Since it was supposed to be better weather the next day we went up to Ngong Ping 360, where you take a cable car up a mountain to see a gigantic statue of Buddha, among other things. The sun was out, so we were happy that we wouldn't have to use our umbrellas for the first day that week. Or so we thought...*cue slightly ominous music*
Going over an inlet of ocean
It was really beautiful on the way up with all the green mountains, but our experience was kind of dampened by 2 middle-aged guys that hopped in our tram at the last minute. They talked loud. And A LOT. And sat too close to me. The guy next to me even answered the phone while we were in there, so he was all up in my ear. It didn't help when he would occasionally sound like he was hocking a loogie. Seriously.
I tried to not keep scooting over so I wouldn't squish Michelle. There was also a couple in the car with us, and occasionally we would all meet eyes, side-eye the loud guys, and chuckle. Side-eye x4.
Smiling on the outside, cringing/side-eying our tram buddies on the inside
I didn't get a picture of it, but there was a trail leading up all the way through the mountains. Michelle dubbed it "Struggle Path".
We could not get to the top soon enough. There's Buddha!
I actually saw the cable cars and Buddha from my window on the plane out of Hong Kong a couple of days later. I think the airport is pretty close to here.
Once we passed all the tourist shops, it was a really nice stroll.
That's when it came. The sun to end all suns. It was by far the hottest day so far and the sun was full force. We both got out our umbrellas for shade, but it wasn't enough. Instead of baking in the sun, we were steaming under the umbrellas.
This picture does not do justice to how many stairs there actually were.
Finally! There was a big walkway and some shade around the statue, and rooms inside.
Some of the surrounding statues. They were much smaller than Buddha, of course.
One of the many views. It's called 360 because you can see in all directions from the pavilion around the Buddha statue.
Then we got away from the crowds and hiked (well, strolled) through the woods to Wisdom Path, where a bunch of huge steles are set up. The walk was mostly shaded and really pretty. A dog started following us at one point, but he was calm and mostly interested in marking his territory.
Each stele has an important teaching of Buddhism. They were made from huge tree trunks split in half.
No filter
On our walk back, the sun got us again. We were sweating through our shirts (sorry/not sorry for the TMI) and it was so bright our eyes hurt. We stopped at a little snack tent where we got a snack - chilled soft tofu with a sweet syrup. Yep, sounds crazy to westerners. Then you add some orange-colored sugar on top to make it sweeter. It had a different flavor that I still can't put my finger on. All I know is that it was goooood. Very light and refreshing. Didn't take a picture because it doesn't look all that great, but I'm still thinking about it...
After dinner that night, Michelle's dad decided to take us on a short drive from their apartment to see a great night-view of Hong Kong.
It was a fairly clear night too, for once!
It was so beautiful, but also so crowded with multiple tour buses full of mainland Chinese tourists, so it was crowded and loud. Not someplace you come to spend a lot of time, but I was glad we went. Michelle's family was always so kind to think of what I might enjoy seeing, and I'm so thankful. My experience in Hong Kong was so much better with them than it would have been by myself.
2 comments:
The cable car ride sounds like such a neat experience! (except for the middle-aged guys). You got some amazing pictures--I especially like the 360 view, the no filter picture, and the Hong Kong night view! Were you panting when you got to the top of all those stairs?
Dorthy, that made me laugh inside! That is so funny about those guys and your side-eyes! That would be so uncomfortable! Those are such cool statues! I would have been so freaked out about the dog! I'm glad he didn't get you! Michelle and her family seem really nice!
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