Hong Kong - Day 1

On our first day in Hong Kong, we took the 25 minute cable car ride up to Ngong Ping which is famous for the world's largest Buddha, Po Lin Monastery and the Wisdom Path. Unfortunately this time of year Hong Kong is under a pretty constant blanket of fog, but at least it was warm.

You can view the set here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hypnoeyez99/sets/72157623629674532/

The cable car ride takes you across the bay:


Then up the mountain:


At the top is the small town of Ngong Ping. It's full of restaurants and souvenir shops. You can see the large Buddha a little in the fog above:


A long way from home:



After passing through the town, you reach this large circular area:


This large structure is next to it:


Glancing up from the circle to the steps leading to the large Buddha:


When you visit the temples, you're overcome with the scent of incense which are used in prayer:




Mushna in front of the monastery:


Inside the monastery:












After visiting the monastery we made our way to the giant Buddha. As I mentioned, it was incredibly foggy, but I was able to get a few shots. First, these statues appear in front of the Buddha, facing him, three on each side of the stairs:















These are the two best shots I was able to get through the fog:




And here's Mushna:


After the Buddha, we made our way to the Wisdom Path:





The Wisdom Path is a small trail with these large planks of wood. Each plank is engraved with lettering and it's formed in a figure eight symbolizing eternity. Again, lots of fog, but I kind of like what it did for the mood of these photos:











Further along, the path continues to the "Fun Walk", but we decided not to go that much further since the fog was getting heavier:



There is a small area at the Wisdom Path. There are these mangy stray dogs hanging out everywhere there. You can see a couple waiting for handouts in this photo:



When we came back from the Wisdom Path, the fog had rolled in pretty heavy, so we got in the cable car and rode back down.

That night we went into Hong Kong to see the famous Symphony of Lights. We lined up on the Avenue of the Stars, kind of like the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It's right on the edge of the bay. Here's Mushna on Chow Yun Fat's star:



At this point, you're looking over the bay to the Hong Kong Skyline:








Eventually, music is broadcast all along the Avenue of Stars and the buildings across the bay put on a light show, synchronized to it.







It was pretty crazy. You can see my entire set of the Symphony of Lights here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hypnoeyez99/sets/72157623635614724/

Finally we made it back to our hotel and crashed: