My plans in Hong Kong weren’t as extensive as they were in the other cities I had visited. There were the couple tourist attractions here and there, but for the most part I was there just to familiarize myself with HK and it’s delicious food! The morning in HK was the first lazy start that I had up so far in my trip, so just lay in bed attempting to catch up with my delayed blogs. By the time I left the hotel, it was already an hour into the afternoon. I was heading to Ngong Ping 360 for the gondola ride, but I got distracted by the markets outside the Mong Kok subway terminal.
    When I arrived at the base of Ngong Ping’s gondola ride, I was informed that the entrance to the large Tian Tan Buddha had already closed and the last gondola was leaving in 30 minutes, while the last bus departed in 60 minutes. Well since I already paid to get here, and I knew I wasn’t returning here tomorrow, so I just decided to go ahead and pay for the one way gondola there. The gondola was an enjoyable experience, and the view of Hong Kong was alright, nothing spectacular. As I was the only one on board, I was able to move freely through the tram and capture some neat effects with how the gondolas were moving. The day was already coming to an end as the light diminished over Hong Kong. When I came back down, a lot of the shops were starting to close. I managed to quickly drop into one of them to buy myself a souvenir fridge magnet. To some of you that don’t know me all that well, I’m trying to cover the fridge with magnets from every place I go to. I’ll take a photo of it one day and write a quick entry. Night drew over Hong Kong and not only did the temperature drop, but it was also coupled by a frigid, cold wind that blew across the top of the mountain. I wasn’t properly prepared for the cold, so when a draft came by I couldn’t help but shake throughout. The grand solitary statue known as the Tian Tan Buddha was an ominous figure portrayed as a shadow in the distant dim background.

“The statue is named Tian Tan Buddha because its base is a model of the Altar of Heaven or Earthly Mount of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It is one of the five large Buddha statues in China. The Buddha statue sits on a lotus throne on top of a three-platform altar. It is surrounded by eight smaller bronze statues representing gods or immortals. Like the Daibutsu in Kamakura, Japan, the Tian Tan Buddha is an image of Amitabha Buddha. The Tian Tan Buddha was constructed beginning in 1990, and was finished on December 29, 1993, the birthday of Gautama Buddha, the historic Buddha. The construction costs of the giant Buddha were estimated to be up to $68 million. It was formed out of 202 separate pieces of bronze. In addition to the exterior components, there is a strong steel framework inside the statue to support the heavy load and wind pressure.” – Wiki

    I forgot to mention but this was on New Years Eve, and I had planned my trip so I would spend NYE in HK! My other two options when planning were either Beijing or Shanghai. My first thought was to head over to Time Square in downtown because I heard some of the buildings were launching fireworks which practically painted the sky in a NY style celebration. A great deal of confetti, raucous music, hordes of people having fun, and a torrential downpour of champaign from the heavens all just flashed into my head!! With no time to spare, I hastily made my way to the subway. Boy was I wrong, Time Square was a mess; I was utterly disappointed and very pissed at the whole situation. We all have a common bond when the earth turns another year; bringing people all around the world together to celebrate this marvelous occasion. From what I experienced in HK was they were trying to discourage people from being downtown on this day.
    All the streets around the square were specifically blocked off in certain areas so people wouldn’t stand in the middle of the street and watch the Time Square clock count down. Police set up fences and asked us to wait in groups like barn animals. The barrier fences were so poorly laid out (on purpose of course) so that anywhere you stood in those perimeters a building would be obstructing your view of the countdown. The best view of the countdown was an intersection which; surprise surprise, was closed off to the public and left for the police paramedics and people crossing from one side of the street to the other. If you stood around for just a second, you would be forced to move along as this was a “non standing zone”. It was absolutely ridiculous, I couldn’t believe my eyes. They left a huge intersection open for themselves while we all stood huddled together like penguins trying to keep warm looking at the side of a hideously rundown building.I jumped out of line and over the fence demanding some sort of explanation. All the officers said these were their orders and it was to contain crowds and keep the roads open and free. If you ask me, all the stores within the area should closed, and containment doesn’t mean taking away fun. You should give preference to the pedestrians, not to cars trying to cram their way through downtown on NYE! Anyways, with the little time I had left, I moved on to look for another place to watch the show. Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai was my alternative viewing place. Walking there was a drag as the streets were packed and the route was long. The location was decent; it had to do as my clock read fifteen minutes to midnight.
    I’m sure to most the fireworks looked spectacular; I’d say that they were a little short and boring though. The walk back through the crowded streets didn’t make up for the fireworks or the cold bitter taste HK has left me with their poor organization and presentation. It’s not a done deal though; I have hopes HK can still show me a good time whenever I decide to go back again. I sort of wish I could bring my car over as the streets look brand new; without many pot holes or dips.

Check out the taxi line up. HK subways are the fastest and cheapest way to travel, don’t know why they have so many taxi’s on the road in the first place

Day 2

    Another sluggish start to the day, but progress was made. I was able to post two consecutive blogs that morning. There still wasn’t enough to catch up to my day though. I ran into another door jam once I left the hotel because a lot of HK residents had taken New Years off. When I arrived at the Park Tram boarding station, the line up was incredibly long, two hours from the time I finally boarded! It wasn’t any better at the top either. After just spending a couples hours at the top, I knew this was going to be the only attraction I saw that night. The huge lineups took all most of the day. Nothing special to talk about the Park Tram except for the wonderful view of HK during sunset which resulted in an ambient glow as the city fell into darkness. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find a pay phone to call my parents or any of my friends and wish them a happy New Year. But phones are old school and so overrated, so I’ll wish everyone a Happy New Years over the internet!

The pez on the right is standard size, the one of the left is jumbo size!

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