Hong Kong: Day 5

BIG BUDDHA 

Considering the hotness and excitement of Disneyland the day before, I didn't think a walk up 100s of steps would be the best idea but given our schedule it seemed like the only day to visit the Big Buddha. He was expecting us and it would be rude to not turn up. We set off later than intended and grabbed brekkie at Starbucks. It was another hot hot humid day and my energy was flagging so I decided to have a nap on the way up to Ngong Ping. There were a few reasons why we opted for the bus up:

1. I could nap better in a bus 
2. The queue for the Ngong Ping 360 cable car was MAHOOSIVE 
3. It was cheaper than the cable car

I honestly must have slept the entire way but E managed to get a few snaps of the views on the way up for me. When we got there I was much more awake and ready to walk the many steps to the Buddha. After grabbing our meal ticket for lunch at monetary we made our way up. There were a lot of steps but it wasn't as bad as I expected. There were loads of people making their way up and navigating past the crowd of selfie sticks was the main challenge. We did attempt our own selfies with the Buddha but they pretty much failed and presented our sublime ability to acquire several chins instead. 

At the top of the steps you realise just how large the statue really is. From far away it looks big so close up it is huge. The bronze colour was shimmering the sun and the mists passing over really added to the atmosphere. You can go into the Buddha and see the relic which is kept there. From up in the buddha there are some stunning views of the surroundings. It wasn't the clearest of days but you could still see miles into the distance. 

We came down and headed to lunch. On our way we were interviewed by some children about our time in HK. We even got certificates to keep! Just after we found the monestary and sat down for lunch. For the little extra we went for the duluxe lunch. I'm not sure what the difference was but we got to sit in a different room. The soup for starter wasn't the best but the spring rolls were amazing! It was nice to have a vegetarian meal for a change too. 

Fully fueled we headed past some abandoned tea plantations to the Wisdom Path. The walk was hardly 15 minutes from the big Buddha and yet the place was almost empty. I'm so glad we went because it turned out to be one the most stunning places. The path is set in the mountains and surrounded by the islands peaks. It was humid and hot still but cooler up in the heights and I almost regretted not bringing my walking boots.  

We mooched a bit in the souvenir shops before getting the Ngong Ping 360. The single trip down wasn't too expensive and there was a queue but it was much shorter than one at the bottom of the island. We opted for the standard ticket we'd been told the crystal cable car wasn't worth it. By this point I was pretty tired and dehydrated because i'm silly. My head hurt and the kids in the cable car were making one half of a racket. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy the views as much as I might have done another day. Still, I got some snaps of Hong Kong city. The stark difference between the vast green of Lantau and the huge skyscrapers is quite interesting. We also spotted a path which runs the whole way up the island to the Buddha. I think I even saw some brave brave people attempting to walk the path. Maybe one day...