Day Three

Today marked our second full day in Hong Kong. The day began normally with a nice breakfast at the Verandah Cafe. Following breakfast we met our guide Angela in the hotel lobby and hopped into a taxi to head off to Landau island. Landau island is one of the many different islands that make up the Hong Kong region. It is one of the least inhabited islands - home to only a small fishing village and several Buddhist temples.

We began our journey to Lantau by boarding a high speed ferry boat. Angela informed us that locals who live on Lantau often use the ferry to travel to Hong Kong city. The bay was a bit choppy, since the morning was misty and stormy, but the ride was only about half an hour. Once we got to Lantau we hopped in a local taxi and went on a winding ride through the narrow jungle roads of Lantau. After some driving we finally stumbled upon Tai O - the fishing village native to Lantau.

Once we arrvied in Tai O we began our walking tour. Angela guided us through narrow alleys and over various bridges, telling us about the local way of life that has existed in Tai O for generations. She said that, despite some modernization, the lifestyle of the small fishing village had remained almost the same since the British arrived in Hong Kong. She also told us that the British likely found Hong Kong island itself in a state very similar to Lantau today.

After browsing the local marketplaces and glimpsing the local fishing fleet - we ventured into a local temple. The temple was not particularly noteworthy - save a rather unique statue. This particular statue, Angela told us, was a military general who was charged with guarding the temple. He did indeed seem very angry - in fact he seemed like he didn't really want us to be in the temple. Double click the picture to get a better look =).
After finishing our visit to Tai O we were scheduled to take the Lantau Cable Car to the famous Buddhist temple housed on the island. However, luckily or unluckily for us (you decide), only a few days ago one of the cable cars plummeted to the ground, causing the entire system to be shut down for several weeks. Luckily no one was hurt in the fall because the car was unoccupied. Due to the cable car accident we were force to once again wind through narrow and hilly roads with a local taxi driver, eventually ending up at the world's largest seated outdoor bronze statue - the Tian Tan Buddha.

The Buddha itself was massive - and the surrounding Buddhist temple was gorgeous. Unfortunately for us, we had to hike up nearly 300 steps to get to him! After walking to the top of the monument and visiting the museum housed inside the giant Buddha, we toured the local monastary and enjoyed a delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by one of the nuns. Since we had spent nearly the entire afternoon driving about the island and touring the various temples and townships, we traveled back to the city after lunch.

We had a late afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel (our hotel), which most guide books claim is a must-do activity while in Hong Kong. Following tea we retired to our rooms to prepare for the massages we had scheduled earlier in the day. I opted for a more intense aroma therapy massage, while my mom chose a unique Balinese hot oil massage. That marked the end of our last night in Hong Kong, and in the morning we are off to Shanghai!