DAY 69 - HONG KONG, CHINA - APRIL 6, 2010

WE HAD ANOTHER EARLY START AND WERE IN THE BUFFET EATING BREAKFAST AS WE PULLED INTO THE HONG KONG HARBOR. WE WERE SCHEDULED TO DOCK AT 7:00 AND EVERYTHING WAS RIGHT TO THE MINUTE.

OUR MEETING TIME WAS 8:00 IN THE LOUNGE AND EVERTHING WAS GOING LIKE CLOCKWORK. THE SHIP WAS CLEARED AT 7:45, OUR SMALL GROUP OF 12 WAS GATHERED AND WE WERE ON THE BUS AT 8:15.

WE HAVE CHOOSEN TO TAKE THE TOUR TO LANTAU ISLAND. (LAN TOWEL) THE MAIN ATTRACTION IS THE WORLDS LARGEST OUTDOOR BUDDHA AT THE PO LIN MONASTERY AND INCLUDES SEVERAL OTHER STOPS.

ONE OF OUR DINNER TABLE MATES WAS SCHEDULED TO GO ON THE TOUR ALSO BUT MENTIONED AT DINNER THE OTHER NIGHT HE HAD DECIDED AGAINST THE TOUR BECAUSE HE HAD SEEN ENOUGH BUDDHIST TEMPLES ALREADY. ALTHOUGH GEORGIA AND I NEVER COMMENTED ON THE STATEMENT, WE TOLD EACH OTHER LATER WE HAD ENTERTAINED THE SAME THOUGHT. WE HAD ALSO CONVINCED OURSELVES WE HAD RESEARCHED THE TOURS, OVER AND OVER, PRIOR TO LEAVING FOR THE CRUISE, AND WE FELT OUR CHOICES WERE THE BEST AT THE TIME AND NOTHING WAS GOING TO CHANGE OUR MINDS.

THE BUS PULLED AWAY AND BEFORE WE KNEW IT WE WERE HEADING ACROSS THE NEW TWO AND A HALF MILE BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS KOWLOON PENINSULA AND THE ISLAND OF LANTAU. THE ISLAND ONLY HAS ABOUT 25,000 RESIDENCE AND IS HOME TO THE NEW HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND DISNEYLAND HONG KONG. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO THIS ISLAND DIDNT EVEN HAVE PAVED ROADS AND CONSISTED OF SEVERAL DOZEN FISHING VILLAGES.

OUR FIRST STOP WAS THE LARGE SHOPPING MALL LOCATED NEAR THE AIRPORT. ALL VEHICLES ON THE ISLAND MUST BE REGISTERED AND LARGE VEHICLES, LIKE BUSES, EVEN THE 20 PASSENGER SIZE, COMING FORM HONG KONG ISLAND OR THE PENINSULA MUST DROP PASSENGERS AT THE MALL TO TRANSFER TO AUTHORIZED VEHICLES, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT HAD TO HAPPEN IN OUR CASE.

WE TRANSFERRED TO A BUS JUST LIKE THE ONE THAT GOT US TO THE MALL AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. OUR GUIDE, K.C., POINTED OUT A CABLECAR SYSTEM MOVING FROM THE MALL TO THE HILL ON OUR RIGHT AND CONTINUING OVER ANOTHER HILL AND OUT OF SIGHT. THE DESTINATION, AS WAS OURS, WAS THE GROUND VERY NEAR THE MONASTERY, APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES AWAY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY COOL TO GET TO THE MONASTERY BY WAY OF THE CABLE, OR EVEN RETURN, BUT THE CHANCES OF DELAYS IS GREAT AND CAUSING THE SHIP TO MISS DEPARTURE TIME WOULD NOT BE TO THEIR LIKING.

THE HIGHEST POINT ON THE ISLAND IS ABOUT 900 METERS AND ALTHOUGH WE WERE NOT GOING TO THOSE HEIGHT WE DID CLIMB SOME VERY STEEP HILLS, AND OF COURSE DOWN THE OTHER SIDE, BEFORE REACHING OUR FIRST TOUR STOP, THE UPPER CHEUG SHI BEACH. I THINK THE MAIN PURPOSE WAS REALLY TO USE THE FACILITIES, SOME OF WHICH ARE WESTERN STYLE.

THE AREA WAS VERY CLEAN, WORKERS PREFORMING THEIR EARLY MORNING TASKS IN ANTICIPATION OF THE AFTERNOON CROWDS. HONG KONG WAS STILL ON EASTER HOLIDAY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS TUESDAY. IF NOTHING ELSE IT WAS A CHANCE TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THE BEACH, THE SHARK NETS THAT PROTECT THE SWIMMERS AND THE ASIAN WOMEN, ALL DECKED OUT WITH CHINESE HAT AND NETTING OVER HER FACE, RAKING THE DEBRIS FROM THE SAND. OUR STAY WAS ONLY TWENTY MINUTES AND WE WERE BACK ON THE ROAD.

