Islands and Beaches

The 24th brought a relaxing ferry ride to one of Hong Kong’s many islands, Cheung Chau.  The island appears to be two hilly islands connected in the middle with a narrow land bridge on which sits the town of Cheung Chau.  On one side of the bridge lies the harbor, crowded with fishing boats, fish markets and tourist shops and on the other, a beach lined by small vacation rentals.

The island has no cars or trucks so transportation is by foot or bicycle.  A person can explore both sides of the island in a day.  The hike on the north was pleasant and at least part of it was spent on a ridge line so the views were great (at least as great as they can be through the ubiquitous haze that cloaks the region). 

Mid way through the walk  I crossed paths with three women picking wild berries.  One of them handed me a berry to sample which was promptly granted my prestigious "thumbs-up" award.  Unfortunately, the thumbs-up designation is loosing much of its value as it is increasingly assigned to everything for which there has been a good result (from being handed a spoon along with my yogurt to being pointed in the right direction on the street).

The path on the other side of the island takes you along on a trail called the Little Great Wall (for its ornate construction) and past various rock formations named the Human Head, the Bell, the Snake, etc.   This side of the island is more populated so a person could wander back to the harbour by taking one of many different paths around or over the top of the hill. 

My last day in Hong Kong was spent visiting the southern portion of Hong Kong island, specifically, the town of Stewart.  Three towns in the south cater to tourists and the Hong Kong beech crowds.  Stewart is known for its street market and in this case the market seemed to be directed at the foreign tourists who arrive by bus loads.  (There seemed to be more chopsticks, golden cats with moving paws, and Chinese caps with attached long black braids, than I saw elsewhere.) 

I spent a few minutes relaxing at Stanley Beach and I even (briefly) entered the ocean despite the overcast skies.

Before returning to Hong Kong, I walked through Stewart’s nature garden which took me up to the Kwam Yum Temple.  The most noticeable feature of the Temple is a statue of Tin Hau who is believed to be the protector of fisherman. 

For me, however, the most memorable aspect of the Temple was the three tiny figurines hiding in a stone grotto at the base of Tin Hau.   This one looked especially lifelike.    

Hong Kong (Temples and Markets)

On Sunday morning I found myself navigating the metro lines across town to visit an LDS Church.  I had intended to "go Buddhist" for a while, but I couldn't resist the call of the familiar.  And familiar it was.  From green hymnals to Utah missionaries, I knew I was in a Mormon church.  (My friend Simon was sceptical that there would be any Chinese members at all, given that "Mormon" as pronounced in Chinese sounds like "Devil's gate" ... who knew.)  Scary sounding name aside, I was immediately greeted by a young Chinese man whose job was to spot (not a particularly challenging task) non-natives and offer them audio phones for an English translation of the service.  The service was nice and I was able to see the Hong Kong Temple which was just down the street.

For lunch we had traditional Dim sum.  It was a fun experience.  Ladies with carts serving a large variety of dumplings and other Chinese favorites from steamer baskets circulated the room while diners picked or passed on each offering.  The food was quite tasty.

The afternoon was spent wandering through some local markets, including an outdoor wet market where shoppers get to answer what's for dinner from the selection of live crabs, lobster, shrimp, turtles, eels and fish on display.  I was fascinated in a Yikes! sort-of-way, to see the large fish that were quartered and displayed (headless) with internal organs in tact, including their beating hearts which didn't stop beating the entire time we stood there.  I wonder how a similar display of "freshness" might go over at a Whole Foods store, speaking of which, we also went to Hong Kong's equivalent.  When I complain about $5 cantaloupes in Texas, I need to remember that I've actually touched a $45 dollar cantaloupe (imported from Japan) in Hong Kong.  I mean, really, it's still just a cantaloupe.

Monday started with a trip outside of Hong Kong to Sha Tin to see the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery.  There are no monks in residence so the site is not really a monastery, but rather a monument to the devotion of its founder, who had intended to establish a Buddhist college in the 1950s.  Situated on a fairly steep hill, you approach the monastery by paths lined with hundreds of gold-colored statues of monks, each remarkably different than the next.

The main temple contains thousands of small carved Buddha statues, each of which has a small light at its base.  The total number of Buddhas on the site is said to be at least 12,800 (I'm not sure if this number includes all of the other statutes.) 

While the approach to the monastery is steep, you are rewarded with great views, a peaceful setting and an endless parade of Buddhas, golden monks, goddesses and generals.

Next stop was the Wong Tai Sin Temple.  Unlike 10,000 Buddhas which is outside of the city proper, the Wong Tai Sin Temple is in the heart of Hong Kong.  This Taoist temple (one of the largest temples in Hong Kong) has beautiful architecture and pleasant gardens ... 

... but is most famous for the many wishes that are granted there through a practice called Kau Cim which employs fortune sticks.  Worshipers seeking answers to their deepest questions kneel down in front of the temple and, after lighting incense, shake a bamboo cylinder full of numbered wooden sticks while praying until one or more sticks leap from the container.  These are interpreted by fortune readers on the temple grounds.
 

As I watched the process, I was tickled by the complexity and diversity of human experience.  And while I didn't shake any fortune sticks, I did try to walk away with some good luck by rubbing the claws and snout of this guy who sits at the entrance to the Temple.

The afternoon was spent wandering the back streets of the Kowloon section of Hong Kong.  I explored flower markets, bird markets, common street markets (think Sham Wow) and the touristy night markets.  I also had a delicious Chinese waffle made to order by a very pleasant (and busy) Ying

HOW TO ARRIVE ALIVE

Hold the handrail and stand still!

You can make it a safe journey.

(Warning signs posted at the head of many metro escalators)

         

Hong Kong (Macau)

At last, I made it to Hong Kong.  Before you make the flight, I strongly recommend that you find yourself a friend who has free seat upgrades to hand out.  (Thanks Simon.)

As a place that previously had not caught my attention, Hong Kong is a pleasant surprise.  It's crowded, but orderly, complicated, yet accessibly.  The harbor setting surrounded by mountains is beautiful.  I understand that Hong Kong is really an archipelago of 260 islands so getting around could be rough, but public transportation in the main areas is a breeze.  While the weather has been hazy, humid and hot, my summertime training in Houston is paying off.

On Friday the 20th, my first full day in the city, I took a cable ride to the top of Victoria Peek.  It's the highest point on Hong Kong island and offers great views the harbor and Hong Kong's business district.  It also has some paths around the summit that leave you immersed in the thick understory of vegetation that covers the hill in all directions.  It was unexpectedly peaceful.

Next was a trip to Lantau Island, home of the Tian Tan Buddha Statue, or as many refer to him, the Big Buddha.  This was awesome!  He sits perched atop a mountain next to the Po Lin Monastery. 

The site is quite sheltered so except for the stream of tourists, the congestion of Hong Kong seems far away.  Besides visiting the Buddha, whose 112 foot heigth is striking, there are also several mountain trails worth hiking including one known as the Wisdom Path which leads you by 38 massive wooden columns carved with Chinese symbols depicting the Heart Sutra, which is apparently one of the most popular of all Buddhist scriptures.  The setting is utterly serene. 

The Wisdom Path is also something that many tourists miss because it's somewhat removed from the fakey little village (Ngong Ping) which lies at the base of the Buddha. 

Po Lin Monastery was similarly beautiful and was rendered more so by the scores of devotees burning incence outside the entrance.  The mix of colors, sounds and fragrances was magical.

The evening ended with the famous laser light show over the harbor viewed from the Kowloon side. 

Saturday took us on a hydrofoil ride to Macau.  This Special Administrative Region of China was formerly a Portuguese colony.  Remnants of this history are still found in its narrow streets, numerous plazas and Portuguese signage.  Now its economy seems happily dependent on the thriving gambling industry that has made Macau the Las Vegas of Asia.  Although given that gambling revenues in Macao (largely driven by the wealth of mainland China) have surpassed those of Las Vegas, it might be more accurate to say that Las Vegas has become the Macau of the West.  Regardless of its ultimate standing, it's nice to know (from a global-competitiveness perspective) that millions of hard-working Chinese can also be persuaded to spend untold hours in the smoke-filled  floors (smoking is allowed) of the casino-labyrinths tossing away their newly acquired money faster than you can say "This is a holdup, give me all of your cash!"

THE ZEN OF T-SHIRTS

Butterflies are Free Like You and Me

(metro in Hong Kong) 

Idaho

Since this is a blog about my trip around the world, I suppose I need to begin with my hometown of Blackfoot, Idaho, which was my first official stop.  Blackfoot is a farming community and this time of year is an especially nice time to visit.  The fields are bright green with winter wheat, flowers are in bloom, the mountains are still snow capped and Canadian geese seem to be everywhere.

With so much snow this year, the Snake River was also running high which created some dramatic waterfalls in Idaho Falls. 

It's a part of the country that more people should try to explore.  But for me, the biggest attraction will always remain my family and extended family and friends.  Good food and quirky conversations are abundant, so every visit is a worthwhile vacation on its own.

Not to be missed is the new Burger King restaurant which opened near the Walmart.  I believe the grand opening was last Friday and there were still long lines when we made our way in on Tuesday.

Plans Interrupted

When the US financial market began its precipitous decline in 2008, I should have realized that my structured finance legal practice might quickly follow in its path.  Almost three years have past since the beginning of that collapse and I am looking at a very different future than the one I would have imagined at that time.  While there seems to be much less certainty on the horizon, there also seems to be many more opportunities.  And, without a template in hand, the world again seems vast and exciting.     

As a kick-off to this new stage of my life, I'm packing my bags (more specifically, my trusty backpack) and heading abroad.  Somehow I got it into my mind that an around-the-world trip might be the antidote for my frustrations.  However, after spending countless hours planning this trip, after visiting one of Houston's health clinics for a series of inoculations and after purchasing  tickets on six different airlines, I'm having my doubts.

Doubts aside, I think the train is leaving the station, so off I go.  My destinations were chosen somewhat at random.  With few exceptions, I had never seriously considered visiting any of these locations in the past.  But as I toyed with my flexible itinerary, this is what finally emerged:

Houston to Blackfoot (not particularly exotic, but the locals are awesome)
Blackfoot to Hong Kong
Hong Kong to Beijing
Beijing to Bangkok
Bangkok to Kathmandu
Kathmandu to Istanbul
Istanbul to Milan
Milan to Stockholm
Stockholm to New York and
New York to Houston

Wish me luck!