Unreal City

What an amazing first day in Hong Kong. The group easily woke up this morning benefiting from our as-of-then undiagnosed jet lag. Indeed, many of us were feeling right and ready by 6:30. I spent some time taking in the daytime views on the deck at the Pauls' apartment.

Still, it was difficult to meet up with the whole group at our pre-arranged really point, especially since some of us (read: Simon) were more than a bit distracted by the remarkable architecture of the buildings in this city!

After assembling most of the group, we hiked through the Olympic Park to take the tram up to the Peak of Mt. Victoria, a perfect way, we hoped, to get a good introduction to the city. We rode the steep tram up the side of Mt. Victoria and, once at the top, enjoyed as-of-yet unrivaled views of the city. We definitely appreciated why Hong Kong is known as skyscraper city!

We got a quick lunch on the peak and then descended the funicular. Then we took the metro to Tung Chung. There, we boarded a cable car and enjoyed a breathtaking voyage to the Giant Buddha at Pgong Ning. Jacob and I fought off our fear of heights and quickly got used to the smooth and easygoing ride on the high cars. We rose above all of the nearby mountains, received remarkable views of the surrounding bays and landscape, and watched planes take off and land at the Hong Kong airport.

Once leaving the Cable Car we rushed over to climb up and see the Buddha - one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world. We didn't have too much time, though, as we had to make it back into Central to perform for the American Club of Hong Kong!

After visiting the Buddha, descending down via cable car (another 30 minute journey!) we took the metro back to Central and then a cab to the Pauls' home to change. Four minutes later, Wayne and I were out the door on our way back into town.

We were greeted by Mr. Peabody Hutton at the American Club, a beautiful multilevel venue with truly unrivaled views of Downtown Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour. We warmed up in the most remarkable "green room" ever, the restaurant at the American Club, and then sang for several ex-pats. Afterwards, we were rewarded with a delicious dinner and heard stories from Mr. Hutton, Mrs. Darci Spuck (our UVA Clubs International Contact) Mrs. Debbie Blount who will be hosting the UVA Event at the China Club.

After dinner, we took the Star Ferry across the harbor to the Kowloon Peninsula and then ascended 118 floors to Ozone, the highest bar in the world. Though the drinks were expensive, the views and the revelry we shared were worth it! Halfway through my cider, though, the Jet Lag started to hit me... and then Logan... and then half of the group. We returned to Central and then to our respective hosts.

Tomorrow is a free day for the guys - some will be traveling to Macau to see the casinos and lose their money, and maybe visit the historic Portugese district. Others will be sticking around Hong Kong and hiking the mountains surrounding the city.