Me, Myself and Hong Kong (2)

Day two brought me to Lantau island in hopes for a clear day to see the world's largest seated bronze Buddha statue, Tian Tan.

As I floated across the harbour on the first ferry, it would seem mother nature had other plans as it was looking quite drab and dreary.  Hoping for different conditions on top of the mountain, I decided to continue on, umbrella in hand.

The bus ride to the top was a little frightening as the driver insisted on taking the winding road, which was under construction, at very high speeds. I was actually feeling ill on the way up and I rarely suffer from motion sickness.  I closed my eyes to ease some tension, but my imagination was running wild by this point.  All I could envision was the bus skidding off the road into the depths of the ravine towards the rocky landscape below, exploding on...  

Finally, the bus slowed.  I was in Ngong Ping village and soon forgot about my fiery end.


With Buddha in sight, I began my climb up the steep staircase.  I was looking up at the most beautiful statue I had ever seen, feeling very small and humbled.

A beautiful memento and a means to cool off. Loving this fan!

It was time to leave and I couldn't help but feel a little sad.  Walking down the stairs, I looked back every few feet, taking in the many last looks.  Here was one of them.

 

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Later that day, after I had picked up my visa, I found myself reliving the moments on my camera at a restaurant I did not imagine I would be eating at in Hong Kong.

Of all the culinary goodness to choose from I found myself at McDonald's. They were advertising the McCurry sandwich and I was intrigued.  It was kinda tasty but I couldn't help feeling guilty eating beef after such an inspiring morning with Buddha. 

Not feeling guilty enough, I followed dinner with drinks in Lan Kwai Fong, a popular bar district in Central, HK.

Canadian on tap and hockey on the tube, I enjoyed a game and a few pints with some pretty rad expats.

GO LEAFS GO!

** It has come to my attention that since writing this the Leafs lost in game seven against Boston :( Better luck next year. 

That said, I feel Boston could use the win. Don't you?**

In Disbe-leaf

Me, Myself and Hong Kong

I found myself in Hong Kong for a three day holiday at the end of April, all expenses paid!!  Yup, had to get my visa sorted and that's where I was sent.  In total, I spent about forty minutes at the visa office, which meant I had lots of free time for strolling the city.

As I looked over the city, sipping a much needed glass of red, I anticipated what the next three days would bring.  One thing I was sure of was that my clothing would be baby boogie free for a few days ...and I raised my glass to that.

Slightly buzzed, I sped through customs, exchanged some cash for HK dollars and found myself zipping across the city on the express train towards the visa office.  Following the flow of people, I surfaced the station and this was my first view of Wan Chai district.

I had to be at the visa office by two o'clock and I had vague directions of exactly where it was, but luckily, I stumbled upon it thirty minutes later being one of the first people in line.  Off to a great start!  Twenty minutes later, application was completed and submitted.  Now I could search for my hostel.  Map in hand, I went on my way.

Next stop: Causeway Bay, shopping mecca!  This was where my hostel was located.  It took about an hour of solid looking, but I finally found it located above one of many high end shops.  Imagine an obscure looking gold door located between shops, with no signage stating entry would lead to a place of sleep and free coffee.

I dropped off my luggage, took a phone shot of the obscure door because I knew I would have issues finding it later and set out with my lonely planet guide to Hong Kong, hoping to find Peak Tram, Central.

Following the signs around Central, I found the tram without issue and was heading up Victoria peak on a very clear day.  I was too late in finding a seat and had to stand the entire way up, which was awkward for the most part as it is a very steep climb, but I was so excited taking in my sideways view of the city that my safety seemed trivial at the time.

A late afternoon view.  I was lucky it was such a clear day.

The ride back down was even more exciting as you descend backwards the entire route.  I was reminded of a similar experience I had with my friend, Breanna, descending a very steep hill backwards in a tractor while touring a jungle in Costa Rica.  I giggled the entire way down imagining Breanna's reaction had she been along for this ride.

Next, I was en route to Star Ferry port making my way across Victoria harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade in hopes to find the Temple Street Night Market, taking pictures of Central along the way.

Hong Kong is terribly easy to navigate thanks to an incredible public transportation system and the fact that most people speak English.  Signage and maps were posted everywhere, pointing the way towards major tourist sites and different transportation hubs.  I feel I had the city figured out by the end of my first day, which was very comforting.

The ferry ride across the harbour was very peaceful and it was nice to finally breathe in what seemed to be fresh air compared to that of Zhengzhou's smoggy air.

The view from East Promenade of the Star Ferry, looking across to Central.  Dreamy.

Kowloon district is pretty unique is its population comprises of Chinese, Filipinos, Africans, Indians and Europeans, which is evident in the charm of its diverse neighborhoods and the goods that can be found at its markets.  I enjoyed my evening travels of Kowloon, discovering various markets down little alleyways and eating my way from one market to the next.

Temple Street  Market is a large bizarre where you can find anything and everything from designer bags to sex toys.  I was in heaven :D  I also stumbled upon the famous Jade Market.

 

Sensory overload?  Yes.  But I felt strangely peaceful wandering through blocks of markets listening to vendors shouting their prices, finding my way through the maze of people and goods.

It was an incredible afternoon and evening which I hope to be reminded of for years to come...with help of this beautiful painting of Central, HK, which I bought at Temple Street Market.

Day two to follow :)

Thanks for reading!!