Lamma Island

As if the Modern Toilet and a little John Travolta wasn’t enough excitement for one weekend, on Saturday I went on my second “Cultural Excursion” that the study abroad office at Lingnan University organizes for exchange students. We left at 9 in the morning and proceeded to take a 45 minute bus and 30 minute ferry ride to Lamma Island, a traditional fishing island in Hong Kong.

Lamma Island is majestic! Since we were on an organized tour, we had a tour guide and were first oriented to Lamma Island by being educated on traditional fishing techniques and history of the Island. It was all very interactive and I even got to hold a live star fish and a horseshoe crab! Part of the tour was “funny hookless fishing” where we all got to “go-fishing” with a string tied to a long bamboo rod. At the end of the sting, our tour guide and local fishermen tied a small dead fish. We were then allowed to “go-fishing” and feed the humongous fish that inhabit the water!

After learning about historical fishing techniques and “going fishing”, we all went to lunch and ate really, really fresh seafood. I literally saw the tanks of live shrimp, crab, and squid, and then saw it 30 minutes later, prepared to eat! We ordered peppered shrimp, fried squid, scallops, vegetables, fried rice, and cashew chicken! The scallops were steamed, still in the seashell, smothered and cooked in a garlic sauce and combined with Chinese noodles! Best scallops of my life!

Then after our fresh sea food, we took a tour of the island, where we literally hiked halfway around, up and down one of the Lamma Island mountainsides! It was hot, and it was a workout, but it was awe inspiring, gorgeous, and simply majestic! Well worth the sweat, and the humidity! Each mountainside jutted with boulders and was brought to life by the most emerald of green trees and plant life. Beyond one mountain, was another mountain, and sitting below each mountain was the most aqua blue and turquoise green tinted water. The water seemed to hold the mountains in place, creating a tranquil beach experience. I seriously thought I was on the set of a “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie and expected Jack Sparrow to jump out from behind the nearest plant life.

At the end of the two hour hike, we finished on the other side of Lamma Island and waited for a Ferry to take us back to Central, the main part of Hong Kong.

Beyond the busy, city life of constant high rise buildings and millions of people, sits the beautifully tranquil Lamma Island. It was a perfect “Cultural Excursion” of Hong Kong and I was again amazed at the truly breath-taking views my eyes have seen over the last few weeks. Will truly remember Lamma Island for a lifetime.