HK Journal 2

January 15, 2009 (Day 5)
Today was the whole reason I came on this trip. LANTAU ISLAND! I have always wanted to see the Tian Tau Buddha. I think this was the one morning I did not have a problem waking up and getting ready. I didn’t know we were going to be taking a cable car to the island so it was a nice surprise. The cable card ride was absolutely amazing. I think I may have taken one too many pictures, if that’s possible. The views were stunning. I also noticed the steps….and I’m very glad we didn’t walk. When we first got to the island I was not expecting all the shops right when you got off the cable car. They literally want you to buy things before you even see what you went there for. Before we even started walking towards the Buddha I had gelato and it was so good!! After that I bought a tea set. It was an impulse buy. They took the Octopus Card in the store so I figured why not, but then I had to carry it around with me all day. I finally reached the Buddha and it even better than I thought, the stairs…not so much.
Lunch was great. Once again tofu was on the menu, only this time, it was not shaped like a pig, fish, or any other kind of animal, and it tasted much better. We ate at the vegetarian restaurant at the monastery. I really liked how they put everything out on the table and just let you eat. Very informal, but very good. This day was definitely the best day so far. I would make the trip again just to go back to Lantau Island.

January 16, 2009 (Day 6)
This morning was one of our later and more relaxed mornings. It was a nice change from all the running around we have been doing. The morning lecture did not really interest me. I’m not really into all the music stuff, but I did find the comedian he showed us hilarious. Jim Chim. I will definitely have to find that on you tube. His interpretation of Romeo and Juliet was hysterical. Its something I can appreciate as an English major.

After the lecture a lot of people went to the Wet Land Park. My friends and I decided to see the Kowloon Walled in City, a city build with no nails, and I’m glad we did. It was in what was considered one of the more “rural” areas of Hong Kong. It was very peaceful there and there was even a man playing the flute that just made it even more relaxing. Aside from Lantau Island, it was one of the few places I felt like I could breathe. There was not much left from the city, but they did have the South Gate preserved. It’s amazing that they were able to do all this without nails or screws.

At night we saw the Sinfonietta. My friends and I were running late, but luckily we made it just on time. This wasn’t really my cup of tea. I don’t like classical music and I had a bit of a hard time sitting through it all. Oh well I glad I had the chance to experience it, but if I return to Hong Kong its not something I would do again.

January 17, 2007 (Day 7)
Today was the 10,000 Buddha Monastery. I was planning on going here on our free day, but I’m glad it was worked into the itinerary. To get to the 10,000 Buddhas you have to walk up 415 stairs and past the 500 disciples. Those stairs were not fun…at all! I was happy that the weather had finally warmed up though. I would rather be walking those stairs in warm weather than trying to walk up all those stairs and freezing at the same time. The 415 stairs were well worth it once you go to the top. The views were gorgeous and the colors on all the buildings were unbelievable. I have seen pictures of this and it was even better in person. I did notice one thing that had 4 heads 2 bodies and I think 6 or 8 arms. Not too sure what it was, but I took a picture of it any way. The room with all the buddhas literally has 10.000 buddhas from floor to ceiling and corner to corner, all in different hand positions too. I couldn’t believe my eyes. For some reason my pictures didn’t come out too well. I guess that means I’ll just have to go back some day!

January 18, 2009 (Day 8)
Dolphin Cruise! This was the morning I had to wake up the earliest, and it was towards the end of the trip so I was exhausted. This cruise was incredible! It was only about US$30 and it was worth every penny. We met our tour guide at the Kowloon Hotel and from there we took a bus back to Lantau Island to get on the boat. On the bus our guide explained to us that the dolphins we would be seeing are pink, even though they are called Chinese White Dolphins. They can only be found in The Pearl River Delta or off the coast of South Africa. The story goes that they are pink because the water they live in is so heavily polluted that the sun does not reach the dolphins and they begin to lose the melanin in their skin and turn pink. What ever the reason may be for them being pink, they are gorgeous. We were able to see quite a few dolphins. It so much fun and they are actually quite a bright color of pink. Unfortunately it was too hard to take pictures, but it is something I will never forget. The boat ride itself was fantastic too. I could have spent all day on that boat. This is definitely something I wish we could have done as one large group. I really think everyone would have enjoyed and it is something I would recommend to anyone who visits Hong Kong. It is a must!