WorldTravelReynolds

Hong Kong is an amazing city buzzing with energy. I have never envisioned myself in this country but here we are in a land so far away from our hometown in the United States. We had two days here to explore and even as packed as our days were, we didn’t even touch the surface. Since our visa is good for 10 years, who knows. Maybe another trip is in store. Since this is a two day trip, I’ll try to get some history about Hong Kong on day 2 post. This is a long day and lots to write about.

Our day began with excitement as we boarded the Ngong Ping 360 cable car and getting ready for our ride across to see the Buddha. As we started out, the view was a little foggy but about 1/2 way through, the fog was so thick we couldn’t see out the cable car. As the fog swirled around the mountains it created an ethereal atmosphere as if you were floating in air. It was a little unnerving but exciting too. Trying to see through the mist, we caught a glimpse of the South China Sea and some of the cityscape.

Emerging from the clouds, we were greeted by the Tian Tan Buddha, the largest seated Buddha statue in the world. It was barely visable but after we landed the fog started lifting making it easier. We were in awe as this massive statue came in to view. A 112 feet tall bronze Buddha and amazingly it weighs over 250 tons! WOW! The Big Buddha, as it is called, is overlooking the Po Lin Monastery. After climbing the 268 steps with multiple breaks to rest, we wandered through the monastery, soaking in the serene atmosphere and the Buddhist art. We weren’t allowed to take photos of certain things since it is a monastery. Then we had to walk back down the 268 steps. Chuck decided he couldn’t take steps so he stayed behind. At this point, I was kind of wishing I had done the same but so thankful my legs hung in there. It was well worth it. All the smaller areas of worship had incense sticks/candles to light. Some of these candles can last up to 3 months. Our senses were in overload and if you have allergies, you will have an issue.

Next, we hopped on a local city bus, with our guide of course, and experienced the vibrant pulse of Hong Kong firsthand. The bus had very narrow seats and short headrests. Definitely designed for the chinese. We took this ride to the oldest fishing village in Hong Kong.

The Tai O fishing village was like stepping back in time. Stilted houses lined the waterfront, creating an interesting scene. We walked through narrow alleys, where local shopkeepers offered an array of local delicacies. We saw so much seafood, I had determined I may go vegetarian after this. The scent of the dried seafood was overwhelming as we wandered through the village.

At the end of the street, we jumped on a SamPan boat to tour the waterfront properties. So different from waterfront properties we see in the USA. The homes along Tai O creek look as if they could fall into the Tai O River at any minute. But what an adventure to be able to ride in one of these boats and see the behind the scenes look at another part of Hong Kong.

On our way to lunch in our Sampan, we made a stop close to the Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, a 34.2 mile long bridge tunnel. It is said to be the longest over water bridge in the world. Such a marvel of modern engineering. This bridge connects Hong Kong to its neighbors and spans the Lingding and Jiuzhou channels, connecting Hong Kong and Macau with Zhuhai, a major city on the Pearl River Delta in China. Lots of Chinese words here but couldn’t say it any other way. From the water, the bridge was massive. We moved on to dock near our next stop, Tai O Heritage Hotel.

This beautiful and charming establishment with lovely traditional architecture was set up on a hill so we took a funicular ride to the top. Such fun! Our lunch featured fresh seafood caught locally. I had fish and chips and Chuck had shrimp fried rice. After seeing and smelling all the seafood along the way, I didn’t have much of an appetite for fish. I ate the French fries and gave my fish to Chuck. I also wanted to try something different so ordered the Salty Lemon drink. It was comprised of a fermented lemon, dropped in a glass of 7-up. Not bad but not something I’ll rush home and make. It was very salty but the appearance of the brown floating lemon pieces was a little off-putting. After lunch we walked around and admired the architecture of the building and the views were beautiful.

We walked off our lunch through Tai O Market Street. More fishy smells! The narrow streets overflowed with stalls selling everything from dried fish to handcrafted souvenirs. We bargained with some of the owners and picked up unique trinkets for my collection.

As dusk settled our tour came to an end. We bid goodbye to our great guide as we dropped us off at Temple Street which is a Night Market.

We walked around and bargained some more through the dazzling array of goods, from clothing to electronics and everything in-between. Found a t-shirt for $5. Chuck was having fun using his bargaining skills. As the darkness fell and the lights started shining, the electric vibe started.

We walked around through the jade market ending up seeing a full row of sex shops that we couldn’t wait to get out of and at the end, some sex workers hanging out soliciting for their next job. We were like, WOW. Let’s get to another street!

So, we decided to walk another few miles (7 in total for this day!) to see the Symphony of Lights, a nightly light show held over Victoria Harbour. What we found was it was just a 15 minute show however it lit up the Victoria Harbor with a dazzling display of lights on the skyscrapers across the harbor, a fitting finale to an incredible day.

We had a wonderful experience on our first day here in Hong Kong. We feel so blessed to be here and to be able to experience this culture. Tomorrow is more adventure to come.

May God bless you always!

Chuck & Lea Ann