Shing Mun Trail

Dear Most Wonderful People,

I had to move recently due to my landlord demanding a huge rent increase.  I was a little discouraged by this because I really did like my old place, but after some searching I found an excellent new abode. I am in "just," a three story village home now.  I rent out the ground floor and not only is it more spacious and modern than my last place, it is right on the edge of massive country park.  And the rent is substantially cheaper.  So I am pretty happy about that.  

The other day I went for a bike ride in the country park along a "catchwater," canal.  Catchwater?  Must be a British term.  These catchwater canals have been built on several mountains here in Hong Kong as a way to control the run off from the torrential rainfalls that occur from time to time here.  The trail beside the canal is perfect for hiking and biking and offer spectacular views.  Below is a sample of what I saw along the Shing Mun catchwater canal.

My new place.  This is a perfect example of what a typical village house looks like.

 A view from the catchwater trail.  This part of Kowloon is called Kwai Chung.

 The trail along the catchwater canal.

 Kwai Chung merging into Tsuen Wan.  

 A lovely view of a temple.

A butterfly.  Some butterflies are as big as bats here.

 The catchwater.  Note the trees growing out of the cemented side of the hill.

 City and nature.

 Monkeys having a great time.

 These pictures give you a good idea how much nature is in Hong Kong and how hilly it is.

 Sunbeams bursting through the clouds.

 Kwai Chung/Tsuen Wan.  In the distance is Hong Kong island.

 Along the trail were pagodas and several people were doing Tai Chi.  This is a very common practise in Hong Kong.  Every morning there are millions doing Tai Chi.

Spectacular.

Have a great week.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk