I mean, these guys INVENTED gunpowder ... !

(Alex)

My first blog entry! This has been a long time coming, and I hope that all those who read it will enjoy! Quickly, just for those who care, I am having a great time! The guys are great and Hong Kong is amazing! Today we woke up a little earlier than anticipated. Although we had had what we thought to be an enormously physical day yesterday, few of us actually slept in. Li and I were the only two who were able to sleep the entire night without the aid of medication. Allison, who had had a rough night yesterday, took a couple of Tylenol, whereas Mark woke up at three, and just couldn’t get back to sleep. Various sleeping complications aside, we assembled rather sleepily in the dining room to plan our day before the firework display on the harbor that night. The food there was, as always, great, although the décor was a little gaudy. After settling on a plan for the day (and around four cups of tea on my part), we headed down to the subway, which never fails to amaze.  At present time I don’t really know how in depth the other guys have gotten concerning the subway system in Hong Kong, but the one thing that really stood out for me is the amazing accessibility and cleanliness of the subway. Also, they really, really are careful that you wont fall on to the tracks, with double-sliding doors and glass-lined stations. 

Anyways, we headed towards Hong Kong Island, hopped a connecting train to Lantau Island and exited at the Cable Car station to the infamous Big Buddha. Although we were initially afraid we had arrived to late to beat the crowds, we were pleasantly surprised to find the line relatively empty (no two hour waits here!). After paying around $100 HK each for tickets to the cable car (they jacked up the prices for Chinese New Year) we were off to view the city from the skies… with one slight hitch. Although it has been overcast since we arrived, we didn’t realize how foggy it was until we got above sea level. Roughly five minutes into the ride, the blue seas and impressive skyline faded away into oppressive, foggy, white mist. Literally fifteen of the twenty minutes we spent in the cable-car ride consisted of sitting in the car surrounded by fog. Depressed, we exited the car hoping for the best but fearing the worst. Entering Ngong Pong Village (the Buddhist village housing the temple and the giant statue), the mist lent certain mysticism to the atmosphere, simultaneously improving and detracting from the experience of our trip. Making our way through the village, people faded in and out of the mist, along with tranquil gardens and the occasional gift shop. Walking along a partially developed road, we arrive at the bottom of an imposing step of double stairs, with crowds of people moving up and down. The mist obscured our final destination, the Big Buddha. As we climbed up the stairs, we looked in vain for some hint of the famous statue. Finally, within a few feet of the top, this massive figure looms out of the missed, materializing in clarity before our very eyes. Although the finer details are lost in the mist, the size alone is enough to take your breath away. After a little waiting, the fog clears for long enough for us to take some pretty great pictures. After hanging around the top alcove with the Buddha above us, and even going inside the shrine to see some amazing Buddhist relics (including a shard of the Buddha which is apparently comparable to the Holy Grail in Buddhist mythology), we decided to hike back down to the monastery itself, where we had lunch. The initial confusion aside, we managed to redeem the lunch ticket we got at the top and had some great vegetarian noodles and sweets. The temple outside was also pretty sweet, with a ton of intricate carvings and gold inlays, and A LOT of incense and Buddha statues. Much of the temples more intricate details defy description, so keep an eye out for pictures to follow. The trip overall was a great success. 

After scrambling back to the hotel, we quickly changed for the night out on Hong Kong Harbor. Heading across the street to the Kowloon Hotel, we were told to wait for the tour guide Fred who would take us to the buffet we had planned and then to the dock for the boat cruise before the fireworks. But, Fred Ho never showed. Instead another guide, Ricky Martin (no joke), called out “Mr. Allison, group of four!” and we, in the words of Allison, “just went with the flow”. Feeling confused and slightly guilty, we boarded the tour bus heading to, we hoped, the restaurant. As it turns out, we were luckily right. The restaurant was great, with a ton of dishes to try, and some pretty interesting people to talk to. I can’t decide whether I’m embarrassed or annoyed that I ate far more than the other three combined (They’re all really slow and picky eaters). After leaving the restaurant, Ricky, who had by then become our personal hero, directed us to the docks where we would take the boat cruise around the harbor, culminating in the New Years fireworks display. Although Li and Allison were initially nervous about the rickety little boat that was moored when we arrived at the dock, it soon pulled away to reveal a far larger, more stable, boat in its place. We hopped on with the rest of the guests and were off taking pictures of the skyline at night for the last time. Then, the fireworks started. And when I say they were the best display I’ve ever seen, I mean it. I mean, the guys INVENTED gunpowder, so I would hope they where good with it, but this defied all explanation and description. So many boats flooded the small inlet where the fireworks were being lit that I was afraid on more than one occasion that we would collide with one and sink to the bottom before the show would end. I used up the remaining memory on my card taking a 8 minute video (to be posted on Facebook as soon as we have a reliable connection) of the beginning of the show, but apparently they ended up blowing up over 20,000 rockets and $5,000,000 HK worth of hardware. So yeah, the fireworks were epic. Taking the boat back, we said bye to Ricky and blearily stumbled back to the hotel. 

Which brings us pretty much up to date. OK. Now I am so ridiculously tired because I still haven’t fully adjusted to the time difference and feel that I have written way, way to much although Viz will be happy. Everyone is well, although also very tired. Sad to say bye to Hong Kong but excited for what’s to come next. Hope to write again soon, and hope for INTERNET at some point. Zai jian everybody, and hope to talk to you soon!!