Kow Loon, Hong Kong - January 17, 2018

Before we went to sleep last night we determined that Stan was in fact running a fever. He probably had been for some while. Time to breakout the Cipro; he doubled up with Alka-Seltzer and cough drops. Even though he suffered night sweats, he slept and his fever broke. He felt more like exploring Hong Kong this morning. We didn't rush and decided do a trial run to find the "Fast Track to Vic Peak" group meeting place at St. John's Cathedral that we signed up for last night. The trip will take place tomorrow but experience has taught us that when there is a firm time involved with an activity we better know how to get there at the right time. Hint: this exercise is one of many that helps preserve a healthy marriage.

We maneuvered the subway system to Central Station MTR which is on Hong Kong Island - we are staying on Kowloon. We followed the "how to get there" directions, finding exit K and crossing the tram line, walking up the hill and finding the meeting point at St. John's Church. Sounds simple. Heh, heh, heh! Exit K pops you out on a huge pavilion with tall, looming, ultramodern skyscrapers all around. Crossing the tram line involves finding a set of steps to access an overhead walkway - we just ran across when the coast was clear. Then going uphill means: find the city path that winds many steps up the hill. There is St. John's Cathedral. Voila!

With that done, we decided to have a look at the city of Hong Kong. We saw a sign for the Botanical and Zoological Gardens. It called us. The park was just another half-mile uphill. It was founded in 1864 and is on the mid-level of Vic Peak. It was smallish and in the very middle of the city but was very pretty and had lots of flowers which you know I must photograph. The zoo did not appeal to us so, feeling spunky, we hoped to expand our sights and go elsewhere. On our way out of the park we passed a group of young teen girls taking pictures. Stan photo-bombed them. They were first shocked and then burst into fits of laughing! The rest of their group wanted in - they all came running down and we all got into the picture. We laughed we smiled and we hugged. As we separated, they hugged us once more and as we left I turned and said one more! The huddled, raised the peace sign and I got a great shot of those very sweet, sweet girls! We will not forget this moment.

We decided to see if we could make it to the giant Tian Tan Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. Tian Tan Buddha happens to be the tallest outdoor statue of a seated Buddha found anywhere in the world. The journey there was much easier than we thought. We took the MTR (subway/train) all the way.

Once on Lantau, we boarded the 5.7K skyway cable car to the top of the mountain where the statue and monastery are situated. The skyway ride was about 25 minutes from Tung Kung to Gnong Ping village traveling at a pretty good clip. Finally Big Buddha became visible in the fog. At the end of the line, we counted 268 steps to reach the base of the statue. The statue is not just big; it is huge. It is 112 feet tall and mounted at the top of a very tall hill overlooking the monastery and the valleys and ocean below. The view around it is spectacular but should be better, except the air here is very, very hazy. Much of it is smog that we think primarily is from China. Actually it is hazy and smoggy in every place we have visited on this side of the world. I will probably talk more about this later but if one does not believe in global warming or civilization's tremendous detriment on this planet, a look at Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Goa, Mumbai and the beautiful land-water haven, Hong Kong, is evidence beyond compare.

Well, visiting Big Buddha was something indeed, but the monastery was gorgeous!!! Its pagoda style, intricate design and brightly painted colors seemed so very Chinese. Prayers were being conducted when we were there. Many visitors were praying along with the monks. People lighted incense and made sacrifices. Cows walked around freely.

I'm so glad we came here. Yes, there were shops and all the typical touristy stuff, but what we thought might be a "fake" tourist destination turned out to be a sacred place for many people. I am so happy to have been a part of it. Big Buddha amazed me, and listening to the haunting chants of the monks at the Monastery and hearing the ringing of the big bells was an amazing experience. I love this world.

We decided to make this a really big day. Although we were tired, instead of going back to the hotel, we opted to go directly to the Hong Kong Cultural Center Promenade on the banks of the cannel between Kowloon and Hong Kong. Picture this . . . you pop out of the subway onto what might be like Hollywood's Rodeo Drive or New York's 5th Avenue. Yeesh, all the very best fancy stores, like Patek Philippe, IWC, Louis Vuitton and on and on! People were shopping with great vigor. And then there was the Cultural Center! There were sculptures of Polar Bears below the arc of one of the most incredible buildings I have ever seen. It was fantastic! We were a bit dumbfounded and had no idea where to go from here for the best spot to watch the light show. A young woman approached us and was about to pass. Stan said, "Can you tell me?" She lighted up like a candle, delighted to assist, and gave us precise instructions to the place where we sat and watched the most beautiful light display in the world. I hope you see the photos. We had a bottle of wine and some peanuts to cap off the fantastic evening.

As a late night snack, we bought grilled octopus and fish balls. We sat in a park, had our dinner and chuckled as we watched men flying (and crashing) tiny drones; and saw tired families making their way home. We thank God for our lucky adventures.

Big day today! Tired!