Merry Christmas from Hong Kong!

Dear Mom, Merry (late) Christmas!

Photo cred: Christina Villareal

Since it's the holidays and I'm in the giving spirit (and since I was horrible at updating my blog for the second half of the semester), everyone gets another retrospective on some of my later adventures in China. Specifically, on the last weekend of November/first weekend of December, while y'all were still recovering from your Thanksgiving meals, a couple of my new friends and I took a quick trip to Hong Kong! And why did I decide to make my last side-trip in China to Hong Kong?

This picture basically sums it up. I'm (a) at Disneyland (b) wearing just a T-shirt on the first day of December. 

Yeah, to be honest, one of the best parts of Hong Kong was the gorgeous tropical climate, which proved a welcome respite from the Midwestern winters I remember and the equally cold Beijing air. But apart from the sunshine, there's plenty to enjoy in what posters at the airport dub "Asia's Global City." Let's dive in:

HONG KONG ISLAND

To begin, let me indulge in a little geography lesson. The boundaries of the city of Hong Kong include the southern tip of mainland China (a region generally referred to as Kowloon, and the location of our hostel) as well as over 200 islands, the most prominent of which is the aptly-named Hong Kong Island. Between Hong Kong and Kowloon is Victoria Harbor, and the highest point on Hong Kong Island is Victoria Peak. On our first day, we left our hostel in Kowloon, took the famous Star Ferry across Victoria Pier, and rode a funicular up Victoria Peak.

I almost didn't make it across Victoria Harbor, though! (Photo cred: Christina Villareal)

Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than anywhere else on Earth.

As a result, a lot of the city gives off some serious New York vibes.

But none of the towers are as tall as Victoria Peak.

And since it's hard to build skyscrapers on a mountainside, Hong Kong contains gorgeous jungles right next to densely-populated neighborhoods.

Looking out over the mountaintop.

Falling off the mountaintop. (Photo cred: Lindsey Hinczynski)

Hong Kong wildlife.

Back at the bottom, I contemplate how cool Ferris Wheels are. (Photo cred: Christina Villareal)

Crossing the harbor at night gives a great view of Hong Kong lit up all pretty.

DAY 2: LANTAU ISLAND (featuring DISNEYLAND)

So, here's the thing: there's a lot of educational and culturally enriching sites in Hong Kong, including museums, landmarks, and natural wonders. Many people would think that those things are more worthwhile places to visit than, say, Hong Kong Disneyland, especially if one only had a limited time in Hong Kong.

I am *NOT* one of those people. (Photo cred: Christina Villareal)

Now, I hear some of you saying, "Is Hong Kong Disneyland really that much different than Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World?" 

Do the US Disney Parks have ACTUAL MOUNTAINS behind the castle?

One of the other big differences between Hong Kong Disneyland and the US Disney parks is that Hong Kong Disneyland gets about 1/3 as many guests annually as Disneyland in California, let alone Walt Disney World. That means that, while at Hong Kong Disneyland, we didn't have to deal with the overwhelming crowds that can make trips to the US Disney parks so frustrating. In fact, we didn't have to wait in line for more than five minutes for any single ride. That made a big difference, to say the least.

Anyway, the point is, I was very happy at Disneyland.

Except when I almost fell out of Tarzan's Treehouse.

We also found ourselves back in St. Louis!

Anyway, for all you haters out there, we didn't spend our whole day at Disney. On a mountaintop on Lantau Island, the same island that is home to Disneyland, sits this:

It's the Big Buddha!

Okay, so the real name is the Tian Tan Buddha.

The Tian Tan Buddha is part of a complex that also includes the Po Lin monastery...

...a nice shopping village...

...and some hiking trails with beautiful mountain views.

Also found at Po Lin monastery: free-range cattle!

Romantic.

So, yeah, that pretty much sums up my trip to Hong Kong. It may also be my last blog, or maybe not, depending on how bored I get over the next couple weeks. My semester at SLU doesn't begin for awhile...

I love you, Mom,

Jackson