Blogs from Hong Kong, Asia - page 15

I doubt that many tourists visit HK without going to see the Big Buddha up close. You see it from so many parts of the city, sitting calmly in the distance, drawing you in until you just have to go there. Erected in 1993, its true name is the Tian Tan Buddha. It is an impressive 34m high and looks down onto the Po Lin monastery and Ngong Ping village, both of which are great to visit. You can get there easily by yourself or, like me, you can try to pack as much as possible into the day and grab a tour. The best part of the tour was being dropped off at the actual Buddha and not at the bottom of the 268 stairs that lead up to it! This way you can wander ... read more

A couple more museums are on the menu today so we hop on the metro to cross the bay. First stop is the post office. A whole lot of bureaucracy for a poor selection of stamps. No special stamps available, only the everyday variety. Not impressed with the territory's main post office! The tea-ware museum is located in the Flagstaff building, an old British colonial style affair. It was used by the British up to the 1980’s. Since it is currently being refurbished, only half the private collection is on display and entrance fees are waived. A beautiful collection of teapots dating back to the 1500’s. There is also an interesting film on how tea is produced and the rituals around the drinking of tea. The museum is found in a hillside park and there is ... read more

On vacation but don't sleep in due to jet lag. I figured I could catch up while crossing the Pacific Ocean. This hotel also offered free hot breakfast but without the baked beans that are traditional in Québec. Good thing as the air conditioning on the plane isn't that good. Thankfully, returning the rental car was uneventful. A quick hop over the Rockies. Once we had reclaimed our baggage we headed over to the international departure area. Vancouver international Airport is my favourite from around the world. I love its open concept, the panoramic views of the mountains and the native artwork everywhere. Here are some details of Bill Reid's creation myth. Something I had not noticed on other visits was a display of Inuit sculptures. Here is a photo of one piece that perfectly mirrored ... read more

Baking Soda Dynamite and no Chinese food in China. Wait! Am I in China? As I was going through customs. My bag got flagged because it looked like I had a stick of dynamite all wired up. That's what batteries look like nestled to a rolled up bag of white powder. They were relieved to discover I did not have dynamite. But then they had to ask me about the white powder. "It's baking soda!" Kind of like when I was a teenager and told my mom I was pregnant..."Just kidding! I only wrecked your car, aren't you relieved!". I discovered as I was checking in for my flight that I was going to Hong Kong. Then as I was on my way to Hong Kong I discovered I had an 8 hour layover in Hong ... read more

Anyone who travels has struggled with jet-lag, but let me tell you, a 14 hour time shift is something to experience. Its 2:00 a.m., I'm on my second cup of coffee, and it feels like noon .... which ... by the way ... IT IS! I'm hungry, but I have to wait 5 hours for breakfast, so I thought I would use the time to tell you about my trip so far. I'm in Hong Kong for a week, and after the first day, I'm prepared to favorably compare the urban vistas in this city against anything I have seen ... ANYWHERE. Take a look at the photos and judge for yourselves. When I was planning my trip, I was surprised by how little people seemed to know about Hong Kong (like, for example, it's in ... read more