the night hike

Victoria Peak sits at 1,810 feet, the highest point on Hong Kong island. Tonight, Ed and I hiked from the bottom to the top in 40 minutes flat in pitch black. Stopping only twice for about 15 seconds each to get a look at the brilliant view, I used those 15 seconds to catch up to Ed who at 60 years old, was absolutely kicking my ass on the hike. I thought I was in peak (no pun intended) physical condition up to that point in my day but the farther we climbed up the mountain, and the farther back I would fall behind, I was starting to have real doubts about my fitness.

Finally after getting to the top just five minutes after Mom arrived by bus (after leaving at the same time), every piece of clothing on my body was soaked in sweat. Im not even sure Ed wiped his brow once during the hike. Pausing a moment to catch my breath, I then followed Ed inside to the ever-welcome air conditioned store to grab a couple of beers and cool down.

Im not going to start making up excuses for my lack of spryness on the trail, for example how I was carrying both a large camera and tripod on my back, or how I had already sweated out my body’s weight in water earlier that day going to the Ten Thousand Buddha Monastery. Regardless, it was another adventure in Hong Kong that keeps reminding how much I love it here.

the personality of hong kong?

How many smiles do you see?  With more than 7,000,000 people living here, you would think it would be a little easier to find a happy face.

Village Hike

A few days ago, I went on a mini-hike to a small fishing village on the outskirts of Kowloon. Despite the somewhat crummy weather which actually added to gloomy environment, I was able to get a good idea of what life must have been like before Hong Kong became the ever-bustling metropolis it is today. From this village, you could look just across the water to the other side which has already experienced the type of growth that is destined to reach all corners of this beautiful country. Walking back into ‘town’ to catch the MTR back home, we were greeted again by the bland skyscrapers that have torn up the countryside. It was an eerie experience still being in ‘Hong Kong’ but seeing nothing around but marshes and forest. It is a side that I would like to see more often of, but unfortunately has been pushed out to the far edges of the territory.