Hongkong in a different path

Last weekend I went to Hongkong and had a revelation. I need to beat a different track than my recent trips. I have been to Hongkong for work more than 10 times in 2008. But I never really enjoy much of the entertainment that Hongkong has to offer.

So this time, I went to the beaches, beaches, temples, temples and the likes. Here they are:

Stanley beach and Stanley market. Stanley market is nothing spectacular. It's another market that sells different things. But you could find those things in every cities in China/Asia Pacific anyway. So I don't spend much time there but I like the beachfront and the restaurants that Stanley beach has to offer. I had a quick in and out of the beach then visited Tin Hau temple, museum, and a nearby mall. Tin Hau temple in Stanley beach is quite old (almost 300 years old) but the temple is near a mall, so the temple may not look as if it's been around very long. I had a brief moment to pray then left for dinner. I do pray often to make my mind clear and focused.

Other beach that I went was Repulse Bay. It was the place that I've been since I was little. However, Repulse bay today is changed. Many new condos and apartments are coming up. Even the renowned Guanyin and Tin Hau temple, originally nothing was built behind. But now the new condo and apartments are towering the original temple. It's sad to see such development. There would be a major objection if this would have happened in Thailand though. All in all, I had a good time strolling along the cool beach while praying at Guanyin and Tin Hau temple. What a good afternoon it was.

What's worth to mention is that I took a bus from Central to Repulse Bay. The day before I went to Stanley from Causeway Bay, it was 100 HKD for taxi. With a bus from Central to Repulse Bay, the bus fare is only 7 HKD. What a good way to save money. The bus driver knows his way around the area very well. Sometime I think that the bus was going to hit the stone wall as we travelled through the road off the cliff. Fun fun fun.

The following day I went to the Big Buddha via Ngong Ping 360. I always want to go but this was my first time.

The trip to the Big Buddha was really great. We went to the top by cable car (pretty fascinating how they built it), then we have to walk through the mall (mimic old town) to get to the Big Buddha. There is a museum inside the Buddha but I didn't go in. I just prayed outside and had a long chant. Then we walked around the Buddha for nice view. After that, we strolled to Po Lin Monastery which is nearby.

I feel full, having prayed 3 straight days while having a good time. May all the good deeds I have done will reach you all, my earth friends. Now back to rumble some more. ;) Until the next trip.