Location: Lantau Island, Hong Kong

I could see the statue from kilometers away.

It was massive. And as I stepped closer, it only seemed to get bigger and bigger.

At the base of the 268 step stairway up to the statue, I paused and looked up in awe. The Big Buddha was bigger than words can describe, and not even a picture can truly give it justice.

My brother and I dodged past struggling tourists and raced up the steps. I stared at the Big Buddha for a while, still finding it hard to believe how we humans could create something so spectacular.

I had a good view of the mountain we would be hiking later in the day.

How could I possibly hike up something so high? And in such heat? And when the whole thing would be uphill? It towered over the Big Buddha, and the Big Buddha was big. Really big. This mountain was literally in the clouds! It was going to be a hard hike.

I made one final loop around the base of the Buddha, and to my surprise I found a stick standing in a place that just didn’t seem right to me.

I walked closer, with my iPhone8 in hand, and was shocked as to what it was.

It was a walking stick, one of the insects I find most interesting of all!

It was a friendly stick. My father held out his hand, and it crawled onto his palm without a worry.

It was a beautiful insect. I took a few pictures, then we set the walking stick back onto its perch.

I smiled and turned back to the view of Lantau Peak. I was ready to hike.

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