Kowloon, Hong Kong 2007
My wife was traveling to Hong Kong for work. Since I was able to get a deal from Cathay Pacific, I decided to join her.
Chillin' in our room
When I arrived, I was immediately whisked off to dinner at a restaurant across the street from our hotel. The next morning, I woke up and opened the drapes to the view of the bay. The hotel was right on the water and the southern wall was almost completely glass.
A small sculpture at the Hong Kong Museum of Art
I then set off with my wife’s coworkers who had a day off. We went to the Museum of Hong Kong History and enjoyed the sights.
After that, we hopped on the subway and then got on a tram to go see the Big Buddha.
When we got there, we realized that it had been completed in 1993 and wasn't the ancient mystical treasure we had been hoping to see. Still, it was a sight to behold, although the dense fog limited our view of the surrounding mountainside.
Tian Tan Buddha, Ngong Ping, outside Hong Kong
The Offering of the Six Devas to the Tian Tan Buddha
After the museum, we had a vegetarian lunch on the monastery grounds.
That night, we went back and had a nice Chinese dinner, even though we lost some our our friends for a bit and I went on the hunt for them, only to return to find everyone there.
Hong Kong at night
The next day, I was able go to the Hong Kong Museum of Art and spend some time enjoying sculpture from ancient times to present. It was pleasant in our hotel room to be able to watch the variety of ships come and go.
Dinner at Gaddi's
That night, we went to an excellent dinner at Gaddi's, a renowned French Restaurant.
Entering the restaurant, you feel like you have been transported back a hundred years. The deliciously innovative courses arrived accompanied by fine wine and great live jazzy music.
Chef David Goodridge came out from time to time to ask us how our dinner was faring. Truly a night to remember, but some details are a little fuzzy, on account of the wine.
Hong Kong lights from the hotel
On our final full day, we went in search of the perfect golden pig, as this was the year of the golden pig and we will have had two nieces born this year. Also, we took in the sights on the subway, at the Flower Market, at the Bird Market, and at the Lady's Market, which pretty much sells copies of almost anything you can think of. This was the experience I was expecting.
Even better than the real thing
Teeming with people, the market and subway was an experience in itself. We also had a chance to see a temple outside of town where the thick smoke of incense filled the air.
Hong Kong Subway
Since we didn't find the perfect pig before, we went out one more time before we had to catch our flight. We found two adorable pigs and named them Nathan and Kowloon, after the Street of Gold and the area where we stayed. Hong Kong is a very interesting place with ancient sights mixed with tourist destinations. Everyone was friendly and we experienced some of the best service we had ever seen.
Old and new
The pond in the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple in Hong Kong
Nathan
Kowloon
Throughout this trip, much like my trip to Vietnam, it was interesting to note the juxtaposition between a region of ancient traditions combined with forward progress.