Bruno, one of the backpackers I met in Singpore surprised us all when he showed up on Thursday night in Macau. We got everyone back together for a meal and some good times. I couldn't believe it! I've met so many amazing people along this journey.On Friday afternoon after classes, we met up in Macau to accompany Bruno on a little sightseeing. It was a blast! We ate this chocolate ice cream thing that tasted more like chocolate ice but it was good. We also went to the lighthouse again and the ruins of St. Paul. Then we met up with some friends for a night out.
Saturday morning Bruno and I took the ferry to Hong Kong. We stayed in Kowloon, the island across the bay from Hong Kong. Although our hostel was a little scary and pretty dirty, the island of Kowloon held spectacular views of the Hong Kong skyline! Shown here is a little video I made while we were there:
During the first day in Hong Kong, we toured an art museum with Chinese caligraphy, artifacts, pottery, paintings, etc. We also ate pasta (a long-awaited treat) and saw the outdoor lights and laser show along the skyline. Although the laser show was pretty tacky, the sight itself was indescribable.
On Sunday we left to see the world's largest outdoor Buddha and a Monastery. We also ended up visiting the small fishing village of Tai O. It was unusually cold for this time of year, and to our surprise, the Buddha was over an hour and a half trip away! The bus ride up the mountain held great views of the countryside, but I ended up sleeping through half of it :) It was also extremely rainy and misty. Despite the weather, I was really impressed with the Buddha. It was quite worth seeing. She was SOOO big. I mean, much larger than I was imagining. The monasteries were also quite beautiful and lavishly decorated.
My visit to Tai O was probably one of my favorite things about the trip. The place was so peaceful and beautiful. You wondered how people could still live so simply. I bought a pearl and silver necklace for US $5!
We didn't have too much time after our long journey home so we simply walked along the Avenue of the Stars talking. It's Hong Kong's equivalent to Hollywood Boulevard. We saw Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee's star. It was really nice.
Bruno booked another three nights in Hong Kong and I left on the ferry late Sunday night. The whole three days had been quite the whirlwind. I was on saying goodbye before I realized he was leaving. In life, there are certain people who fleetingly touch our lives in deep and profound ways--unexplainable to the outside world. In my life, Bruno is one of those people.