OUR SECOND STOP WAS REAL CLOSE TO BEING THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE EXCURSION. THE FISHING VILLAGE OF TAI O. ONCE HOME TO 1500 HOUSES BUILD ON STICKS IN THE BAY, THERE IS NOW LESS THAN 1/3 THE HOUSES AND ONLY 900 TO 1000 RESIDENCE. THE NARROW STREETS WERE LINED WITH SHOPS SELLING EVERYTHING INCLUDING POSTCARDS, FANS, DRIED FISH AND SUCH DELECTABLES AS SIX INCH DEHYDRATED SEA SLUGS. LOCALS, SOME SHOPPING AND OTHERS PUSHING CARTS WITH MERCHANDISE, I WOULD ASSUME FOR THEIR STORE OR SHOP, FILLED THE STREETS. ONE LADY HAD TWO SMALL CHILDREN ON A SMALL FOUR WHEEL CART WORKING HER WAY THROUGH THE CROWDS OF LOCALS, TOURIST AND SIGHTSEERS.

DOWN THE MAIN STREET AND TO THE LEFT WAS A BRIDGE THAT CROSSED OVER THE CHANNEL TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VILLAGE AND MORE MARVELOUS ADVENTURES IN ASIAN CULTURE. THE AROMAS COMING FROM THE SMALL RESTAURANT PERMEATED THE AIR, OCCASIONALLY OTHER LESS ENDEARING SMELLS WERE DETECTED.

ON THE BACK STREET, NEXT TO THE MARKET THAT PROUDLY DISPLAYED LIVE FISH IN AN OUTDOOR TANK, WERE TWO BUDDHIST TEMPLES. THE FIRST WAS THE BUDDHA TO THE WARRIORS, GIVING STRENGTH TO THOSE IN NEED. THE SECOND WAS A BUDDHA TO PEACE. THERE ARE SO MANY BUDDHAS, OVER 12,000 WE HAVE BEEN TOLD. THE ONLY ONES I INSTANTLY RECOGNIZE ARE THE FEMALE AND THE LAUGHING.

THE JOURNEY BACK TO THE BUS RETRACED OUR STEPS PASSED ALL THE SAME SHOP AND AS WE ENCOUNTERED NEW PEOPLE WE ENGAGED IN NEW PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES. SEVERAL IN OUR GROUP STOPPED TO HAGGLE WITH THE SHOP OWNERS FOR SOUVENIRS. EVENTUALLY MAKING IT BACK TO THE BUS WE CONTINUED ON TO THE PO LIN MONASTERY.

NORMALLY ACCESS TO THE BUDDHA COMES FROM THE LOWER PARKING LOT AND UP THE 200+ STEPS TO THE BASE OF THE 110 FOOT HIGH STATUE. WE HOWEVER WERE SPARED THE STRENUOUS STAIR CLIMB AS OUR SMALL BUS WAS ALLOWED TO TAKE THE MAINTENANCE ROAD TO THE BASE. THERE WERE STILL SEVERAL DOZEN STEPS TO CLIMB BEFORE ENTERING THE MUSEUM UNDERNEATH THE STRUCTURE. THE MUSEUM IS MUCH LARGER THAN IT APPEARS,
THERE ARE THREE FLOORS BENEATH THE STAUTE FILLED WITH ART, ARTIFACTS, AND A GIFT SHOP. WHEN REACHING THE THIRD LEVEL THE EXIT LEADS OUTDOORS TO THE FOOT OF THE STATUE AND A FABULOUS VIEW OF THE ENTIRE GROUNDS OF THE MONASTERY. YOUR EYES HOWEVER IMMEDIATELY REFOCUS ON THE STRUCTURE ABOUT. THE BRONZE SCULPTURE HAS AGED OVER THE YEARS AND THE SHINEY LUSTER NO LONGER EXSIST. LIKE ALL BRONZE MATERIAL, OVER THE YEARS, IT HAS TURNED A GREENISH COLOR.

SHINEY OR DULL IT DOESN’T DEMINISH FROM THE AWESOME SPECTACLE THAT IT IS. THE RIGHT HAND RIASED AS A SIGN TO CONTROL THE FORCES AND AND THE LEFT HAND, PALM UP, TO BRING COMFORT TO THE PEOPLE. HIS FACE CONVEYS PEACE AND COMFORT.

GEORGIA AND I WORKED OUR WAY TO THE STAIRS AND DECENDED ABOUT THIRTY STEPS SO WE COULD SNAP PICTURES OF THE MAMMOTH STRUCTURE ABOVE. WE WORKED OUR WAY BACK TO THE BUS FOR THE JOURNEY TO THE MONASTERY AND TEMPLE. BEFORE HAVING FREE TIME TO ROAM THE GROUNDS WE WERE USHERED INTO THE RESTAURANT FOR A FANTASTIC VEGETARIAN LUNCH. THE MONASTERY FOLLOWS A STRICT VEGETARIAN PLAN ALLOWING NO USE OF, NOT ONLY MEAT, BUT, CHICKEN, FISH, OR EGGS. THE MEAL WAS EXCELLENT.

AFTER LUNCH GEORGIA AND I WALKED TO THE CENTER OF THE MONASTERY AND VIEWED THE BUDDHA FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LONG STAIRCASE. IT IS JUST AS AWESOME A SIGHT AS IT WAS STANDING AT TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN AS STANDING AT THE BASE.

OUR LAST STOP TOOK US TO THE A SHOPPING PLAZA NEXT TO THE MONASTERY WHERE WE HAD AROUND THIRTY MINUTES TO BROWSE THE ESTABLISHMENTS RANGING FROM RESTAURANTS TO MASKS FROM THE BEIJING OPERA.

OUR EXCURSION ENDED AND WE TRAVELED THE NINETY MINUTES BACK TO THE SHIP.