Chinese New Year Week 2009 Day 3

Tuesday. We woke up and Gary was ready to go and feeling much better. After breakfast and packing up, we headed toward Lantau Island to see the famous Big Buddha. Have of Hong Kong was there wanting to see it also and it was very cold because of the change in elevation. It took us about an hour and a half of standing in line before we even got on and rode the 25 minute cable car to the top of the mountain. The views were nice except it was very smoggy and misty. It was also very very cold and the higher we went, the colder it became.

At the top, we ate lunch at a little Euro place and then headed to the top of the steps to see the Big Buddha. Built in 3 years and finished in 1989, it is the largest sitting Buddha in the world. It is made of bronze and is actually a great trip to see. There is also an active monastery there, but we did not really see it.

We waited in line for another 45 minutes before taking the cable car back down the mountain. The picture above is from at the bottom and one of those touristy souvenirs you can buy when they take your picture. We thought is was funny and decided to make a crazy pose.

By the time we took the MTR back to Kowloon, it was just about time to find a decent spot to watch the world famous Hong Kong Chinese New Year parade. We actually ran into about 15 coworkers and found a spot with them and waited about 2 hours before the parade started. Our little crowd led the people in cheers in Chinese and English and we all tried to enjoy ourselves while waiting.

The Hong Kong parade was a bit of a disappointment. It had an international flair, but the floats, bands, and dancers were just too far and few between. It was not the high energy octane we thought it would be. We left about half way through so we could get a head start on the crowd. We took the Star Ferry back to Hong Kong Island and then a cab to the hotel. They had our luggage waiting for us and then helped us get a cab.

Our cab ride was 30 minutes and took us to the Shenzhen border. We got there just in time before they closed down for the evening and took another cab to our apartment quite exhausted. A long, cold, day of waiting for a hours for 2 events. It was a good experience and overall, we are glad we stayed for the parade, but we are somewhat disappointed in it.