A Trip to Lantau Island

The view from Wisdom Path in Lantau Island

It's a lovely dreary Sunday here in Hong Kong. My floormates and I have been spending the day indoors, watching HK dramas, doing laundry, relaxing and just generally being lazy. At the end of the day we went grocery shopping down the street, but for the most part, Sunday in Patrick Manson was pretty slow. Of course, we were recovering from a pretty full day yesterday (which I'm about to tell you about!). For those of you who think Hong Kong is just one big city full of crazy drivers and great bargains, I'd like to show you the natural beauty of Lantau Island.

We left around eleven to get to the ferry in a group of eighteen international students! I was quite certain the group wouldn't stay together for long since there were so many of us, but it was pretty fun to meet new people going to HKU and chat about the events of the day. On the way there I saw what must have been the biggest Apple store in the world, with people waiting in line all the way to the back of the store. I was quite impressed!

When we arrived at Central Pier, I was surprised to see that it looks a lot like the piers in San Francisco. If it didn't have the Chinese characters on the building, I probably wouldn't have known I was in Hong Kong! 

The ferry ride itself cost 14.5 HKD (about US $2 or so) and it was so relaxing. I have motion sickness issues (as I'm sure my long-time readers know from my first day in Hong Kong) and I was really worried I would be sick the whole way to Lantau Island. Lucky for me, the waves weren't too choppy and I felt pretty good. I even had enough time to make my first Hong Kong short film! I'm hoping to make one minute-long movie every week or every two weeks about something I do or notice in Hong Kong. If I actually stick to it, it should be a neat little experiment. Here's my first one, called "Ferry Ride."

We got off the ferry at Lantau Island and I was surprised at how different it felt when compared to Central. Lantau reminded me a lot of Hawaii, with dense tropical-looking forests and mountains and bicycles as far as the eye could see. 

We quickly made our way to a bus which would take us to the Big Buddha and Wisdom Path. The trip took forty five minutes up a windy mountainous road (my ears must have popped forty billion times) and when we arrived, we were ready for adventure! Tourists flock from all over to see the Big Buddha, which doesn't surprise me as it might be one of the most spectacular sites I've ever seen.

I loved this groovy guy, pointing at the Big Buddha. He reminded me of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever...

 The view of the Big Buddha from the bottom of the stairs. Isn't he majestic?

The view from under the Buddha looking out over Lantau Island was just as beautiful. 

Tourists taking photographs of Buddha, while his bronze ladies look up at him with gifts.

A buddhist dog who I thought was super cute worshipping at the base of the Big Buddha.

So what if it's a tourist trap? That, my friends, is one Big Buddha, and it's definitely worth visiting if you ever have the opportunity. 

We decided we were up for more exploring since we had come this far, and decided to follow a sign that read "Wisdom Path and Fun Walk." Because it sounded pretty darn fun if I do say so myself! We ended up passing by some cool rickety looking buildings and made it up to Wisdom Path.

Wisdom path was a flight of shallow stairs surrounded by giant wooden sticks with ancient Chinese phrases written on them (hence, Wisdom Path!). When you're up close to them, they seem to randomly stand on either side of the path in no particular order...

But move back a bit and you'll see...

An infinity symbol! Isn't that neat?! 

A couple of friends and I walked down the "fun walk" road as well, which I guess is a trail that leads up to a peak. According to the trail sign, the hike up would take about two hours, but I just wanted to get a good view, not a good workout, so I only walked thirty minutes of the way up. The stairs were beautiful, like something out of a samurai movie! Or maybe it would be more accurate to say a kung fu picture...

 This was by far my favorite view of the whole trip. The fog really enhanced the haunting feeling of the view, but I definitely wonder what it would look like without the thick white layer.

The Big Buddha didn't even look that big from up here! 

Our friends who were way ahead of us on the trail.

The walk was absolutely incredible. I felt so adventurous when we were done, though it definitely took the wind out of my sails. Those stairs never ended! I decided to head back, since it had been a long day, I was hiking in sandals, and my stomach had started rumbling a long time ago. I had only eaten a little bit of street food, green tea and an apple! Being an adventurer is hard work.

I still had to make it down these steps. It was supposed to be a fun walk, not a suicide walk! I was pretty cautious...

When I got home yesterday night, I passed out almost immediately. The trip to Lantau Island was definitely my most rewarding, and most tiring adventure here in HK yet! Don't get me wrong, I'm so incredibly grateful for these awesome excursions, but man, sometimes a girl's gotta sleep!

Oh and one last thing: On the way home, we found this guy, who likes to play music with a wet pot. This place never ceases to surprise me.

Dorm Life and Night Life

The hustle and bustle of Causeway Bay

Happy MLK day everyone!

Unfortunately, here in HK, MLK day is not a national holiday, so I had to go to school like a loser! I've had my first two days of school and so far, I think I'll really enjoy classes at HKU. The classes are much much smaller than at UCSC, so far I've only had courses that have under 30 students enrolled. It's amazing! It's wonderful! It's spectacular!

I've also got my dorm room all set up. I love it! For those people who are planning to attend HKU or just want to know what my dorm looks like, here's a little photo tour of my room:

My home for the next five months.

My new pet fish: Hot Pot, Dim Sum and Noodle

No Hong Kong dorm room is complete without junk food. Specifically, salmon sushi potato chips. 

The view from my room!

I feel really comfortable here now that I have a space that's all my own. It's surprising how photos of home coupled with a nice clean bed and a full closet can give you a sense of belonging. And just saying, my IKEA alarm clock is just loud enough and reminds me of all the little japanese apartments I see in Miyazaki movies. 

I've refrained from taking too many pictures over the weekend since we mostly frequented Lan Kwai Fong (LKF-my initials! It's calling to me!), which is the clubbing/drinking square where all the white people in HK go to let off steam. And when I say all the white people, I mean it. During the day, I feel like it's kind of rare to see a white person in the streets, but in LKF, westerners are everywhere! It makes me think the locals are partying somewhere else where western people aren't invited. Anyways, it was a fun couple of days, and I'm pretty sure the pictures would have been priceless, but I didn't want to risk damaging my camera as much as I was damaging my liver. Just kidding mom! But seriously, LKF is not a place you want to have your expensive new camera hanging around your neck. 

The clubs almost always seem to let girls in for free (which was really nice for my wallet), but alcohol was expensive, so everyone just bought liquor (pre-mixed jack and coke anyone?) from the 7-11 and drank and chatted in the street in front of the clubs before going in to dance. It was like one huge block party, and all the whiteys showed up!

After the weekend was over, I brought my camera out for some serious documentation. Last night, my floor-mate Jenny and I went to Causeway Bay for some street food and shopping:

Causeway Bay at night is just beautiful: here you'll find HK time square.

We stopped at a street food stand for some local treats!

Jenny and her dumplings!

For 10 HK dollars, I bought a skewer of five different fried treats. That's less than $1.50!

I also had an HK egg waffle, which is kind of like a sweet waffle-y hush puppy.

We also checked out the shopping in Causeway. If you go to the right places, it can be incredibly cheap. I bought a thin windbreaker jacket from a street stand, quotation mark earrings from Maple (they're so literary!), thick polka dot tights from a street stand and two nail polishes with remover from Sasa (I think it's like a cute version of CVS) for under fifteen US dollars! Jenny and I were pretty smart shoppers though, and we only bought things we really liked and could afford. I might go back and buy a red sweater that I loved for 12 US dollars... It had anchors on it. How can I pass that up?!

Anyways I'm off to Temple Street Market with my floormates! Thanks for checking in, ciao!

Or as they say in Cantonese, zoi gin! 

