Ten Ton Buddha

One of the things we really wanted to see in Hong Kong was the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island.  We call it the Ten Ton Buddha because that's what it sounds like and that's how heavy and big it looks.

It's basically a honkin' Buddha built in the mountains next to the airport.  The cool way to get there is via cable car.  We picked one with a clear bottom - you know, for the full experience.

The cable car ride is about 20 minutes long, it goes for a couple of miles through the mountains.  It was a really fun experience and a bit like a roller coaster in that you can just watch the ground fall away underneath you.  We shared a car with an older Chinese couple and as we "took off" the lady jerked her body into a starfish shape and goes, "ACKKK!" then looked really embarrassed.  It was hilarious.

Seeing the Buddha tucked into the mountains was really mystical.  It looked ancient.  I kept wondering how people ever built it and then I remembered it was built in 1993.  So, there's that. 

The path from the cable car station to the Buddha took about 20 minutes and wound through all kinds of stores and little restaurants, including a Starbuck's, of course.  Initially we joked about how commercial it was, but then, being the good Americans that we are, we did our best shopping of the entire trip there!  Christmas presents for almost everyone!  Seriously.

Also, and I'm not joking, it was a million degrees outside.  I know I repeat myself here, but I'm trying to paint the picture.  As you look through these, imagine sweat rolling down your back, down your arms, down your face and into your eyes.  Yeah.  In the pics below you can see all the steps that lead up to the Buddha.  In any other situation in our lives we would have been skipping up those steps.  We are adventurous on travel.  We want to really see things, not just from a distance.

But not this time!

We stood at the base and made our excuses justifications to each other:

"It's beautiful but it's not even our religion.  It's not like we have to go up there or anything."

"Yeah!  And, I mean, if it were Jesus sitting up there I would totally go!"

"Hmm.  That depends.  Do you mean a statue of Jesus, or him actually sitting up there?"

"No, I mean like for real.  Like if He were really up there in the flesh, then I would go."

"Well, all things are possible for those who believe and all that, so if He were really up there He could just beam us up or something and we wouldn't have to walk."

"Oh.  Yeah."

 This is a must-see and a must-do, so add it to your Hong Kong list!