Every night at 8pm, the buildings in Hong Kong put on a light show called "Symphony of Lights." It's tough to watch from Hong Kong Island because you're right under the buildings, so it's best to cross the water to Tsim Sha Tsui where you can get a great view of the skyline.
The metro is probably the quickest and cheapest way to get from HK to TST, but I wanted to see the Kowloon skyline, so we left a little early and took the ferry across the water.
On our way!
LOVE the water
When we arrived on the other side, we tried to find a place to grab a drink and some light fare before the show, but there weren't any bars near the water. Instead, we bought some beers and snacks at the 7-11 (don't judge us - we like to party) and grabbed some good seats on the waterfront. (One of the great things about Hong Kong is that you can just casually drink alcoholic beverages outdoors - it's nice to be treated like a mature adult.)
Waiting for the show to start!
I tried to videotape the show for you guys, but the lights wouldn't show up on my camera. I found this video on YouTube so you can see it. The show really is amazing and this video even shows you some shots of what the buildings look like up close. The lights are set to the music that plays on the boardwalk, so you get the full effect of the "Symphony of Lights."
Much like the "Hollywood Walk of Fame" in Los Angeles, Hong Kong has its own way of commemorating famous local thespians. "Avenue of the Stars" in Tsim Sha Tsui is a fun way to spend an evening walking through Chinese culture, checking out their most famous actors and laughing at their funny names.
There were only two names on the boardwalk we recognized - Jackie Chan (who is immortalized by a life-size statue) and Jet Li. As it turns out, Jet Li and I have the same size hands. I don't know what that means, but it feels pretty important.
Tuesday morning, I woke up with a goal; I was going to climb to the top of Lion Rock.
Lion Rock is a peak that overlooks Wong Tai Sin and is shaped like a lounging lion.
Can you see the lion?
This is a picture of it from the metro - it's a far hike
There isn't a metro that drops you off at the bottom of the trail (unfortunately), so once I got to Wong Tai Sin, I started walking UP. As in, pretty much straight up the steepest hill I've ever climbed. Up, up, up, for about an hour and a half. By the time I reached the bottom of the mountain, I was basically on my hands and knees crawling through pools of my own sweat. Little old Chinese women with canes were passing me by, not so discreetly giggling at my agony. Later, I realized that they probably thought it was hilarious that I wasn't even a quarter of the way through my journey and I was already hyperventilating.
As I finally reached the bottom of the mountain, there were a lot of pipes bringing run-off water into small pools where people where washing their clothes, stretching and cooling off from the scorching summer heat and humidity.
About an hour later (still uphill), I reached the bottom of the trail to Lion Rock. It's a miracle I made it there at all, given the psychotic, reckless drivers doing their best to run me off the narrow mountain rode at every turn.
FINALLY reached the beginning after over 2 hours of climbing uphill
Before stepping up onto the hiking trail, I was halted by a sign warning of wild monkeys and what to do if approached. Naturally, I thought, "Aw! Monkeys! I want one!"
Monkeys travel in packs of about 200
The journey to the top was steep, treacherous, and riddled with disgusting creatures. Wood planks, one on top of the other help to guide you and ensure you don't slide right back down with every step. After an exhausting hour, I was nearly ready to turn back. The spiders were the size of my fist, moths larger than my hand and swarms of bees were lurking around every turn. But I needed to make it to the top - I had come this far. Another 30 minutes of climbing, I couldn't breathe and then the storm clouds came rolling in. I thought I might be able to make it to the top and back down before the thunderstorms started, so I kept going, even more determined to make it to the top.
Still about an hour from the top, I stopped to take this video. The wind was picking up and once the thunder started, I'd basically have to head back down as soon as possible, so I wanted something to document the trip.
Shortly after filming this (and catching my breath) I began hiking again (up up up!). It started drizzling for a bit and then the path flattened out (thank you!). Trees grew over the trail to protect me from the rain. Then I heard the rustling and the screaming - monkeys. As exhausted as I was, I suddenly had a bolt of energy and RAN like I have never run before. The whole thing was like the scene in Snow White when she runs through the evil forest. I was sure I was going to be attacked by a monkey, as snake, one of the beetles the size of NYC metro rats, or some other creepy crawler. I admit it was an overreaction, but I was so tired and delirious, I was quite certain that this mountain was going to eat me alive.
Then the path cleared, the rain stopped, and I finally reached the sign that would take me to the peak.
The end is near...
Almost there....
About 25 minutes later....
FINALLY!!
As I sat at the edge of the peak and looked out at the view - the water, the islands, the surrounding mountains - I was breathless. I just can't understand how people can look upon such magnificence and still deny that there's a God. That's something I'll never understand. I do know, though, that I never would have made it to the top without Him.