Sightseeing and Night Eating

Since my first tumultuous day here in Hong Kong, things have evened out a lot, and along with figuring out class registration, the bus system and the magic of HK SIM cards (they don't work on my AT&T phone. Hooray!), I've had time for plenty of recreational exploring. Here's (quite) a few of my favorite sights over the past few days!

Tuesday:

Fiona and I went to HKU to finish our exchange student registration process. Though there was a lot of running around from office to office, it wasn't too bad (just remember to bring copies of your passport photo, passport info page, and visa page!) and we were done shortly before lunchtime. At this point, Fiona had met a German exchange student in her economics faculty, Tobias, who had just moved in last night as well. We all decided to go to Central to purchase towels and other necessities for the next semester.

The bustling streets of Central, complete with man on bike with basket.

The infamous wet markets! People buy everything fresh here instead of refrigerating!

After purchasing all necessary laundry detergent and towel items, we checked out Tobias' Lonely Planet guidebook for an idea of what to do next. We found a neat looking temple called Muen Mo Temple that was just a short taxi ride away, and decided to check it out! 

Outside view of the temple, complete with HK red taxi cab!

Coiled incense burns above the worshippers' heads.

The calligraphy brush on the right and the weapon on the left represent the importance of military and academia.

I was captivated by the way that Hong Kong people worshipped, but the fact that I'm an outsider to Hong Kong culture was once again made quite clear. I didn't know what anything meant and I felt very foolish getting in everyone's way. Ben, my HKU buddy, later explained to me that the massive amounts of incense and flowers and fruit left at different altars were gifts to the ghosts of your ancestors, so that they would not go hungry. Most of my knowledge of Chinese culture comes from Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and watching Mulan over and over as a middle schooler (I know it's not an accurate representation of history... I just wanted to BE A MAAAAN)  so this insight was quite enlightening. Obviously, there's a lot more to it than that but learning little by little works for me!

Next we explored Hollywood Road, right next to the Muen Mo Temple, where there are several small outdoor shops selling souvenirs and antiques. 

Buddhas and eagles and dragons, oh my!

I liked these lil' Maos.

Tobie and Fiona found a neat telescope just standing in the street to play with.

We didn't buy anything but it was fun to peruse. I loved the Chinese paper dragons that decorated the alleys, as well as the happy little snakes for Chinese New Year (It's almost year of the snake everyone!).

We didn't have much of a plan after Muen Mo temple, so we ambled about a bit more (to the Western Market, which really wasn't as interesting as it should have been...) before heading back to HKU.

Wednesday:Ben Chu had invited Fiona and I to try out some local food in his hometown of Yuen Long. Which to me meant lunch somewhere. Apparently, in Hong Kong, things work a little differently. Ben took us to several different food shops where we would order the specialty, eat, and then move on. We had no idea when it was going to end! I was quite pleased with this new culinary experience.

First we had pork and prawn dumplings, which were delicious. I ate them all and started drinking the soup. Ben told me not to drink the soup.

Beef balls were next. We each had three and then I started drinking the soup. Ben re-informed me that you're not supposed to drink the soup.

Next were fish balls, which were a lot more delicious than I expected. They had a soft, spongy texture.

Then we had beef brisket, which was just divine and this time I drank the soup when Ben wasn't looking :)

Ben then showed us to a local chicken skewer stand (apparently, this is where all the college kids eat).

I could see why everyone loved it so much.

After our long delicious food excursion, it was time for some sightseeing. Ben brought us to the Tang clan ancestral hall and several other historical stops, all the while explaining all the different cultural aspects of each destination. Just saying, having a local friend who studies history makes sightseeing just as educational as it is fun!

The ancient Tang Ancestral Hall, where several cars were parked and dogs were sleeping.

Kwan Yu, who represents good faith and loyalty. Fiona and I have seen this guy all over HK and we love his beard.

Once this was a walled fortress, but now it's a small housing area called a "Wai."

Here's where people would stick their weapons out to defend the fortress.

An inside view of the fortress.

