Hong Kong... So Close to Disneyland...

Leaving the natural world behind us, Hannah R and I were bound for the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong! To try and save some money (which ended up serving both of us well since we both had to buy iPods on this trip), we took an overnight sleeper bus from Guilin to Shenzhen. I had been warned by several people that sleeper buses were fun "for the first hour," (that one is compliments of my Adam). I was a bit nervous and anticipated getting NO sleep at all. However, I thought it was super cozy! Remember when you were a little kid and your family would go on road trips and you would make a little cocoon of pillows and blankets? Yeah, well this was a glorified version of that! After taking your shoes off and putting them in a bag, you are allowed on the 10 hour bus ride. There are three rows of bunk beds and we headed right to the back (we know our place as foreigners). The beds are on a slight incline so you're not completely flat. You get a pillow and a big fluffy blanket. The bed was maybe two inches too short for me so I can see why some people (like Adam) might not like it but I really enjoyed it. I put in my mp3 player, pulled the blanket up to my nose and passed out by 9 o'clock. By 4am, we had arrived in Shenzhen (two hours before we had planned) so we waited at the border to cross into Hong Kong.

 

January 15th

We wandered around the city for a bit, waiting to meet up with Hannah's friend, Abby. It was so nice to be out in the fresh air after being on a bus for 10 hours. It was even nicer to breathe in literal fresh air and look up and see a blue sky with white fluffy clouds... something I have not seen since I arrived in China five months ago (seriously, the difference just over the border is mind boggling). 

Prior to going to Hong Kong, I had asked several people what they would recommend and one of the things was the Walk of Stars, kind of similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Unfortunately, I am not a connoisseur when it comes to Chinese film and pop culture. However, there was one name that I recognized instantly and I felt like if I didn't run over and do the classic "hand to hand" shot, both Becky and Rachel would disown me.

It says Jackie Chan for those of you who can't see

While we were walking along the Walk of Stars, sweaty, tired, and our backs sore from carrying our bags, something happened that instantly brought a smile to our faces. A group of twenty school children, all in their matching uniforms walked by, saw the foreigners, and ran over to us, each of them pulling out pieces of paper and pens. Their teacher informed us that they were doing a project to practice their English on foreigners and she asked if they could ask us some questions... As if we would say no! The kids broke out into their questions, sounding like a choir as they asked their questions in unison. SO. CUTE. 

We finally met up with Abby and took some time to relax in her apartment looking out over the city as the night lights came on. Before eating dinner at Spicy Crabs with her husband, Tim, we checked out the night market. I am a huge fan of the green beans at Spicy Crabs and an even bigger fan of Tim and Abby--the sweetest, most welcoming people I have ever met! Wonderful friends that I am so happy to have met.

January 16th 

We woke up to a BEAUTIFUL day outside. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and there were large puffy clouds in the sky. The clouds might be the biggest thing that I miss from America (on top of my family, chicken wings, and freedom). After a glorious breakfast of bagels (my family is from Long Island so I know bagels), we were ready for a day of sightseeing in Hong Kong!

I don't know if anyone remembers the show, "5 Takes: Pacific Rim" but it was about a group of photo journalists who traveled around Southeast Asia and documented their experiences. One place they visited was Hong Kong and they went to Tian Tan, the largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha. I was 15 when I saw the show on Travel Channel and Tian Tan was instantly put onto My Life List. Knowing we were going to Hong Kong (and I did not want to go to Disneyland by myself), my only wish was to see the Big Buddha... I was thrilled that Abby and Hannah were willing to go too!!

The lovely Abby!!

 It was incredible. I had known that Tian Tan was the largest seated bronze Buddha but it was so much bigger than I imagined. Unfortunately, the cable cars were not running so we had to take the dangerously close to vomit inducing bus ride. At one point, I looked across the bay and saw the Buddha up on the mountain top.

It is 286 steps to the top of the mountain. As you get higher and higher, the Buddha gets bigger and bigger (obviously). You see his head tilted down and his eyes are partially open as though he is watching you come up to meet him. I just loved standing at the top of the stairs at the base of the Buddha and watching the monks, believers, and pilgrims bow and pray. It was just so serene and beautiful at the top of that mountain.

On top of the mountain, it was so peaceful. There were a lot of people walking around but everyone was quiet and respectful. Up there, I found my own peace on Earth. I always say that the three things that I always long for are the sea, pine forests, and mountains and up at that Buddha, I had all three... Plus my ten year old dream coming true.

 

Since the day was so beautiful (totally my kind of weather), Hannah and I journeyed down the "Wisdom Path" in hopes that our childish natures could become enlightened. Sadly, everything was in Chinese so our wisdom will have to wait.

 

 After one tourist attraction, we hopped on one of the many double decker buses (my first time every riding one despite the fact that I've been to London TWICE!!) and headed up to Victoria's Peak. This is the place that everyone said to go if you are visiting Hong Kong for the first time. It is opened all day and well into the night but my Adam (and several others) said that the best time is to go right at dusk, as the sun is setting and the city lights are coming on. So be braved the cold and the wind and paid the $40 (Hong Kong dollars and not American dollars, thank goodness) to go up to the Peak.

One of the things they do (for advertising I'm sure) is "Say 'I Love You' at the Peak." I thought (and I think I might have said it out loud), "I wish my boyfriend was here... I would totally do that!" To which Hannah replied, "Why don't you do one for him?" And that's just what I did!!

Getting a little card in the shape of a heart, you can fill it out with anything you want. People were writing about their year, their family, their children, their friends... It's so wonderful to see how many different types of love there are in the world! The languages were also great--seeing so many different languages other than Chinese and English.

Instead of waiting out in the cold for the lights to come on in the city, we took a ferry back to Abby's apartment and bundled up, grabbed some beers, and went up to her terrace to watch the nightly laser show. It's always nice to get girls together and just chit chat. In Cangqian it is (my) Adam and DH with the occasional Other Adam thrown in... that is a lot of testosterone in my life! And while I LOVE hanging out with the guys, there is just something about ladies being able to come together and laugh and hang out. I loved it.

For dinner, we had "pizza dip" with so much cheese... it rocked my world (add cheese to the list of things that I miss from America)... I need to get the recipe!! After pizza dip, we had chips, cookies, and cake. Yes, CAKE. I tell you Tim and Abby are the best hosts--they know what China keeps from us and they give it back to us tenfold!!  They were so welcoming and kind, even though they had never met me before. They were so much fun to be with and I count them among my newfound friends.

Our time in Hong Kong was bound to come to an end. I did enjoy my short time there. It was great to be out of China for awhile (it's like a literal breath of fresh air). I think Hong Kong is what China could be if it just tried a little harder.

That being said, I would not want to live in Hong Kong. Yes the men know how to dress and people can speak English and you can get cheese with ease (Ha! Poet and I didn't even know it!), but there is also an Indian man tailor/watch/purse obstacle course on Nathan Road that is just nasty (they were so rude to Hannah, I actually shoulder checked a guy from behind in her honor). There is such a focus on wealth and facades. I think that if you are not a business man or finely dressed, then you are of little to no value. So, even though it was nice to see foreigners, I think the only reason I would ever go back to Hong Kong (other than to see Tim and Abby) would be for Disneyland (#189).

A huge shout out to Tim and Abby who were such lovely hosts!! I wish I had gotten a picture with both of you... Next time!!

Until Next Time,
Amanda

PS: Shout out to my Aunt Sue!! Today is her birthday!! 生日快乐！！