Out of Norm Travels

The ancient Kingdom of Sukhothai (Thai: สุโขทัย ) - Sukhothai is from Sanskrit sukha (सुख "happiness") + udaya (उदय "rise, emergence"), meaning "dawn of happiness".   According to the Lonely Planet, the Sukhothai (Rising of Happiness) Kingdom flourished from the mid-13th century to the late 14th century. This period is often viewed as the golden age of Thai civilisation, and the religious art and architecture of the era are considered to be the most classic of Thai styles. The remains of the kingdom, today known as meuang gòw (old city), feature around 45 sq km of partially rebuilt ruins, which are one of the most visited ancient sites in Thailand. Wat Mahathat translates as “great relic”, and it is one of the oldest and most important Buddhist temples in Thailand.      Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai    Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai  Wat Si Chum Temple is a 13 th century temple enshrining the largest Buddha image in Sukhothai measurin...

After reading a recent article covering Hong Kong Heritage Buildings, I was gladdened to see that Tai O Heritage Hotel was mentioned as one of the Heritage successes of Hong Kong (info from hk-magazine.com ) and also reminded of my trip down this last remaining fishing village of Hong Kong called "Tai O". It was a nice contrast to the bustling metropolitan city of Hong Kong and on the way to the famous Lantau island (where the big Buddha is).  This lovely Heritage hotel was of course a beautiful respite from the extreme heat felt on that sunny July day back in 2012 (reputedly one of the hottest day of that year right before Hong Kong experienced its 1st Hurricane Signal no. 10 since 1999 (BTW it's the highest tropical cyclone warning signal in Hong Kong where an estimated maximum sustained winds of 155 km/hr was recorded near its centre).  For 100 years, the Tai O Police Station served the quiet West Lantau fishing community of Tai O, combating smuggling and piracy ...

Getting to Ten Thousand Buddha Monastery was an adventure for me as I am not too familiar with places outside the usual touristy areas. Located at 221 Pai Tau Village, Shatin, New Territories, I had to take MTR East Rail line to Shatin Station (exit B), walk towards the end of Sheung Wo Che Road before reaching the path that will make the journey all worthwhile.  Tips for travelers:  1. Once there, take your time to climb uphill leading up to the monastery as both sides of the pathway are lined with golden colored Buddha statues. I had quite a lovely time making the climb as I reached there around 10a.m., took a leisurely breakfast / lunch at the vegetarian restaurant located at the grounds before heading down at 1p.m.  2. Do make the climb ALL the way up and you will be rewarded with a beautiful white gigantic Guan Yin statue. Oh yes! Did I mention that there is no admission charge? Personally, this was a definite plus since almost everything costs here in HK. Fo...