Honkers

Travel  always seems so glamorous when you're planning it. Much of the time is spent getting ready to travel or unpacking and going to sleep and then working out what to do next. We took ages to get from Hong Kong Airport to our hotel because our bus driver got lost many times and then to top it off he knocked over a motorcyclist. Luckily no one was hurt. It just took a long time. Next day we had arranged to go on a tour of Lantau Island and visit the Po Lin Monastery and one of the largest outdoor bronze Buddha statues in the world. We also squeezed in the fishing village of Tai O. We got there by bus and then the Ngong Ping Cable car - 5.7km sky rail over the lush heavily wooded mountains.

This is our first view of the Buddha from the sky rail.

Here he is up close.

And even closer.

There was a lovely view from the top.

And then on to the temple. A very tranquil place to hang out after the humidity, noise and hustle and bustle of Kowloon and Hong Kong.

Lantau used to be a very rural island with farming and fishing as the main activities. They still fish but there is no more agriculture. They import all their produce. This left them with the cows. So now the cows roam all over the island.

The fishing village was very primitive and very picturesque.

A lot of the fishermen live in these little houses on stilts over the water.

 

Tom have a conversation with a local.

The local produce.

And then a catamaran over to Hong Kong and then the Star Ferry back to Kowloon.

We sat and had a beer and watched the city put on its light show.

And then it was time for dinner. We decided against duckbill and tripes.

And settled for a delicious chilli and chicken dish. By the end of the meal there were nearly as many chillies left in the bowl. I think they must have used twenty to thirty dried chillies in this dish. It was mighty hot.

Next day we had quite a lot of time to kill after we checked out of our hotel. We walked back down to the harbour to visit the Space Museum and the Hong Kong Art Gallery. Both were closed for renovations. So what to do? We visited the Peninsula Hotel, one of the most expensive hotels here. What were the locals doing. Most of them were enjoying high tea. The little group of ladies above dressed up for the occasion. What else to do? Well, there's always Tiffanys. Tom and I escaped the humidity and went inside the chilled, refined portals of Tiffanys and had our rings cleaned. And that as they say, was the end. Farewell Hong Kong. Next port of call, Sydney.