1. I am not religious myself,
2. I have no problem with people’s personal and private beliefs, but I am not a fan of institutionalized religion or religious institutions,
yet, despite 1. and 2.,
3. I LOVE to visit temples, churches and attend religious festivities.
I love the visual side of it all. The colors, the symbols, the rituals and the statues of deities. The history and culture.
Two recent temple visits in Hong Kong were quite disappointing though.
First I visited the Man Mo Temple. I had already visited this temple about four years ago, but it was under renovation then. There was scaffolding everywhere, making it unable to really enjoy the temple.( As a tourist that is.)
Guess my shock and surprise that this time, AGAIN, hopefully not STILL ;-), there were renovations going on and scaffolding all over the place.
What are the odds, right?! So still, after four years, I have not been able to see and enjoy this temple in it’s full glory:-(.
Maybe third time’s a charm?
Anyway, this is what it looked like when I visited:
Then there is the Tin Hau Temple at Causeway Bay.
I arrived there and was admiring the temple from the outside, while waiting for Frits, who was getting us some water. Yes, it was a hot and sticky day and we were overheated.
I was able to take a couple of pictures outside, when a lady inside the temple all of a sudden closed the doors right in front of me!
That’s always so disappointing. You travel, make an effort, know it’s likely your only chance to visit and then they close the door in front of your nose. Grrrr….
|
| Doors still open. |
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| Doors closed:-(. |
Ah well, I think every traveller has experiences and disappointments like this. You travel around the globe, finally arrive at that special museum, that you always wanted to visit: CLOSED.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose.
(See how I am being all philosophical and zen about it?! Nah, just kidding. It sucks ;-))
Did you ever travel around the world, to find what you went for closed or non-existent? How do you react to that: accepting or frustrated?
Man this happened to us all the time. We’ve gotten better about checking hours etc but it never fails that at least one item we had wanted to see is closed when we are there.
bisous
Suzanne
Yes, I always check in advance too, like you. That’s why it’s extra frustrating to find things closed anyways!;-). But life and traveling are like that; full of surprises. Nice ones, not so nice ones. There, I did it again, that Zen-thing;-).