Where Globe-Trotting meets Beach-Combing
Oranges, sugarcane and coconuts were a few of the many wares—edible and non—available along the mainland China coast across the water from Hong Kong. We couldn’t actually see Hong Kong, of course; too smoggy. This former fishing village was in the 1970s turned into the first Special Economic Zone in China, which means Chinese people…
I tried to buy a CD of this music in Singapore at the temple of the Buddha Tooth Relic but Chris wouldn’t let me. Sad. It’s the name of Buddha being chanted over and over, but I like the tune. I was surprised to hear it again in the main temple at the 10,000 Buddhas…
We interrupt your scheduled Hong Kong broadcasting to bring you this message: Do not assume that you may advance through the intersection just because your light is green. What? You didn’t see that Japanese sign where it says not to make a right turn back before you pulled onto the street? Well too bad. Please…
Welcome to Macau! Portugal tried to offload this former colony to the People’s Republic of China in the 1970s, but China’s official response was, “Oooooh, you shouldn’t have….” Just as we exited immigration a bus went by with a banner reading, “Macau! City of Dreams!” and another tourist said, “I’m pretty sure that slogan is…
Mind you, our stay in Hong Kong wasn’t totally a vacation; part of the work aspect meant cruising through Victoria Harbor at sunset so Chris could check on some official business. That ended up being one of my favorite things we did! First we had a pierside beer while we waited for our boat. Tough…
The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) dropped us off for less than $2US near the Shatin Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Hong Kong’s New Territories, leased from China to the UK in 1898 in the Second Convention of Peking, or the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory. Hong Kong Island itself was never leased…
Don’t be alarmed by all these commanding signs shouting, “GOVERNMENT LAND—NO OCCUPATION” and anti-monkey feeding signs. Chris and I were hiking up a million stairs to the 10,000 Buddhas monastery when we came across some monkey business. Note: tragically no actual monkeys were spotted in Hong Kong.No worries, we will know what to do should…
