You've got mail

This postcard was supposed to have gone out on 9 September as part of a swap on Swap-bot honoring the date 09-09-09. But, since Karen sent me such an awesome card, I guess I can forgive her. Karen is working on planning a trip to London and is doing it in a unique way: she’s asking that denizens of London send her postcards and tell her the places she should be sure to visit while she’s there. You can read more about it on her Facebook group page Experimental Travel in London: Postcards Treasure Hunting.

Next, a Postcrossing card, postmarked 13 September; it features a lot of neon, and an electric tram:

Does this bus stop at 82nd Street?

“For nearly 100 years electric trams have provided reliable public transport along the north of Hong Kong Island. At night they trundle through a blaze of electric signage.” Trundle? This one appears to be approaching the speed of light.

Both of these cards have an identical HK$3 stamp, and at first I was appalled: three bucks for an international postcard? Then I did the math and realized that it works out to about 38 cents American. That’s a bargain!

A shop? A teahouse? I wish I knew

Vicky sent me this amazing postcard from Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the postcard is completely in Chinese and Vicky’s message (at right), while adorable, did nothing to elucidate me regarding this view.

This building almost seems to be built into the rock. Am I looking at it right? What could this building be? It looks like there’s neon in the window so it may be a shop of some kind, or perhaps a teahouse. For that matter, it wouldn’t look too out of place in Diagon Alley.