Hong Kong

After two sunny days at sea, we docked in the harbor of Hong Kong today at 8:00 AM. The days at sea were rather boring for me, and I was really glad when Hong Kong finally appeared.

I must say, the people in Hong Kong are almost as nice as those in Japan :-). They are definitely different from those in Shanghai. Right upon arrival at the harbor terminal, we were greeted warmly, and everyone was smiling. Oh, that felt good after the two days at sea :-)!

Our first destination was Lantau Island. A taxi brought us to the metro station. On the way there, we saw tons of construction sites. It was quirky that the scaffolding was made of thick bamboo poles. The taxi driver was really nice and even gave me tips for the Airport Express. By the way, taxis are very cheap in Hong Kong.

The metro stations are very clear, and it is easy to find your way around. If I ever needed help, staff members were immediately available and assisted me very kindly.

Upon arriving in Lantau, we took a cable car up a mountain. The ride took about 25 minutes and was really cool. We had a great view, despite the clouds in the sky. At some point, the Big Buddha also came into view, which looked amazing from the gondola.

When you leave the gondola, you first walk through Ngong Ping Village. There are tons of shops with souvenirs and restaurants. The small village is very clean and beautifully designed.

The Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha) on Lantau Island is 34 meters tall. We had to climb exactly 268 steps for a fantastic panoramic view. I was blown away by the sight; wow, it really is huge :-).

After that, we visited the Po Lin Monastery and enjoyed a traditional vegetarian dish in the monastery restaurant ;-). Everything was very delicious and way too much.

Well-fed, we took the gondola back down and drove to the Nan Lian Garden. It was hard for me to believe that there could be a garden among all the skyscrapers. But it was indeed there, and it actually reminded me a bit of Japan. There is a bonsai collection, pond landscapes, and a lot more. The park had a pleasant tranquility. The park is connected to the Chi Lin Nunnery. We spent some time in the park and the monastery complex before heading to the Ladies' Market.

If you've been to a street market in Asia, you know what such a market looks like and what goes on there. If you show interest in a special piece, an unrealistically high price is first quoted, and when you turn away, you hear 'oooohhhh noooooooo no,' followed by a short laugh from the seller, 'what price, what price, tell me…' I found it too annoying, even though I enjoy bargaining, but it was also incredibly oppressive and warm. We quickly had enough and returned to the ship.

Yippie, the suitcase is packed, and tomorrow evening we are heading home..... Yeaaaaaaah :-).

Since the flight starts very late, I have planned quite a bit for tomorrow.

Good night and best wishes