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Hong Kong - Day 6

On our final full day in Hong Kong we hit a few last tourist spots.

On our way out the day before we had noticed tons of women sitting on the sidewalk hanging out. They were under stairs, on the sidewalk, on the stairs, etc. We never figured out exactly what they were doing. Our guess was that they all had Christmas off and were hanging out with all of their friends. We also guessed they were possibly from Malaysia due to their dress. This picture doesn't do justice to the tons of women sitting around but it reminded me of how strange it was.

Sugar Cane - Sugar cane is a popular treat in Hong Kong. It is sometimes sucked off of the cane or the juice is extracted and sold as a beverage.

We decided to head out to a place called Ngong Ping which is a gondola type cable car that takes you up a mountian to one of the largest outdoor Buddhas. For those of you who know me well know I am extremely afraid of heights. I don't know how I did it but I did...

There was a super long line for the cable car.

Grandee with Piper...

Grandee with Nate...

and finally Ben got his turn.

The cable cars.

Scarey!

Here we go!

The cable car ride was about 25 minutes long and took us over the water and up the mountain.

Of course Ben loved it. The cars could hold up to seventeen people!

Tian Tan Buddha Statue. This is the largest, seated outdoor Buddha in the world. This was taken from the visitor information for Ngong Ping: Constructed from 202 bronze pieces the Tian Tan Buddha Statue weighs over 250 tons and soars 34 meters into the air. The impressive landmark opened in 1993 and is considered a major center for Buddhism in Hong Kong; it is also a major tourist attraction.

Sitting atop 268 steps, the Tian Tan Buddha Statue is positioned on a lotus throne, surrounded by eight smaller bronze statues representative of the gods, or immortals. The statue is so named as its base is a model of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

The Buddha Statue's right hand is raised, representing the removal of affliction; his left hand rests on his knee, signifying human happiness. While most Buddha statues face south, Tian Tan casts his serene gaze towards the north, making this statue unique amonst its peers.

At the top of the mountain there was a little village with shops and resturants. Ben asked for cotton candy and of course Grandpa obliged. Talk about a lot of cotton candy!

Mmmmm...

This is one of the mascots of the Ngong Park.

Ben was obessed with getting his picture taken in front of all of the different cars on display.

The entrance to the village area.

The Buddha. We did not walk the stairs to see it up close.

A sign showing the distance to several major cities around the world.

Ben in front of another car.

They had a Christmas display set up in the middle of the village along with live music.

On our way back down. The car with pink on the bottom was one of the crystal cars. It had a glass bottom. No way!!!

The way down. The fog started rolling in again. A girl from South Africa was in our car with us. She is teaching English in South Korea and found out her days off at the last minute. She decided to travel throughout China and Hong Kong on a whim and by herself. She is brave!!!

Our last dinner in Hong Kong. I ordered a curry dish and was impressed with all of the extras they brought out for me to use with the curry.

Uncle Scott attempting to feed Nate. He did pretty good considering he doesn't do it very often!

Ben lovin' on Aunt Manju.

Silly boy

Opening gifts from Aunt Manju and Uncle "Hot".

It was a pink Hello Kitty towel - perfect!

Where we ate dinner.

Hong Kong - Day 5

Christmas Day we headed back out to Stanley Market with Grandee and Grandpa. It had turned pretty foggy so the view wasn't as pretty as before but it was still fun.

Ben being Ben

Grandpa and Grant hanging out. They were having an art fair along the waterfront. A man was selling cool little plastic parachutes that you set off with a sling shot. Of course Grandpa got one for Ben.

I think Ben may have a future as a photographer. He sure did get into it while taking pictures of Grandee and Grandpa.

My turn - Cheese!

This was one of those statues where it is a person painted to look like a statue. Ben couldn't figure out why her finger kept moving.

Blowing bubbles.

A temple to on the end of the waterfront.

Burning incense.

Back on the small bus.

And he's out again...

Kowloon at night. We had planned to go out for dinner on Christmas Day but most places were booked up. We finally stumbled upon an Italian restaurant that had an opening.

Outside of the restaurant was Santa!

Taking the Star Ferry back over the harbor. It was packed and people were pushy. Good times...

Ben hanging out with Uncle "Hot" and Aunt Manju.

View of the city at night.