Lesley in Hong Kong

White Rabbits

Pinch, punch first of the month and what a lovely day it is!

I have been thrapping on about how blummin cold it is at the moment.  Honestly, it has been so miserable.  I have found that the best solution has been to wriggle into my Lycra, get outside and exercise and the combination of that and the sacred Weight Watchers meetings (previously mentioned) are paying off.  People are beginning to notice!

On this clear, bright Saturday morning with a temperature of 21C the mountains beckoned and the luxury of being able to start a hike from our front door came into its own.  We embarked upon an uphill walk to Ma On Shan and it was glorious.

We trekked up and up from Tai Wan Village past Shan Liu then up up up some more to join the MacLehose Trail (named after a previous Governor of Hong Kong 1971-1982) which is a very steep section with some environmentally friendly concrete steps (they love those in Hong Kong) and through some bamboo dappled, sun lit paths with shafts of light coming through the green canopy of leaves.  The temperature was just perfect, a coolness with a blue sky and the steepness and challenge of the route was enough to get the heart rate up and sweat flowing.  Excellent!

It took around two and half hours.  We were back home by 11.30am to enjoy poached eggs and wholemeal bread from Mushroom Bakery, Sai Kung but that's another blog.

Sai Kung Town

Have a look at the new album called 'Sai Kung'.  There are some photos taken today walking from Sai Kung town to Tai Wan Village where I then start the steep climb home!  Tuesday is a public holiday because there will be dragon boat races.  The photo is a team training for the big day.

Walk in the park

Near my house is  Sai Kung Country Park.  It is a secret.  Don’t tell anyone what I am about to tell you. 

Unbelievably but true there are some green bits in Hong Kong where no one has built a matching set of 33 floor concrete housing estates.  There is no one selling copy Rolex watches or offering to measure you for a suit, there are no MTR stations.  It is possible to hike among the greenery and enjoy silence.

Obviously in Hong Kong this has to be done in a controlled way.  The HKSAR love their rules and regulations so all Country Parks have designated concrete paths to walk along, there are signs along the routes telling hikers what they can and cannot do, there are some information boards to educate the general public about the flora and fauna of the local countryside and all this makes it extremely popular at weekends and public holidays.

The guarded entrance to Sai Kung Country Park.

The guard will only raise the barrier if you have permission to enter.  This keeps the rif raf out.  See the lady with the pink umbrella.  She is a walk organizer and is holding an electric loud hailer so that when her party of walkers joins her she can bellow at them and tell them the way.

Here is a group of unsuspecting walkers about to set off on their 'quiet' walk in the park.  As always in Hong Kong the photographer waited for them to pose appropriately, said the statutory "Yat Yee, Sam" (one , two, three)  or even 'cheers' which I guess is a confusion of 'cheese' and neither of which makes any sense and not worth really explaining to a non native English speaker!

And were off!  "Follow the person in front, keep your eyes on their heels, if you get scared just image you are in Mong Kok".

Can you spot me elbowing my way through the crowd?

"Read the signs and conform at all times".  That is the key to Hong Kong living.

All these photographs were taken on the last public holiday.  Luckily we were early and our walk was over by the time we met the hordes of people. 

It can be a beautiful experience and there are genuinely quiet areas.

This incense tree and its smell is the reason Hong Kong is called Hong Kong, Fragrant Harbour being the English translation.

  A shrine to the ancestors decorated for the holiday.

As we drove away the packed buses and taxis relentlessly headed towards Sai Kung Country Park  Every Sunday and any public holiday this happens.  It fills up and causes a major traffic jam in Sai Kung at around 4pm when everyone starts going home again.

So remember, don't tell anyone about it, its a secret OK!