Hong Kong Day 3:

It was official. We had gained weight. We had been in Hong Kong for almost three days and the only sightseeing we had done was to oogle at the seafood tanks in the several restaurants we had lived at. We had seen it all, from eels, to large fish, to clams and crabs. It was time to see something other than mounds of food and flaying chopsticks. On the rainiest, windiest day ever, we decided to visit Lantau Island. Lantau Island is almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island. The main attractions on the Island are Disneyland Park, and the Tian Tan Buddha Statue.

We took a one hour boat ride to the island followed by a 45 minute taxi drive way up into the mountainside, to Ngong Ping plateau. Our destination, according to our tour guide pamphlet was the “Golden Buddha.” It lies nestled on a hilly top more than 500 meters above sea level.

We arrived at our destination in a flurry. We were too baffled to even notice the large Buddha as we stepped out of the car; party because of the nauseating car ride up the perpetually curving street and partly because we were frantically trying to keep ourselves grounded as the winds relentlessly attempted to take us down. “There’s the Buddha!” I yelled as everyone desperately looked around, fighting the stinging raindrops.

It was the moment of realization. First, we realized the Buddha was bronze and not gold as the pamplehts had so eagerly suggested. Second, we realized that our feat was far from over as 260 flooded steps awaited our ascent in order for us to reach the not-golden Buddha. And third, with the snapping the metal rods of our umbrellas, due to the hurricane force winds, we realized we had zero protection against this weather fury, which I was sure my grandmother had somehow sent in reprise for skipping Dim Sum.

But we were too far too turn back now. So fifty yuans later, we emerged covered in colorful plastic raincoats and began tackling the inundated steps. We finally reached the Buddha and briefly took pictures of the amazing scenery around us: the misty mountains in the distance coupled with green rolling hills. Once the gale force winds resumed and our faces were covered by our own sweeping hair, we entered the exhibition hall. Inside were hundreds of ceramic rectangular tiles. Each tile had written on it the name of people’s ancestors. The walls were lined with these Chinese characters as incense and flowers decorated the counter below. After the big Buddha, we visited the Po Lin Monastery where we had an amazing vegetarian meal.

It was a day well spent and as we arrived back at our hotel, utterly soaked, our stomachs were already growling and ready for dinner.