Big Buddha Visitors’ Guide, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Lovely Big Buddha

One of the popular sites to visit while in Hong Kong is the Big Buddha statue.  It stands (well, technically it sits) over 100 feet tall, is made of bronze, and weighs more than 250 tons.

Getting to the statue is relatively straightforward.  A few train changes on the subway system and a 30 minute gondola ride up a scenic mountain delivers you to a somewhat touristy fishing village named Ngong Ping.  Head past the restaurants and souvenir stores towards the Po Lin Monastery and you’ll soon find yourself at the base of the 200+ steps leading up to the statue.

While approaching the Buddha, quietly consider karma or at least fondly recall a few memorable episodes of the classic comedy sitcom, My Name is Earl.  Either approach should help remind you that putting good into the universe leads to good coming back to you in the future.

After visiting the Buddha stop by the monastery you passed on your way in.  Sit in the courtyard, contemplate your quiet surroundings, and partake in a refreshing beverage or ice cream cone.  Notice the resident dogs, but don’t pet them because they bite and enlightenment is rarely reached through rabies treatment.

The gondola ride down will likely be calm and quiet.  Use this opportunity for introspection to consider what the Big Buddha has shared with you.  If you are fortunate, you will leave with more than a few nice snapshots and a new travel blog entry.  Namasté.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Hong Kong

Bringing it Back Hong Kong Style!

Nearly every Hong Kong travel guide recommends eating dim sum, the quintessential local meal.  Thanks to Curt’s gracious sponsorship of Dinner and Drinks for Two, we headed to the Din Tai Fung restaurant where we were in for a real treat!

The event began with a quick review of the Guide to Enjoy the XiaoLongBao.  Armed with this newly found knowledge, we feasted on a delicious selection of dishes such as steamed chicken dumplings, steamed shrimp and pork Shao-Mai, pork buns, and deep-fried sweet and sour chicken with chili.  To ensure we covered the core food groups, we added a wonderfully crispy and flavorful order of sautéed Chinese kale as our vegetable.

The meal was delectable and went well with our choice of beverages, refreshing Tsingtao beer and Chinese hot tea. 

We extend our appreciation to Curt for his generous funding of fine food and drink in one of our favorite cities, Hong Kong.

Not Nearly Enough - Sydney, Australia

We have successfully booked our final few flights in Asia, the last of which will bring us home to Denver for a quick break before hitting the road again this summer.  We are amazed at how quickly these recent four months have passed.  There are many places we didn’t visit along with others where we’d like to return…Soon.  Australia is one of those places.

We spent only five days in Sydney, a hip, modern, waterfront city reminiscent of San Francisco.  The weather wasn’t cooperative; another cyclone followed us, bringing with it several days of rain.  We didn’t let the inclement weather dampen our plans with one notable exception:  We skipped an outdoor performance of the opera Madame Butterfly which would have surely been a unique experience.

We explored the city on foot visiting the botanic gardens, the opera house, the many wharfs, and when the rain worsened, we ducked into diverse local restaurants and cafes.  The people were very welcoming and we left with a wish to return when we could dedicate sufficient time to better explore this far-reaching and diverse country.

Take a Hike - Milford Track, New Zealand

Hiking The Milford Track

The Milford Track is an amazing 35+ mile hike through a pristine and impressive ecosystem.  Hikers encounter lazy rivers, mirrored lakes, lush valleys, steep cliffs, and countless waterfalls.  Wildlife abounds and crowds are nonexistent.  It truly is a nature lovers’ paradise.

Only 90 hikers are permitted on the trail each day, all headed in the same northward direction.  While one may encounter others in the early part of the day, the afternoon provides space and presents an enjoyable sense of seclusion.

We began the hike on April 1st, completing it on April 5th.  It should be noted that the bulk of our progress was recognized on April 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, a three day period during which we covered much of the total distance.  Along the way we encountered:

• Friendly wildlife – Blue Duck (endangered), Kea, and Weka along with eel and huge trout (rainbow and brown).
• Hostile wildlife – Sandflies and many of them, each with a bite far worse than that of a mosquito.
• Adventure – We traversed slippery and narrow terrain, crossed large areas where rock slides had occurred, and were rattled awake during a relatively minor earthquake.

The sheer beauty of this trek makes it unlike anything we’ve ever encountered.  We highly recommend it to anyone traveling to New Zealand and seeking a rewarding challenge.

We’ll close this entry with an insider tip to anyone contemplating the Milford Track – Consider departing from the lovely little town of Te Anau instead of Queenstown.  This approach shaved many hours from the somewhat lengthy bus ride.

The Weird and Wild Landscape (Final) - Wai-O-Tapu Mud Pools

The third and final entry in New Zealand's Weird and Wild Landscape feature submits a constantly evolving lake-sized cauldron, percolating with plops, fizzes, and plenty of steam.  While the embedded video reflects a relatively calm bubbly mud bath, we were fortunate witnesses to a few impressive eruptions that launched hot viscous muck high into the air like a spectacular fountain.  We resisted the urge to chuck in some local coins and submit wishes for consideration by Rūaumoko, the Maori volcano god.