July 2007 - first stop Hong Kong

We flew out of Bellingham on July 25, 2007 and after what was all in all an incredible 17 hours or so on an airplane with a 3 year-old we arrived in Hong Kong on the evening of July 27th. We'd arranged for two tours over the two days we were in town, the first of which was a half-day tour of Hong Kong. We walked around Victoria Peak, explored Stanley Market and rode a sampan around Aberdeen fishing village. The sampan ride was certainly Savannah's favorite part and it was during the brief time we were on the boat that we both seemed to watch Savannah grow before our very eyes. There was a change in her demeanor and a different wisdom in her eyes. I'd hoped that she'd begin to create her own perspective on China and not create one for herself based on our experience, and at that moment I could see the seeds being planted.

Aberdeen Fishing Village

The world's largest floating restaurant

Above: Looking out towards Macau from the top of Victoria Peak. I loved seeing the blue sky and feeling the wind, and not for reasons you might think. I was happy that Baden had been living in a part of China that wasn't thick with smog and stagnant air, but near the ocean water where the air was fresher and he'd had sunshine when they were outside.

The following day was an incredible tour of Lantau Island. On one side of the island is Hong Kong Disneyland and the airport, with all the hustle and bustle you would expect of a major global city. On the other side was a step back in time. On the way to Tai' O fishing village we stopped off at a gorgeous sandy beach so that we could dip our toes into the South China Sea. Our guide told us that in a matter of years this stretch of beach is expected to be developed and lined with resorts.

Tai' O fishing village was something else... a glimpse into a traditional way of life as a small village tries to compete with the modern and big city, where the struggle to maintain its identity is as challenging as it is to keep their youth interested in maintaining the village culture. All I can say is thank you to Travel Channel for all of your shows featuring wild and crazy cuisine. At the time I described a picture of the village as being "one of those times that you're happy to not have scratch n' sniff pictures." Today the village has about 1300 residents.

That afternoon we had lunch at the Po Lin monastery that is nestled in the hills of the island and is where you will find the world's largest sitting Buddha. At our table were two gentleman from Bangladesh that were there on business. One of the men was relocating his family to Toronto so that his daughter could receive the medical treatment she needed. The other man with him was taking over his territory as a textiles rep. We so enjoyed getting to know them and learn more about Bangladesh. They were actually a strong influence on me in May 2008, when Scott and the kids gave me the gift of sponsoring a child through World Vision. We now sponsor a little girl there who is 8 months younger than Savannah.