I need to get this on the right date cause it's a bit confusing. We are 15 hours ahead over here so our morning is evening in B.C. Now where do I begin. First thing in the morning we just started of on a hunt for breakfast. Well, we came across a market with fresh fruit and vegetables and then to the meat and fish market in the back. It didn't do anything for the appetite and Matthew didn't feel hungry after that. We found a fresh bread bakery and got some cheese buns. Mmmm, they were good.
After finding directions to the MTR (Mass Transit Railway), we headed out to the very end of the road past the airport to Tsuen Wan. Tried to get the cable car to the mountain top, but a "severe" lightning storm had suspended the service. Took the bus up and ended up at the Big Buhdda monastery...it's a big monastery and the Buddha is big enough to go inside and look at 3 floors of displays, shops and artifacts. We toured through the monastery and the grounds, watching as people bought and burned incense sticks and prayed to created images. (Looked like a great fund-raising idea to me.) They are very sincere, but so sad that they leave still carrying big burdens. Interesting signs in the picnic area, "No alcohol, Vegetarian only". We had a plate of noodles for lunch, no chicken chow mein here! Well, the weather improved and the cable car was operating again, so we took the spectacular ride down to the train station, about a 30 minute ride, often hiding us in the fog and mist.
The sun was peeking out and the weather getting much nicer after the storm, so we travelled to the next station, switched trains to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort where we spent 6 interesting hours. First ride - flying saucers. Second ride - Space Mountain, but a quick run with Matthew back to Saucer #8 where we had forgotten our back-pack and, thankfully, retrieved it. Space Mountain was a hair-raising ride on a roller coaster in the dark with Matthew laughing like a fool all the way, and me trying to hold my stomach contents from erupting into outer space. That was the last ride for me for the day. Matthew went one more time before we left. We took in the "Festival of the Lion King", a live musical tribute with awesome acting, aerial acrobatics and pyrotechnics. Worth every penny. We watched the massive Disneyland parade, did a Jungle River Cruise dotted with animated elephants, hippos, rhinos, zebras, crocodiles, cannibal island, etc. A lot of fun. Oh, and a raft trip to the island with Tarzan's Tree House as the feature. As we were leaving by the entrance fountain, we met an Indonesian family, struck up a conversation with them, took some family pictures for them and then they just had to include us in the photo session. A very, warm friendly interchange and they were so happy when we blessed them before parting company.
Back to the train station and off on the MTR for downtown Hong Kong before the 8 pm "Festival of Lights", a nightly performance best seen from Victoria Harbor involving about 30 businesses whose towers were lit up around the harbor and with lazer lights and buildings fitted with colorful lights all flashing in sequence to highlight the musical accompaniment. It was absolutely stunning, the coordination and planning that was put into the performance between all the various buildings.
Back on the MTR heading to the station where we began our day, only things look so much different at night than they do in the morning. Our landmarks were not lit up, they were banners in front of businesses that couldn't be seen in the dark. A short stop in at the police station where we found the most friendly and helpful officers to give us directions. Still haven't seen the inside of a cell! Eventually, had to call our host and get directions over the phone while he tracked us on Google maps. "Home" at last before 11 p.m. and hit the bedroll, a very tired couple of boys.
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