TV commercial

09:30 Pick-up & Over to the Akasu’s

Pictures of the family

Mrs. Akasu’s family scroll

  • She has an Imperial background which is over 1000 yrs. old
  • The original scroll is in a museum

Mrs. Akasu offered to me a bowl and (2) cups made by her great grand father over 150 yrs. ago

Soba lunch with the whole family

We looked at the pictures of my trip

Mr. Akasu & Yuri accompanied/drove me to the Bus terminal

“Normal” traffic for a Sunday

Under the Overpasses, they have set-up areas where people can play baseball, basketball, etc.

At the Airport

The Concierge lounge was as packed as the main terminal

Mailed my Post Cards via a gate person/women

17:55 – UA Flt#801 – Tokyo/Narita->Hong Kong (11H)

On the plane to Hong Kong

Walter ???, sat in the chair to the left of me. (See Bus. card)

Hong Kong the First Night

Stuffed into Buses

Customs

Dad and Brian meet me at the airport

Staying in the Grand Hyatt

Nightcap

The waitress was Filipino and I got her to try and teach me some words

  • Shea Shea – Thank you (Mandarin)
  • Doo Chea – Thank you (Cantonese)
  • Salamack – Thank you (Filipino)

– Andrew
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Categories
Blogging Photo Journal

Tour of Tokyo

Scale Model 01
Scaled Model 03 (Boat)
Scale Model 02 – Detail

Bus tour w/Yuri

Drove past the Emperor’s Place

Edo Period Museum

Beautiful scaled models of Old Tokyo City

  • Scale Model 01
  • Scale Model 02
  • Scaled Model 03 (Boat)

Lunch near Red Gate

Group Lunch

An elderly man tried to speak to me in English

Shopping after lunch

Exchanged money w/Yuri
My “local bank”

Geisha Theater

Daimo de jour!!

Shopping in Harajuku

Bought: Tea pot & T-shirts

Very LARGE dinner at Ikebukuro in downtown Tokyo

Actually a feast!!

Back at Akasu home

Yuri and her brother looked up in dictionaries what the tea set said
Writings of an ancient poet

– Andrew
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Categories
Japan Photo Essay Photo Journal Photography Travel

Kamakura, Japan

Note – All images are scanned from slide film.

Kamakura Train Station
Temple Front
Temple Roof Detail
Sake barrels
Little girl elaborately dressed
Apex Detail 01
Statue Detail 01
Apex Detail 02
Children Statues 01
Children Statues (Detail)
Bronze Buddha
Bronze Buddha (Head Detail)
Incense Burner (Detail)
Open Air Market
White Dragon protecting a coin pond
Watering Stand w/Cat
Bronze Dragon Shrine
Dragon at the end of the tunnel
Which way to go?
Walk way into Cliffs 01
Looking out from a tunnel
Map (General)
Map (Detail)
Prayer Wall

Temple/Shrine Island

This was a fascinating island.

After walking through a small little town with many open air markets, we proceeded to the top of the island.

Once at the top, you are greeted by a White Dragon protecting a coin pond. We briefly stop to make an offering, and then continue down the walk way.

As you walk, you see many more Shrines and Temples…

  • Watering Stand w/Cat
  • Bronze Dragon Shrine
  • Prayer Wall

Ocean Side of the Island

Map (General) & Map (Detail)

Once you get to the back side of the island, which faces the ocean, there is a wood walk (green) way that is built into the cliffs.

In two separate areas, there are tunnels (yellow) that go into the cliffs.

  • Walk way into Cliffs 01
  • Looking out from a tunnel
  • Split in the tunnels

At the end of the tunnels, there are mysteries to be found!!

Train back was during late “Rush Hour”

Dinner at Akasu’s

During Dinner an Earthquake of a magnitude 3.0 hit

When I first felt the quake, I thought that it was a large truck, but as the Akasu family looked around, and a door swung open, I began to know there was something more to this.

The Akasu family informed me that I had just witnessed an earthquake!!

After some time, the local TV stations began to report the tremors.

– Andrew
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Categories
Japan Personal Photo Essay Photo Journal Photography Travel

Culture Day – Japan

Note – All images are scanned from slide film.

Tokyo Tower 01
Guard Gate 01
Guard Gate 02
Dwarf Pine trees
Samurai Warrior Monument
Tokyo Tower 01

Culture Day (Japan)

This morning I woke up around 04:00 A, and I have been puttering about the room. Getting the presents together to
take over later.

07:00 Breakfast

09:00 Meet Mr. Akasu in the lobby

Back to his home for the first time

  • We exchanged gifts
  • We watched the Waterloo Gardens tape

First experience on the Japanese train system

See the young men walking around in full decorative dress with wooden shoes that sounded like horses on
a cobble stone road.

Bus tour took us by…

  • Emperors place
    • Walked around the Emperor’s Place…
      • 500 yrs to build
      • 2013 Dwarf Pine trees in the Main Compound
      • Over 3 miles in circumference around the compound
    • Monuments
      • Samurai Warrior
    • The small stones around the gates where used to detect when someone approaching
      • Guard Gate 01
      • Guard Gate 02
  • The Diet (Japanese Government Building)
  • Russian Embassy
  • Tokyo Tower
    • Tower 1
    • Tower 2

Dinner at the Akasu’s

Agadashi and Delivered Sushi!!