Visiting the Buddha

Our planned visit to down-town Hong Kong never happened.  Instead of braving the smog and traffic down-town, we opted for a healthier and more cultural alternative.

A short bus ride, and a longer cable-car ride, away from Hong Kong airport is Ngong Ping, home to the Giant Buddha and the Po Lin monastery, and one of Hong Kong's three greatest Buddhist holy grounds.  It was inspiring to climb the several hundred steps up to the Buddha (the world's tallest, seated outdoor bronze Buddha statue), and extremely refreshing to stroll through the lush vegetation covering the surrounding hills.

 

 

We are now back in the airport, resting and waiting for the flight to Sydney.  Despite our best efforts, jet-lag and travel-tiredness are beginning to get the better of us, and we are all  collapsed in separate heaps on the comfortable armchairs of the Cathay Pacific lounge.