We'll always have the giant Buddha

After ice cream and live fusion music at the HK Cultural Center, Joe and I recalled our day.

Jona: I thought today was pretty good.
Joe: Orange juice is a diuretic.
Jona: Huh?
Joe: I need to go the bathroom again.

[Runs to the john. Back in 3 minutes.]

Joe: I thought today was great. We'll always have the giant Buddha we didn't see.

x x x

The Buddha at Lantau Island is 40 meters high. It is touted as the biggest outdoor Buddha in the world. It sits atop a steep hill that believers and tourists can access by climbing a long staircase. On a clear day, this is what you are supposed to see:

Like I mentioned in the last post, when we got to the foot of the hill, the smog was so thick, Joe almost got an asthma attack. You could see nothing beyond 5 feet.

Yes, it was that bad.

You don't believe me? Here is a picture of Joe climbing the staicase. That white spot of sky above his head is where big Buddha should be.

When we got to the top, we still could not see a thing. I was really frustated, (not to mention exhausted from the climb) but Joe the optimist would not give up. He insisted on taking my picture "with the Buddha". This is what we came up with:

This picture is actually one of those really creepy pics for two reasons: when this photo was taken, you could not see the Buddha at all; and there was no random guy in the background..... ooohhhh. Seriously, you couldn't see the Buddha. My camera is amazing. It can see through things. Hmmm.....

After the failed Buddha expedition, we took the cable cars back. Jona to Joe, "Under no circumstances are we taking that bus back."

This is what we saw:

We went back to Central and feasted in a Persian restaurant. Thinking we had the energy of the 18 year olds we once were, we hopped on the ferry to go see the Art Musuem. Instead we crashed at Haagen Dazs and pigged out again, walked around the Cultural Center and listened to free live fusion. Exhaustion crept up as we made our way back to Central.

Three hours later we were hungry again and so continued our discussion on politics, movies and ISDA Repurchase Agreements over borscht and pelminis at a Ukranian restaurant near the escalators.