Ngong Ping to Shek Mun Kap

Hello My Dear Great Ones,
One of Hong Kong's great tourist attractions is the giant buddha (Ngong Ping).  Since it is located on top of a small mountain there are numerous trails, a road, and a cable car to get up to it.  One of the trails is the Shek Mun Kap trail. It is a paved beauty and believe me it is better to go down than up, unless of course you are interested in a great workout. (note some pics below were taken by Celia's i phone)  Thanks dear!

 The journey starts near the Giant Buddha site.

 Lighting was bad for taking a pic of the buddha.

 On the way to the Wisdom Path.

Near the Wisdom Path.

 About 400 meters away from the Wisdom Path is an archway.  Not sure what it says but maybe it says "Shek Mun Kap, A Really Nice Hike."

 Jungle trail.  All paved.

 Some Chinese graffiti.

 Great views of Tung Chung and the airport from the trail.

 Sweet.

 Half way down is a buddhist monastery.

 The entrance to it.

 Along the way are bamboo groves.

 Amazing ferns with mountain backdrop.

 A Buddhist monk(ette?) walking down to the monastery.

 Some beautiful mountain scenes along the trail.

 A beautiful creek.

A Celia panorama shot of myself admiring the vista.

Have a great week everyone.  God bless you!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Dirk Takes a Few Selfies

 A selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or camera phone held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick.

Dear Great Ones,

Hong Kong is so great.  On November 7 Celia and I went on one of our favorite hikes.  It is is in Sai Kung park and starts from a place called Pak Tam Au to Ham Tin beach.  Its a beauty and I took a few selfies to show you why:  

The start of the hike has a quality facility so one does not have to resort to venture in the jungle when nature calls.

The paved trail goes through a jungle, which is lovely but my wife is more so.

An Asian phenomenon.  Using umbrellas to ward off the sun as well as the rain.  One sees a lot of that on a sunny day in Asia.

Great views.

Interesting ghost town is along the way.

A neat lagoon.

And to develop your fitness there is a massive hill to get you huffing and puffing.

No pain no gain.

Getting to the top of this monster hill is a great relief.

The view of Ham Tin beach from the hill is a beauty.

At the bottom of the hill is a mini restaurant that will provide a much needed cool drink.

Hibiscus in full bloom.

The buildings of the little village along the way are cool.

Near the beach are wetlands.  My Asian wife is doing a very asian thing.  Using an umbrella to ward off the sun.

After a good solid one and half to two hour hike one arrives at sweet Ham Tin beach.

A couple of establishments serve up local food at a reasonable price.

The "famous" Ham Tin bridge, over a little lagoon to the main beach.

Ham Tin beach is massive 

The scenery is great.

The water on Nov 7 was perfect.

Sweet happy times.

The boat ride later to Sai Kung town is a roller coaster ride.  Great action, but a little scary.  Better than hiking back however.  

Have a great week everyone.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Peak to Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Hike

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

The Peak to Pok Fu Lam Reservoir hike is a beauty.  Here's why:

 The Peak Tower is a landmark of Hong Kong.  Very touristy, very expensive, yet iconic.  This is the start of the hike.

 Lugard Road is totally amazing.

 Lugard Road winds around the top of the peak and offers great views of the city and the Peak Tower.

 Lugard Road is actually more of a nature trail.

 Numerous helpful "educational information," stations are set up along Lugard adding some intelligence to the fitness you are gaining while walking.

 The views of Hong Kong from the Lugard road are amazing. 

However, Lugard Road is quite popular and can be quite crowded with people from all over the World.

 The road gives you a greater appreciation of how natural Hong Kong remains.  Remember 70% of Hong Kong is natural.

 This large banyun tree along the road is a popular spot for photos.

 Signs along the way help guide your walk.

 If you are lucky there are old guys selling traditional Hong Kong sweets.  Buy some for sure.

 The trail down to the reservoir is fantastic.

 Be prepared for lots of stairs.

 Hard to believe the city is nearby.

 This is one of HK's first reservoirs, and it is a beauty.  HK's many reservoirs helps with flood control and much needed respite from droughts.  A handy bus taking you to Kowloon is nearby.  A great little hike.

Have a great week.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk