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Tuesday 30 November 2010

Hong Kong China Nov 2010

Our trip to China came and went like a blur.
We were there about 5 days and it was surreal and amazing.
Now, thinking about "China" as a far-away mysterious land is no longer the case, now it all seems so much more attainable and palpable.

Driving into the city from the airport, we immediately felt as if we were in a very futuristic city, a metropolis, on steroids.

I would say 40% of people in Hong Kong speak English enough to be understood. People were so polite and kind. However on the streets, I have never seen such fierceness-- and what I mean by that specifically is that: PEOPLE WOULD NOT MOVE if they saw you coming towards them. NOT BUDGE! In no other city had i ever seen such ferocity in the streets.

Mon Gok must be mentioned first. Here is where I truly realized how wild China really is, specifically the amount of people. I was OVERWHELMED with the crowds, and I use the word "crowd" loosely, I should actually say MOBS!

In Mon Gok there was no place, no where to escape the MOBS.

In this wild district of Kowloon, we visited the Ladies' Market. This is a street market that sells everything from very good Louis Vuitton fakes to touristy trinkets.
The markets didnt feel as intimidating, because I was expecting the crowds there, however even upon LEAVING the market it never got more quiet.

One of the most typically Chinese places we visited was the 10,000 Buddhas temple. It was glorious, rich, mysterious and authentic.

After climbing up an uphill road surrounded with 14 thousand Buddha statues, we reached the monastery at the top of the mountain, where more golden statues awaited. At the top, we also saw a momma monkey and her babies. Let's just say the momma almost mauled me as I was taking pics of her... SCARY moment!

Visiting the Tian tan (Giant Buddha) was also INCREDIBLE, however getting TO the giant bronze statue was not so fun for those of us who are deathly afraid of heights.
We ventured on one of the highest and longest cable car rides in the world and it was like flying in a helicopter... oh, and did I mention that the cable cars had a GLASS BOTTOM!!?!?!?!? it was an horrific experience for me, exhilarating yes, but also terrifying. You may see pics of this below, where it looks like I am in labor...

I cannot deny that the views were unspeakably amazing. While enjoying the 25 minute ride UP UP UP, when you finally begin to see the enormous statue approaching, you feel you are indeed in another land.

The food was tasty but sort of bland. Two of the nights we ate Japanese and it was INCREDIBLE!!!! oh my gosh, perhaps some of the best food of my life-- If you are traveling there I would suggest KANEDA Japanese food! so mouthwatering and incredible.







10,000 BUDDHAS TEMPLE









































GIANT BUDDHA HONG KONG
























MARKET

















MON GOK (KOWLOON)




THE PEAK











HONG KONG SKYLINE BY NIGHT












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