The Big Buddha was a big challenge. You climb 268 steps to get to the statue, and it was hot and unbearably humid. I felt I was going to collapse, but I kept going. Here’s some pictures of the giant brass buddha:
Long Long Climb | by Samer Farha
Big Bronze Close Up | by Samer Farha
Pink Umbrella | by Samer Farha
Finally, you really don’t understand just how big this statue is until you see it from the distance of the cable cars:
Big Buddha | by Samer Farha
I know I’ve not posted in a while, but I’ve been busy. Here’s some pictures from Hong Kong, instead:
Crazy Hiking | by Samer Farha
Hong Kong At Night | by Samer Farha
Get Fucked Starbucks | by Samer Farha
‘Girlfriend Wanted’ | by Samer Farha
Hong Kong is just overwhelming me.
It’s loud and crowded. Very very crowded. The sidewalks are so crowded, I think driving might get you places faster. It’s bedlam. Too many people, too feet square feet of space for them. And to top it off, they are every bit as callus to their fellow man as we are: people just stop in the middle of the sidewalk, or park themselves on a street corner (where there are railings) and block the path. Despite the hectic nature of this city, there seems to be no hint of hurry in the people walking the streets. I often feel like I’m racing to get somewhere, when I’m just walking my normal gait.
And then there’s the smell. There is this distinct smell that permeates the streets of Hong Kong. I can’t figure out what it is, exactly, but it’s probably the combination of frying oils from street vendors, dried fish from health and food stores, the pollution, and of course the sweat pouring off millions of bodies.
The food here is supposed to be great. And I will say that what I’ve eaten has been heads and shoulders above anything I’ve had at a Chinese restaurant at home. But having said that, it made me a bit sick, and so I’ve stayed away. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a guide around here, and that the couple of restaurants I tried to find from WikiTravel were not where I thought they would be.
All this paints a grim picture of Hong Kong (and I didn’t even mention how humid it’s been), but I do like it. I like that a short subway ride away, and I’m in the hills. Or a shorter trip and I’ve gone from one busy open market, to a much busier closed and air conditioned one. It’s ever changing, this city, and it puts New York and Vegas to shame with the sheer amount of light and people around.
So between all the things to see and the not feeling great, I’ve got about a thousand pictures to edit, including many from Tokyo. I’m hoping the train tomorrow will have power on board, and I’ll do some editing while on a 24.5 hour ride.
“When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” the saying goes. So, here I am in Hong Kong and I’ve decided to buy a suit. Or two. And a shirt. Or six. Custom made, too.
I’d heard about the wild deals you can get here: $700 for a suit and a couple of shirts; $1400 for two suits, a sports jacket, and a coat; and on, and on. At first, I was reluctant. You see, I don’t wear suits a lot. In fact, over the last year, I’ve worn a suit … never. The last time I was in a suit it was a tuxedo for the Oscars. In 2006. The last time I actually wore a suit to the office, one of the jokers there said, “How’d it go with the judge?” Yeah, it’s kind of rare.
So why a suit now, and why two? Well, it dawns on me that I have more money than the last time I bought a suit. It also dawns on me that that last suit no longer fits — not that it ever really fit well. So I had a number in my head: $1000. I would buy however many suits and shirts as I could for that amount.
I stumbled into Sensational Collection on Nathan Road, and talked to the guy there a bit. He seemed knowledgeable and friendly, and when I saw his prices I knew he was on the higher end of the game. The cloth seems to be of really good quality, and what he showed me of the suits and shirts waiting for delivery seemed of good workmanship.
I talked him down from about $1100 to $950 for two suits (one black with a herring bone pattern, and the other charcoal gray with a blue pin stripe) and six shirts (three with French cuffs, three with standard cuffs). The only concern I have is that they will be able to finish them by Monday morning. I’d like to take them with me so I can wear them out for a fancy dinner sometime on this trip.
There’s a few more posts that I’ll do about Tokyo, but I just wanted to put this first impression of Hong Kong out there:
The place is like Dubai (architecture), New York, London, and Vegas all wrapped into one.
While landing, you couldn’t help but notice these amazing skyscrapers everywhere. On the ride to the hotel, I just marveled at the size and shapes as the buildings went by. But once you get to downtown Kowloon, to Nathan Road, the place turns into Piccadilly Circus, Times Square, and the Vegas strip. Loud, crowded, and just filled with lights and neon. Simply amazing.
End of the Tunnel by Samer Farha on Flickr
I like traveling by train, and I try to do so whenever I have the opportunity. A few years back, I flew out to San Francisco and the took the train, stopping along the way, up the coast to Vancouver. At the time, there wasn’t any first class service for me. This time, though, it’s different.
I’ll be taking several train trips as part of my world travels. The first and the most daunting is going to be the twenty-four-and-a-half hour ride from Hong Kong to Beijing. The train ticket is going to cost about half as much as a flight would, and it will take eight times as long. As you might have guessed, this isn’t about cost.
There’s something utterly romantic about taking the train. It’s a throwback. A mode of travel that still, when you splurge, can live up to the “olden days.” It lets you relax and look out the window at a world whizzing past frightfully fast. And yet, it is serene. Something about the rhythmic clack-clack-clack just gets into your body and relaxes you.
I’ve decided to take the nice berth on this and all trains, this time around. I want to experience that old time service and class. In Germany, I’ll be traveling first class from Frankfurt to Berlin, and again from Berlin to Brussels. In Belgium, I’ll get to take the more modest first class cabin up to Bruges. But the train I’m most looking forward to riding it the Eurostar.
I’m booked on a two hour high-speed hurtle through the countryside of Belgium and France and finally through the Chunnel. This train runs for over 31 miles under the sea! Again, here, I’m not skimping. It’s first class, all the way. Of course, it appears that there’s a “premium” first class that gets you a three course meal on your two hour trip, and while I’m sure that meal is excellent, I chose not to cough up $300 more for it. That’s the price of an iPhone, for crying out loud!
