Two days in Hong Kong

Bauhinia x blakeana - the emblem of Hong Kong

On my way to Australia, where I arrived this morning, I stopped for two nights in Hong Kong to (principally) see an old school friend, Douglas Fok, for the first time in 31 years. It was a happy reunion, and he very kindly took time to show me all over Hong Kong, from the island to the mountains of the New Territories, as well some very nice restaurants. Most of the sites we visited were of some sort of hortico-botanical interest, with a diversity of plants to see. I hope to post some more details about these later, but I'm having a little difficulty editing photographs as I go, so here is a preliminary selection.



Hong Kong from the Peak: the urban jungle below contrasting with the natural forest above.

Camellia granthamiana, cultivated on the Peak, but a Hong Kong native plant.

Perhaps the most interesting plant I saw in Hong Kong, up in the mountains. Yes, a dull yellow daisy, but this is the wild Chrysanthemum indicum, from which all chrysanthemums are derived. I've been wanting to see what it really looked like for years.

How to really see Hong Kong - at night (from my hotel window).