Week 1: Complete

It's crazy for me to think that I have been in China/Hong Kong for already a week! I feel like that I can get my way around using subway systems, communicate decently well using the Chinglish language, and I am getting a whole lot better at using chopsticks. As I leave tomorrow morning for Beijing, I am excited dig deep into the roots of Chinese history; and I can’t wait to see the Great Wall, visit Tiananmen Square, and see Chairman Mao’s perfectly preserved body (say whaaat?!). Beijing is going to be sweet.

Today was a great day, and a fun way to end my time in Hong Kong. I went up to the Peak again in the morning to get a glimpse of the entire city while in the daytime, and stayed up there for lunch. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to sit with anyone at lunch after my great random conversations yesterday, but I did enjoy a bowl of fish ball soup (yum!). After coming down from the Peak, I made my way towards the Ferry Harbor. I hopped on a Ferry that took me to Lamma Island.

Lamma Island is one of Hong Kong’s smallest islands with mostly rain-forest covering the land—no large buildings. There was a public basketball court along with some restaurants and shops, but it was pretty small and nowhere near as busy as the main islands. The reason for my visit to Lamma Island was to see the “Lamma Temple”, which, I was told, was a Buddhist temple and a cool tourist attraction. My sources were right and wrong. It was a Buddhist temple (Right!), but it was not cool (Wrong!). It was a small room with incense burning inside and outside, some statues, and other small relics inside. Maybe I am being a bit harsh, and maybe it is a “neat” tourist attraction, but with the buildup I had I was expecting something a little more 

glamorous.

(The Lamma temple)

(A view of Lamma Island)

There were small pamphlets outside the temple that outlined the Buddhist faith, and seeing these just sank my heart—have these people even heard the truth and love of Jesus Christ? The thought of these people being lost hurt. After walking around Lamma Island for a bit, I made my way back to the main island, where I took the city’s escalator system up to a beautiful courtyard: it was a quiet place within the business of the city of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong was a great place to visit, and I am so glad that I was able to stay for two days. Oh, and did I show you all the view from my hotel room? Well, here it is: 

-Alex