Lantau

Lantau is the largest outlying island in this area and is home to some of Hong Kong's most famous landmarks.  These include the longest road/rail suspension bridge in the world.  We road across this iconic structure after stopping to view the amazing bridge construction. This bridge is the Tsing Ma Bridge.

Once on Lantau, except to the airport, cars from Hong Kong are not allowed to drive.  The idea is to keep this pristine island as natural as possible.  There are beach areas which can be enjoyed in the summer. 

Tai O Village is famous for its wooden stilt houses along the waterfront.  This traditional fishing village is a mosaic of tiny shops, local markets and fishing junks.  The dried fish was impressive even if you have seen it elsewhere.  You can sometimes see the pink dolphin here but I was not that lucky.

As we drove along we were able to see the largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha statue in the world before we actually arrived to the Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery. 

This is a holy place with two teeth relics of Buddha.  The statue was cast in more than 220 pieces and sits on a lotus throne which is the Buddhist symbol of purity.

The Monastery is also beautiful and peaceful.  I have never seen such large sticks of incense and beautiful New Year's decorations.

To depart the Buddha you can ride the Ngong Ping cable car. This is a spectacular 5.7km skyrail with ever-changing picturesque panoramas across the lush terrains of Lantau and the South China sea.  It is a 25 minute ride I will never forget.

HONG KONG AT NIGHT

Hong Kong by daylight is thrilling but Hong Kong at night is memorizing. First we walked along the Waterfront Promenade which is also Hong Kong's walk of stars as we have in Hollywood. Since the Lunar New Year is approaching the buildings, always colorful are even more beautifully decorated. As you look out on the Harbour you can see the Star Ferries as well as the fishing and pleasure boats that are sailing.

 Every evening Hong Kong puts on one of the biggest light shows in the world.  It is called a Symphony of Lights featuring decorative light and laser from 44 buildings across the Harbour.  To enjoy this I was able to cruise the Aqua Luna Junk in the Harbour seeing and hearing the performance. 

Temple Street is one of the liveliest places in Hong Kong at night.  It is a mixture of performers, fortune tellers, and stalls for food and goods.  This frenzy of light, color and crowds is worth the visit.

Hong Kong

The rural beauty of Vietnam was quickly forgotten as we sailed into Hong Kong.  The land is filled with skyscrapers, each seeming to be taller than the last.

After arrival I traveled to the island of Hong Kong.  First stop was the Ma Mo temple which is Hong Kong's oldest and most famous temple.  It is named after the God of War and the God of Literature.  Traditionally parents will bring their children at the beginning of the school year to pray for
blessings.

Then we went on to visit Stanley which offers great views of the South China Sea. There is also a market here.  There is no question why this is called the shopping city! 

From here I was able to take a sampan tour of Aberdeen Harbour.  This is an incredible area of contrasts of the old ways and the new.  There are beautifully decorated floating restaurants, traditional fishing and houseboats of all kinds and then amazing yachts.

Victoria Peak is visited by all and there is a reason as the view is incredible!  From this vantage point you can look out over the Harbour and see the most amazing skyline.  Once the view is digested there is nothing like taking the tram to the bottom of the peak.  If you stand up you can see the steep tracks as they make their way down. 

Hanoi

Hanoi, the Vietnamese Capital, is an exquisite city with glorious French-Colonial architecture, numerous lakes and bustling motorcycle filled streets.  Since Vietnam celebrates Lunar New Year we were able to see the red decorations everywhere and the trees that they set out much like our own Christmas trees. 

The first site we saw was the imposing Ba Dinh Square which is dominated by Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum.  Here evidence of Military presence was felt as we saw soldier's marching.

We then visited the Temple of Literature.  This was the first national university built is 1076.  Now it is where people come worship for knowledge.  This colorful temple was accented by the various artists making signs for people to have for their homes for New Years.

We were able to stroll onto Hoan Kiem Lake to see the Ngoc Son Pagoda perched on an island in the lake.  Here we saw some beautiful locals well dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing.  The colors of the food were also seen as we saw people sorting their wares.

After this we were able to walk in the ancient quarter or 36 Street District since the streets here are named after the tradesmen that worked in them.  Silk Street offered beautiful creations but if you preferred a "knockoff" then you could go to Bag Street or there was even a Children's Street where every merchant sold toys.  What was great here was that you had a chance to be close to the life of the city as you could view people sitting at street cafes or carrying home their daily purchases on the back of their motorbike.

 

HA LONG BAY

Today was an absolute treat.  We spent the day on a junk in Ha Long Bay which means the "the Bay of Descending Dragon".  Even as we sailed away on our junk the local markets kept pace as they approached the boat to sell Produce. 

The landscape is dotted with more that 3,000 mountainous islands, each with its own unique landscape.

The islands are famous for their dolomite and limestone rock formations.  These outcroppings are cloaked in tropical foliage and rise majestically from the ocean.  Many of these have names for the shapes that appear when you look at them.  For example there is the "dog that guards the gate" and the "fighting chickens". 

In addition to the magnificent scenery we stopped to visit a typical fisherman's village.  The inhabitants all live on the water.  They go out in their boats and catch very small fish which they bring home to feed and raise into large fish.  There is even a hospital in this floating village. Children go to school on boats and several families share a house and the labors.

We even were able to explore a magnificent cave filled with many stalagmites and stalactites. 





As we left the cave we were greeted again by local boats selling snacks and fresh caught fish. 

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