The view was well worth it
After spending some time on the top celebrating and getting my nerves together, I headed back down. The way down was way easier (and faster!) and I was so happy to be getting off that scary mountain that I was practically running the whole way. I pretty much blacked out the entire thing and before I knew it, I was back at the bottom of the trail.
I stopped in here to ask for some water. I was given a water and a ginger beer :)
Even though I couldn't wait to get home (which would still be another hour-long downhill walk and three different trains) and into a hot shower, I was still feeling quite proud of myself and very accomplished.
Last weekend, Will and I traveled across the water to Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. The name is deceiving because there are actually about 13,000 Buddhas at said temple, but who's counting?
The temple is on a hill and the steep path that leads to it is lined with life-size gold Buddha statues, all with a different facial expression. It's really exciting.
Ahhhh this is so cooooool!!
Once you reach the level of the first temple, there's a tall tower in the middle of the courtyard. We climbed all the way to the top to see what it was all about. Turns out, there was absolutely nothing there. We walked all the way up to the top floor, but each floor looked the same - small Buddha statues in every window and a large Buddha statue in the middle of the room.
To make things a little more interesting, I took photos with the Buddhas on the way down.
We continued walking up the hill to the second level of temples, where the mummified body of the founder of the monastery lies. Further up the hill was a stunning view of the city, followed by a mountain of "hidden Buddhas," which looked like warriors stalking their enemy. That was my favorite part of the whole temple.
Beyond the hidden Buddhas, we came across a waterfall with a gorgeous white statue of a female Bodhisattva. Like all beautiful things in China, it was quiet and peaceful.
Our glutes really got a workout that day, so we went straight to the spa for a relaxing massage (well, sort of, but that's a post for another day...).
There are plenty of places around the busy city Hong Kong to steal a quiet, peaceful moment. Last week, after a lot of train hopping, I finally found one of HK's favorite hidden sanctuaries - the Chi Lin Nunnery. This home of the devout was built during the Tang Dynasty and without the use of a single nail. Architects of that period used interlocking wooden beams to hold everything together; even this Nunnery with a 176-ton clay tile roof.
One of the best things about being a tourist in China is that there aren't many. In this instance, I was the only person at the entire complex. The front courtyard consists of a couple small rooms and lotus ponds with dragon-head fountains. It's noisy because you can hear the traffic from the highway below over the tinkling fountains, but once you step over the threshold to the center courtyard, there's a silence that hits you like a wall of pure peace. It's so calm, the silence almost feels heavy, broken only by the faint sound of Buddhist monks chanting their spiritual songs. Around the courtyard are small alters with statues of well known Bodhisattvas and their alters. The Buddha is featured as a large gold statue in the temple at the far end.
It's considered very disrespectful to take photos in a temple, so I didn't have a chance to take any, but I secretly snapped a shot of the big gold Buddha from outside.
The nuns at Chi Lin are not only responsible for their own grounds, but for maintaining the Nan Lian Garden - known as one of the most lovely gardens in the area. The garden wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped and, truth be told, I almost left shortly after arriving. Then I turned a corner to see a quiet koi fish pond with an inviting breeze and felt compelled to sit in the stillness. I ended up sitting for almost an hour - I couldn't move from that spot. It was so beautiful and quiet; for the first time in a long time, the only thing I felt was peace.
In mainland China, there is a lot of prejudice against disabled people. In Hong Kong, there is much less, however, it still exists among some local and indigenous communities. In an effort to support the disabled community, the Hong Kong government offers massage training programs for the blind, so they can learn a trade using the senses they have and make a living for themselves. Yesterday, I ventured out to one of these "massage therapy centers of the blind" to see what they're all about.
It wasn't like any other massage I've ever had. Rather than dressing down and getting under a blanket, they give you gym clothes to wear. The entire massage is done by putting light silk blankets over you to make it smooth, rather than using lotion or massage oil. Otherwise, it was a pretty standard massage. It was super painful and not very relaxing, but I feel amazing today!
I was feeling so tranquil after my massage, I decided to take the metro home. The metro systems in China are pristine. No nasty rats or urine odor - a la NYC - just clean, air-conditioned platforms with a revolutionary invention called a "wall" to keep people from falling and/or being pushed onto the tracks (hmmmm perhaps the MTA could put this into practice?).
I no longer fear for my life while waiting for the train...
Another perk of the MTR (HK) vs MTA (NYC)? You tap your "Octopus Card" when you get on the metro and again when you get off, so you only pay for the distance you travel. I love that it doesn't cost me $2.50 every time I get on the train - if I'm only going two stops, it's about $0.50.
One thing that isn't different in China? Will is sill working around the clock - I've only seen him a couple times since we got here. Bleh.
