The Loop

My Dear Most Excellent Ones,

As you know I have moved to Tai Wai, which is part of the area called Shatin, partly to be closer to work,  but mainly to be closer to some bike trails.  And I have not been disappointed.  There are some great trails.  One of them I call The Loop and it is a beauty.  Let me guide you through:

Start of the loop begins here, just in front of my complex, Festival City, which I sometimes call the fortress.  A kilometer long parkade topped by 12 towers it is pretty incredible.

I bike along this path.  On one side is a park, the other high rises.

After about a kilometer of flat I have to get up Keng Hau Road.  Its a gut wrenching, lung exploding, heart pounding, physically devastating steep climb of a hill.   Terrible.   

I then alight on Tai Po Road and follow the relatively flat road for a good while and savour the views.

A view of the water works and Lion Rock Mountain in the back.

The path is rather hairy due to exceptionally long drop offs into the jungle below.

Total fluke getting a picture with only red vehicles.  Wow.

One of several tunnels bored into the mountains throughout the Hong Kong territory.  This one takes you to Kowloon.

The ride beside the traffic of Tai Po road is offset by the views, but when you get to the overpass it is a welcome sight cause now you are close to getting into the jungle.

The trail is beside a "catchwater," that winds along the middle of a small mountain range.

Have to be careful not to fly into the catchwater.  Jungle views, sounds, and smells makes the bike trip interesting.

Monkeys frequent the trail...

…and the catchwater.

Great view points are the norm.  This is the "suburb" of Hong Kong called Shatin, which is made of "small," communities connected to each other.

Serene, beautiful, great, magnificent, etc

Hard to believe you are in Hong Kong.

Self portrait in a traffic mirror.

The trail goes on and on for at least ten kilometers.

Waterfalls are here and there along the trail.

Another great view.

The loop ends with a march down several million stairs.  Here you have to lug your bike.  At least its downhill.  You end up on a main road which thankfully has a side walk and you are back to the Fortress in no time.

Have a great week everyone!

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk