Day 574 Hong Kong Day 3, Lamma Island blessings

I enjoyed my view on Lamma Island...

...over my breakfast on the last morning of vacation.
I finished my book (I seldom have the time for
pleasure reading, and it was wonderful :)...

...then I consulted the island map one last time to see what
there was to see before I caught the ferry back to Hong Kong.

I walked back to Yuen Shu Wan village
and stumbled upon a small temple.

Tin Hau Temple...

...where I lit the traditional three sticks of
incense for the past, present, and future,
and then I offered up my own prayer-
to my God, not Buddha. 

I passed by a real estate office in the
village, and looked over the properties
for rent on the island, just. in. case. :-)

I walked by the community message board which
was mostly Filipino women offering up their services
as a domestic housekeeper.  There were also several
folks offering English tutoring lessons. Then I saw
this ad for a handyman, which seemed reasonable
enough, until I read further down that... "I have a
big tool and can use it anywhere on Lamma."

So, I'm not really sure what he was advertising, lol.

I walked along the waterfront and picked up some sea shells
and sea glass. I love treasures from the ocean.  I then bought
 a bracelet, to remember this place. This photo looked better
to me in black and white. It just captures the mood of this
sleepy little island- like a step back in time.

As I looked for seashells, I watched this local
fishermen tending to his nets before he went
out for the day.  Such a peaceful scene.

I passed this old ex-pat hippie that I
had seen several times over the weekend.
He sits in the village every day, selling
used books and chatting it up with the
tourists and locals.  He also captures
the vibe of Lamma Island.  I gave him
the book I had just finished for him to sell.

I passed this cat store and smiled as I thought
of my friend, Robert :-)

I wandered into an organic grocery store that
also carried many import items.  It had a coffee
shop and tea bar in the back of the store, and a
balcony over the beach and harbor where I had been
hunting for seashells.  This old wooden crate was filled
with bottle caps from import beers and sodas. It simply
looked interesting to me. I could get used to this place.

From the balcony of the shop I could see the ferry had just
docked, so I decided it was time to leave Lamma Island.
I will treasure this place for always, as it was here that I was
able to restore my soul and find my happy place once again.

As the ferry left the island, I said a
prayer of thanksgiving that I have
the good fortune to discover such
beautiful places in the world.
I am a very blessed girl, indeed.

Any time I can be on the water, on a boat,
it is going to be a very good day.

So many boats in Hong Kong- I love it.

Soon the city was coming back in to view.

We docked at Pier 4, then I walked down to Pier 8 where I
enjoyed a few hour's visit at the Maritime Museum. I
read about the history and significance in the construction
of the Chinese junk ship.  I bought a watercolor of a junk
ship for the new guest bathroom in Len & I's home.

I read about the Asian-Pacific trade routes, dating
back to the 1400's. These routes delivered tea
spices and silk all over the world, fine Chinese
porcelain to England, and of course, opium was
a popular commodity through the ages.

I read with fascination the history of
the East India Company, and imagined
the tall sailing ships of long ago.

Though this exhibit was echoing the sounds
of life on a wooden tall ship, it resonated with
me and the comfort I feel when I am out on the
ocean on my sailboat.  I have blogged about the
sounds of wind in the rigging, the lap of the
water as the passes over the hull of the boat, the
seabirds and dolphins, and all the sights and
sounds I love of a life at sea.  It is a symphony;
pure music to my ears. I stood at this exhibit
for some time and simply listened and reminisced.

The next hall took me to an exhibit about the
history of scuba diving.  There is a popular
dive museum in the Florida Keys that I have
been to several times.  Scuba diving-
another one of my loves <3.

This was a very cool display about finding
shipwrecks and treasures, and the business
of conducting an underwater archaeological dig.

I enjoyed a late lunch after the
maritime museum, then it was time
to make my way across the pedestrian
bridge and back to the city to find
the airport shuttle train.

As I looked up at the skyline, to the
right I saw a Bank of America building.
 I took that as a very good sign;
Len and I bank with BoA :-)

It was a short walk from the waterfront
to the shopping plaza where I purchased
my airport shuttle tickets.  Hong Kong
is surprisingly easy to navigate. I
enjoyed the 30 minute train ride where
I got to view more of Hong Kong-
like all of the commercial shipyards
full of cranes and shipping containers.

My last view of the city was of the
pilot boats, rafted up, waiting for
their next call to guide a container
ship in to port.  I would love
to live in a port city, I think.

This weekend trip gave me much to think about...why I am working and living abroad, what my goals are for this next chapter of my life.  I have been open about my struggle through the winter months this year, the struggle with being an 'empty nest-er', and just the struggle of getting right with myself following my divorce.  I feel the fog lifting once and for all, and the genuine happiness returning to my mind, body, and spirit.  I am finally well on my way, I think.

I ended up being delayed at the airport due to air traffic in Beijing, so I typed up my goals for the future- work goals, personal goals, the goals for my relationships with friends and family, and so forth.  I feel I have a clearer plan for my life, and I am so very blessed to have lived the life I have.  I also am very hopeful and excited for the future.

The end of the Qingming Festival symbolically marks the official arrival of spring, and that also means the end is in sight as far as this school year goes.  It will pass by very quickly here on out, as our regular instruction winds down, and the kids begin preparing for the AP exams and sitting their CIE's and IB papers.  The end of this month my two oldest grand kids and my friend Stephanie will arrive for a nearly two weeks visit.  Two weeks after their departure, Len will arrive, and he'll be staying until the end of June.  One week after his departure, I will be flying home to Florida for the summer, where I will also make a trip to Indiana to see family and friends.

So, the countdown is officially on, and I have much to feel thankful about and hopeful about as I look to the coming weeks and months, and to this season of my life.

I am making my way back to being the happiest girl in China, and it feels good, y'all.

To those of you that have offered prayers and words

of encouragement, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

You have no idea what an impact you have made in my life.

G'nite, y'all!

Here's the Chinese junk ship for my new guest bathroom :)