Getting to Vietnam and the Long Son Pagoda

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A plaque with a quote from the Dhammapada at Long Son Pagoda

A plaque with a quote from the Dhammapada at Long Son Pagoda

After Hong Kong I felt another bout of travel fatigue setting in. I flew to Manila and stayed for just a four-day layover, which was meant to be relaxing but instead just added to my anxieties, as Manila is a rather dirty, hectic, and poverty-stricken city. From Manila I flew to Ho Chi Minh City, which was again extremely hectic and stress-inducing. I was not in the mood to sightsee or take a lot of photos, although I did visit the War Remnants Museum which was a sobering way to spend an afternoon.

When I finally got to the beach town of Nha Trang, it was great to relax and eat some delicious, cheap fish dishes. I finally got back into a travel mood and started sightseeing again. One of the few main sights in Nha Trang is the Long Son Pagoda, a Buddha statue and temple situated about a 20-minute walk from the main part of town. I got lucky and ended up being the only tourist there, although when I was leaving a massive group of talkative Russians was coming through the gate. Also detracting from the peaceful atmosphere were rather aggressive “students” selling overpriced postcards. Despite this, the site was worth seeing and spending a few minutes walking around.

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Hong Kong Roundup

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Dried fish at the Mui Wo wet market

Dried fish at the Mui Wo wet market

I spent 7 days in Hong Kong and spent an average of $32 a day, although I stayed with friends so did not pay for accommodation. Hong Kong is definitely not a cheap destination!

I had a great time hiking around Lantau Island, seeing the famous Big Buddha and just catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. I’m not sure I’ll make it back to Hong Kong anytime soon, but if I do I’d explore more of the markets in Kowloon and hike around the new territories, which I didn’t see at all.

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The Big Buddha and the Wisdom Path

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The Yank without a Chain posing in front of the Big Buddha in Hong Kong

The Yank without a Chain posing in front of the Big Buddha in Hong Kong

The Big Buddha is located on Lantau Island and is easily accessible by lots of buses and other forms of public transport. I was pretty excited to visit, as it’s the most famous symbol of Hong Kong. Also, it was my first week in SE Asia so the idea of a massive Buddha as opposed to a Jesus statue was a bit of a novelty. I loved the six smaller statues surrounding the Buddha – the six Devas who make offerings representing charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom. The Po Lin Monastery is also an interesting place to visit, although it was under a lot of construction while I was there, and you can have a nice vegetarian lunch.

The highlight of this trip though was visiting the Wisdom Path, which is a series of massive wooden columns inscribed with the Heart Sutra. The Heart Sutra is, in my limited understanding, a meditation on nothingness and is one of the most important texts in Buddhist philosophy. Set in front of Lantau Peak, the installation brings a deep sense of calm.

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Turkey Roundup

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The Yank without a Chain at Pamukkale in Turkey

The Yank without a Chain at Pamukkale in Turkey

I spent 18 days in Turkey and an average of $50 per day. The hot air balloon ride increased that average pretty significantly, and I also treated myself to a lot of amazing Turkish food! I absolutely loved exploring Cappadocia and kayaking on the Mediterranean. The UNESCO sites of Ephesus and Pamukkale/Hierapolis were also places that I will remember forever.

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