Next Ben escorted us to a different part of town, where we would see Wetland Park, a beautiful nature preserve untouched by the city of HK. Unfortunately, it was closed, so we couldn't go in, but we were able to get a good view when we walked up to the top of a hill around sundown. And on the way, we passed Ben's secondary school!

Ben's school was decorated by cute anime posters that had inspirational sayings on them, which I found adorable.

The view of Wetland Park from the top of the hill.

When we turned around, the city loomed over us. It was amazing to see the difference between natural and urban HK.

Ben is always prepared for a photograph.

Sightseeing was great, but after walking around all day and getting gnarly blisters (I was wearing kitten heels, because I thought we were just going out to lunch, silly me!), I was ready for some serious dinner action. Lucky for me, Ben had a plan. And what a glorious plan it was!

...But first, desserts! The more I ate, the happier I was with this country.

This was a tofu dessert with yellow sugar on top. It kind of reminded me of oatmeal with brown sugar.

Next we had gelatinous bean cakes of some sort. They weren't incredibly sweet, and the black chunks are actual black beans!

Then it was time for dinner. Ben took Fiona and I to an outdoor alley restaurant to have some traditional food to share, and I was finally able to rest my weary soles! I was also able to order my first legal beer since the drinking age is eighteen in Hong Kong. For those who don't know, the drinking age in the US is twenty-one, and alas, my twenty-first birthday isn't until September. But in Hong Kong, I'm free and able to purchase alcohol like a real adult! Wow!

We shared eggplant, fried octopus and fried oyster cakes with our German beer!

An extremely excited Lauren drinks her first gigantic beer!

Ben was pretty proud of his beer too.

Thursday:
Several girls from my hall and I decided it was time to check our first tourist trap off things to do in HK, so we bit the bullet and headed over to Victoria Peak. We took a tram up and got to finally check out that beautiful skyline. And just a heads up, at eight o clock every night, the buildings actually perform a light show for your enjoyment! I got to experience firsthand what it feels like to be in a sci-fi movie . Let me tell you, it's pretty cool.

Patrick Manson Second Floor tour group (and Tobie)!

After staring at the skyline and saying "wooooow" for several minutes, it was getting pretty late and most of the girls were ready to head home. Tobie, however, planned to meet up with his local buddy, Vincent, for dinner after sightseeing. So when we heard that dinner was involved, the ladies and I changed plans and decided to tag along. Needless to say, Vincent was pretty surprised when his quiet dinner for two turned into an eleven person hootenanny. But he was a good sport about it!

Vincent and Tobie: Together forever.

No one really knew what they wanted and Vincent said he would take us wherever we wanted to go. So naturally, I begged Vincent to take us to hot pot. Hot pot is kind of like a communal soup where everyone throws in whatever they want (raw meats, vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, you name it), then fishes it out and dips it in a sauce of their own concoction to eat. In practice, it reminded me a lot of fondue. I had heard it was absolutely amazing and the thing to eat in Hong Kong, and lucky for me, Vincent was a fan too!

The fancy hot pot table! The hole in the middle is where the soup and meats are cooked.

Use these ingredients to make your dipping sauce. I used spicy ground up fish, garlic, green onion, red and green chilies and sesame seeds with soy sauce!

I was probably more excited than anyone else.

The meal was delicious (I was so hungry and so excited, I forgot to take pictures of the actual food!). I tried sea urchin, octopus balls, drunken chicken, and many other things I wouldn't have normally seen on an American menu. I also had beer again (because I CAN). After dinner, Vincent made sure to take us out for desserts. I wasn't sure I'd have room in my stomach, but let's just say it's hard for me to say no when dessert is involved.

Red bean rolls and mango with coconut noodles were probably the strangest desserts I'd had.

Everything was so delectable! In short, it's been a hectic and surprising couple of days, but I couldn't be happier with the friends I've made and the food I've eaten. Hong Kong has been nothing but good to me so far, and here's hoping my luck continues throughout the semester!

Also I met Bruce Lee :)