Another Day, Another Fun Time

[dangermousie]

We went to the island of Lantau yesterday - it's one of Hong Kong's outlying islands and is mainly known for its airport and its long long cable-car ride - 2o minutes up the mountain where there is a huge reclining Buddha and an old Buddhist monastery. We took the ride up and it was amazing, over estuaries, skyscrapers and rugged rugged mountains. On top it was very cold (we had spicy food with fake meat to warm up and I also had a 'hot drink' - here they warm up milk drinks in cans and stick straws in them - I have never seen it before but it really was wonderfully warming), very crowded, and very wonderful - chanting and insense everywhere (the temple is huge), a gorgeous walk (and view) up to the Buddha, and the whole atmosphere with the remote and high-up temple and mountains shrouded in mists like something out of some king-fu movie where you go seek wise monk master for some tips on how best to kick people in the head.

Some people were crazy and were climbing up and down the same path we took on the cable car. That is pretty impressive.

In the evening, we went to the (in)famous Night Market - blocks and blocks of fortunetellers (every booth occupied), 'very very genuine' Prada bags and Rolex watches, bric-a-brac of every sort from reproductions of 1930s Chinese commercial art to bobblehead dolls and Hello Kitty underwear, pirated DVDs, food stalls selling mysteriously aromatic things, jewelry of more varieties than one would think possible, and movies involving ladies with very little on. It was great.

We walked back down Nathan Road, all neon-lit so brightly it looked as if it was day, past traditional pharmacies selling horrible-looking things in jars (Mr Mousie swears one of them looked like penises) and animal bones heaped on platters, food places selling little snack shrimps, sharp little clothes stores (only consideration for my spouse prevented me from exploring those further), jewelry stores (one had two Buddhist monks shopping in it - startling to say the least), and of course a 7-11 on every corner, serving the need for magazines, snacks, and the city's love affair with Ferrero Rochers.

Comments

[uisceros.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I like how the strange Ferrero Rocher love is not only contained to Taiwan!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's so bizarre (but delicious).

[kitkat-cat.livejournal.com]

i luuuurve Hong Kong! Havent been back in years even though i used to go quite frequently with my parents. Brought the FIANCE there a couple of years ago with my family, and we introduced him to the art of eating boat load fulls of dim sum, and roast goose/pork/duck/char siu with wonton noodles at all hours of the day and night!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was such total love!

[salimbol.livejournal.com]

Ah, the Po Lin monastery, right? That was one of our best days in Hong Kong, and you're right, the view was gorgeous. It was blazingly hot when we were there, and we had to buy ourselves some hats to keep the sun off our faces. They were kind of 30s-styled hats, and people kept looking at as a bit askance (maybe we looked like little blonde gangsters? :-).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup, that one. It was wonderful (if freezing).