Enlightenment, one post at a time...

Enlightenment, one post at a time...

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Lantau Island

 
Today I finally saw the big Buddha on Lantau Island.  I've been to Hong Kong somewhere between 5 to 7 times, but I've never actually been to Ngong Ping (village where big Buddha is located).  Cecelia and I braved the thunder storms and took a fairly unremarkable, if foggy, ferry ride to Lantau.  We then hopped on the bus and made our way to Ngong Ping.  It's remarkable how easy the Octopus Card makes travel (and life in general) in HK.  A swipe to get on the metro, a swipe to get on the ferry, a swipe to ride the bus.  No tickets; no hassle; no fuss.

It was misting and thundering when we got to Ngong Ping.  I love when the mountains in China are shrouded in fog.  This seems to be their natural state, and it reminds me of the brush paintings of karst landscapes from Chinese restaurants.  The Buddha, true to its reputation, is big.  It sits atop a peak bordering the village.  We climbed the stairs, took pictures, viewed some breathtaking scenery, visited the Po Lin monestary, and made our way back.

Ramen/Hotdog/Lettuce/Egg Soup
Perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the day was ordering lunch upon arrival in Ngong Ping.  We went to a small Chinese restaurant off the main tourist trail (or as far off it as one may get in a village whose survival depends entirely upon tourism).  There were few choices, so we ordered "fried noodles" off the menu, which came with two toppings.  We both selected "sausage" and "eggs".  I should have known better.  We received a nice hot Styrofoam cup of ramen soup with boiled lettuce covered by a fried egg and a hot dog.  Food selection like this is why I lost weight last time I was here.

1 comment:

  1. Yeah,I could have fed you that right in my kitchen here in Northern Wisconsin! Sounds like something one would throw together after having consumed lots of alcohol... ;)

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