Christmas Lights in Hong Kong

Skyline of Hong Kong Island, as seen from across the harbor in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The 10-minute ferry ride from Central to TST offered great views of the lights, and was super cheap.. I forgot how much it was but definitely less than US$1.

It’s hard to explain the overwhelming sense of calmness I get in a bustling city with flashing lights, busy streets, crowds of people, and a constant background soundtrack of cars/conversations/music from the occasional street performer. It’s almost as if an excess of external stimulation amplifies inner peace.

Lazy summer day on Nancy Lake, Alaska

On our drive to Denali National Park in Alaska, we stopped by Nancy Lake. It was a breezy summer day, and this was the perfect spot to sit, meditate, enjoy nature, picnic, etc.

Just one other group of folks was fishing/camping. The drive to the lake from the main road was at least 20-30 minutes, which might be why there are so few people at this gorgeous lake.

One downside was the mosquitoes.. If you’re an urban dweller like me, you might want to bring some OFF! and one of those bug-net hats (?).

Looking for Arenal

Finally caught a glimpse of the elusive Volcan Arenal the morning before we left. Well worth waking up at 6AM! We have attempted different hikes for the two previous days, but the tip of the mountain would always be behind the clouds. April is kind of getting into the wet season in Costa Rica, and it seems like the clouds tend to gather and get lower throughout the day (excuse the non-scientific description of weather/climate phenomena) – by late morning, Arenal was ready to pull over her cloud blanket for a nap.

On the last day, we decided to wake up at 6AM and give it another shot. We saw the cloudless sky from our hotel room, and literally ran out the door and drove around in search for a good view. We didn’t dare risk losing time on hiking, so we just drove around the main road between Tabacon and the downtown area. Somewhere on the north side of Arenal, we came across this scenic little area (above), and we pulled over to take in the view. The cows didn’t seem to mind.