Buddha Day!

Our third day in The HK began with a trip to Central.  We were wandering around, trying to figure out which direction we should go to get to the waterfront, so we climbed a bridge to get a better vantage point.  It turned out that all we could really see was this "colonial" roundabout. 

We finally got to Central Pier, and gazed upon the majesty that is IFC TWO.  Yes, TWO.  Not one.  Two.

Some scenes of daily life, for The, Dad.

The Bank of China Tower:

And those funny buildings next to the Bank of China Tower:

A tram, which C made us ride a few days later.  It was cheap, so I'm sure T,D, took full advantage.

Some colonial history for T,D:  the supreme court building:

Get your Communist propaganda here!

Finally, we made it to Lantau Island for to see the giant Buddha.  Redundant maybe?  There was a fountain (I'm sorry - I mean a "water sculpture") outside the train station.  Upon our return, there were some bad kids playing in it.  They show no appreciation for art.

C did not tell us of the many fatalities caused by the Skyrail.  We alighted in ignorance, and then the wind started to blow. 

Devon:  "Jeff, how often do these things just fall off those ropes."  Jeff:  "Um, Never?"

Our first glimpse of the Buddha.  I'm just glad we didn't have to hike the trail below.

Profile view:

It's like Deadwood, only Buddhist!

Buddhist monks need cell phones, too.

After surviving the skyrail, there were still miles to go.  Or approximately 143 steps to climb.

I need a break.  Let me take a picture of this thing:

Ok, now Jeff, you get in the picture:

Proof that I made it!

As I previously warned you about, the artless bad kids:

That Jeff Guy has put several of his pictures up on the Flickr.  If you click on the link, you can see the, too:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thatjeffguy/

HK, Day 2

I'm far too tired to come up with an interesting title.  Suggestions welcome, but may not be acted upon.  We began our second day walking along the Avenue of "Stars".  They seem to have a rather loose definition of what qualifies as a "star", seeing as I had never heard of 97.439% of these people.  Jackie Chan being the notable exception.

We arrived at the Hong Kong Art Museum, and wandered in the sculpture garden.  The ultimate cheese-head:

 

From there, we could see the Space Museum, The Peninsula, and palm trees.

If MoMA in New York made me think I am not smart enough to appreciate modern art, the HK Art Museum confirmed it.  There was a wall of lawn chairs.  The kind that The, Dad, would repair if the plastic broke.  But these were all fastened together to create a lawn chair barrier.  It could have been an attractive nuisance, but there were SEVERAL employees of the museum there to make sure we didn't touch anything, and to guide us with hand gestures in the way in which we should go.

We enjoyed the antiquities much more.  Next was some aimless wandering.  Lots of pictures of signage, of which I will post a few.

That's the look I give when forced to eat sushi, too!

I may not like your raw fish, but I bow down to the genius of the Japanese chefs.

C met up with us, and took us to a market where she could indulge her cashew obsession.  

We also saw hairless coconuts and stinky fruit.

Up next was the flower market, with rows upon rows of orchids.  Sorry this picture is a little blurry.  C was about 2 blocks ahead of us by this point, and we were just trying to "take it all in".  On the run.

As we rounded the corner, much to our collective surprise, was our HOtel!

The other direction lead us to the Bird Garden.  Hate is not a strong enough word.  First, they distract you with beautiful mosaics:

Then you see all these poor birds crammed into cages, living in their own poop.  

There was even a trash can that was designated "For Dead Birds Only".  BOOOOO on the bird garden.  Much uplifted, we made our way back to where the morning started to watch the Symphony of Lights.  Camber was underwhelmed, but Jeff & I were at least whelmed.  Before it begins:

Video of a portion of the excitement:

After that, we met C's friend LG at a bar.  The end.  For now.

The Invasion Begins

 After a 15 hour flight, we were overjoyed to see Camber waiting for us in the Hong Kong airport, holding a sign for "Art Vandalay".  She immediately whisked us onto the train and via taxi to our HOtel.  They seem to be a little bit too concerned for our safety, and we showed them by taking showers upon our arrival, even though we were fatigued.

Upon completing our evening ablutions, we wandered the shopping center attached to our hotel (don't you wish you had stayed there, The, Dad?) and ended up eating at an Indonesian restaurant.  

 

Camber kept us up past our bedtime.

On Monday morning, we wandered - without supervision from Camber - to Tsim Sha Tsui to go to the History and Science Museums.  

Along the way, we saw the Kowloon Mosque:

the Charlie Brown Cafe:

and a giant Easter egg:

The History Museum was our first stop.  

It's something about Queen Victoria.  It's for you, Dad.

For lunch, we wandered around until we found a place with an English menu, and had a lovely al fresco meal.  Back to the Science Museum, where they make workplace safety #1.  

This is the appropriate way to lift a box:

If you fall off a building, you will die.  This thrilling exhibit went all out with sound effects and dramatic lighting.

If something falls off a building, you will die.

Jeff was paying attention to his lessons, and fastened his safety belt to operate this stationary forklift that lifts nothing.

There was a lovely play area for the children, with gongs and floating balls.  

Not ten feet away, a somber wake-up call for all of the four-year-olds present:

Of course, they not only gave you the information, but had a display of contraceptive devices.  It was far too awkward to take a picture of that, so you'll have to use your imaginations.

Meeting up with Camboor, we took the Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island.  We were fortunate that the sea was not particularly angry that day, and the ferry was not rolling heavily.

We then stood on the escalator until we came to an area where C thought there would be enough "douche bags" in the bars.  Why she wants to hang out with them is beyond what I can fathom.  While taking it all in, Camber was attacked by a giant beetle.  Most likely retribution for his ingested comrades from Beijing.

 

Jeff informs me that this is not, in fact, Jackie Chan.

 

 

This one is for The, Mother, who only likes pictures that contain her offspring: