Where I've been

[mgonitzke]

Looks like a few of you guys noticed I disappeared for a couple of weeks. This is one of the many places I was:

I traveled to several cities in China as a member of the 2009 International Scholar Laureate Program Delegation on Engineering. I traveled with 56 other engineering students of various disciplines from around the country (as well as a couple from Australia and Africa), visiting Beijing, Yichang (the location of the Three Gorges Dam, the largest Hydroelectric dam in the world), Shanghai, and Hong Kong, and visited many things in each place. I may post some more pictures in here after I go through all 2000 pictures that I took...

 

[kmcconaughey]

Matt, sounds like an interesting trip! I spent 2 weeks in Honk Kong back in 1986. I had to install and do training on word processing conversion systems. The company I worked for at the time built the conversion systems for financial typesetting companies. I wish I would have had a digital camera back then. Even with my 35mm camera I took many rolls of film. I've wanted to go back for a vacation there ever since. As you go through all those photos please be sure to post a bunch! BTW, did you get a chance to ride the Star Ferry between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island (Victoria Island)?

 

[mgonitzke]

Kraig-

I wanted to, but I decided not to since we were doing a dinner cruise in Victoria Harbor that night. Went shopping in the markets instead because I had some money to get rid of. Next time, I'll have to do that...

 

[kmcconaughey]

Matt, "Went shopping in the markets instead because I had some money to get rid of." Hong Kong was/is a great place to spend money, I know I left a bunch there back in '86. I still have my Seiko watch and my wife has a REALLY nice string of pearls and several items made of silk. During the two weeks I was there I rode the Star Ferry over to Kowloon and back at least once every a day and some days twice. The Kowloon/Hong Kong night time skyline was a beautiful sight, especially from the ferry. Were there still a bunch of Rolls Royce and Mercedes there? Seems like every other car was one of the two back then. The guy I was working with told me that Hong Kong was the Rolls Royce capital of the world, whether or not that was BS I don't know, but there sure were plenty of them.

Oh, and don't forget:

Don't make me fire up the scanner so I can post some of my old photos...

 

[kide]

Matt:
Glad you had a good trip and made it back safely!!!
Pics, please!!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Matt, post photos soon! I think Kendell is afraid I'm going to start up my scanner...

 

[mgonitzke]

Okay, here's like 10...

Bird's nest stadium in Beijing from the 2008 Olympics

Inside the Water Cube

Great Wall

Temple of Heaven

Beijing Opera House

Tienanmen Square (I think the massacre was 20 years ago today)

Forbidden City

Yichang, China at night

Scenery Along the Yangtze River

Me at the Geheyan Dam on the Yangtze

 

[kmcconaughey]

Matt, yep, the Tienanmen Square massacre was 20 years ago today. Sure looks hazy around the Square, how was the air? Cool photos. Love the photo of the misty landscape along the Yangtze River! Thanks.

 

[mgonitzke]

More...

Three Gorges Dam...largest Hydroelectric dam in the world...2 miles long, and supplies 15% of China's electricity. Only foreign dignitaries and our group were allowed on the dam itself. The pictures don't do it justice.

Shanghai from on top of the longest steel arch span bridge in the world.

Me on top of the bridge.

Saw this in Shanghai...?...

Hong Kong as viewed from Victoria Peak

Repulse Bay Beach in Hong Kong

Buildings in Hong Kong

Hong Kong at night, from our dinner cruise boat.


There's a lot of Mercedes cars on the road in HK. I can't remember any RRs, but the guide said HK has the largest number of RRs and Ferraris per capita in the world.

 

[mgonitzke]

Kraig-

The air in Beijing was pretty gross...A couple of people in our group were having some pretty serious allergy issues. It rained the day before we went to the Wall, and that cleared the air somewhat. That was the only day we saw blue sky in Beijing.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Matt, that's a big dam... Cool, Kohler in Shanghai! I wonder if it's the engine division, the plumbing fixture devision or both?? In any case it's neat to see. I bet you did a double take when you saw it. Did you take the tram to Victoria Peak or did you drive up? Looks like some new buildings have been built since I was in HK in '86. I'm gonna have to dig out the photos to compare, I promise not to post any, well maybe one or two...

 

[rpalmer]

Matt Gonitzke,

These are great. And they make really nice backgrounds.

 

[mgonitzke]

Kraig-

I'm guessing plumbing fixtures. All the stuff in our hotel in Shanghai was Kohler. We took the tram to the top of Victoria Peak.

Richard-

Thanks! I have yet to decide which one to make my desktop wallpaper

 

[blanasa]

I hope that it's plumbing fixtures.
I'd hate for Kohler engines and parts to start coming from China!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Brian, good point!

Matt, any chance I could get you to email me a high resolution version of that photo you took from Victoria Peak? (And maybe a few others if you took more from there?) I was comparing it to one I took back in 1986. There are several new taller buildings, and it appears that some of them may have just been added onto, adding almost 1/3 more to their height. These two buildings stick out, see below. Too bad the view wasn't clear. The building I was working in, the Unified Stock Exchange in Exchange Square. It is/was right next to Connaught Centre, the building with the round windows, location of HK "Noble House". It is right down on the water front next to the Star Ferry dock.

 

[mgonitzke]

Kraig-

Sure, I can do that sometime today. I'll see if I can find some other pictures of buildings from other areas, too.

 

[kmcconaughey]