Bowen Road

Dear Most Amazing Ones,

Last week Celia and I journeyed to Hong Kong island to wander Bowen Road, which at one time was Hong Kong's "third road" because it was the third road built on the island that ran from east to west. These days it is a lovely jogging/exercise/walking trail through a lovely mountain side park offering splendid views of Hong Kong island's urban jungle. 

One way to get to Bowen Road is going through the madness of a Wan Chai market.

The walk to the road should include a gander at this rather expensive shopping/residential area with an amazing display of Chinese lanterns.

Then its up the mountain and the amount of people thins out noticeably.

This incline is excellent for the butt and lungs and one must languish in agony on this beaut for about 15 minutes before one...

...arrives at the mid-point station of Bowen Road.  At this point one can go left or right for about a kilometer and half.  We chose left. Handy benches and signs, plus a....

...a park with facilities is at the midpoint section of Bowen Road.

Banyan trees growing on the side of walls are always interesting even on Bowen Road.

The views of a real jungle with an urban jungle are excellent from Bowen Road.

The road is quite narrow.  Back in colonial days transportation was pretty limited.

Sweet views.

Below is Happy Valley, famous for a horse racing track and luxurious stands where millions are bet and lost.  Happy Valley was once a swamp full of deadly mosquitoes and the Brits inexplicably build a garrison nearby.  When hundreds/thousands of soldiers lost their lives due to illness brought on by the mosquitoes, someone in a sad twist of logic or reason called the garrison Happy Valley.   The name has stuck ever since.

Along Bowen Road is Lover's Rock.  Give an offering to one of the Buddhist shrines at the rock and your marriage will be blessed.  Hmm.  Think I will just give flowers to my one and only instead.

Nearing the end of a great road.

Back in crazy Wan Chai there were women dressed the same as a celebration for International Women's Day.  A normal day in Hong Kong....

Have a great week.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Po Toi

Hello My Dear Great Ones,
The following, from a Hk tourist website, is a pretty apt description of Po Toi island that Celia and I visited last week.

Known as the 'South Pole of Hong Kong', Po Toi embraces the turquoise South China Sea. Comprised almost entirely of easily-weathered granite, the island boasts peculiar-looking rocks, which have been voted as the most beautiful in Hong Kong in public surveys. The island's seaweed is equally renowned, so be sure to try some seaweed soup and take home some dried seafood products.

Source: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/great-outdoors/hikes/po-toi-island.jsp#ixzz41zss7QsF

Since Po Toi Island is not a particularly popular destination of Hong Kong, the boat ride over to the island  from Stanley Pier was cheap, short 20 mins, and relaxing sans a crowd.

Much of Po Toi is natural 98%, half of it does not even have trails.  

Famous for granite rock formations Po Toi attracts rock hounds.

The little bay of Po Toi has a few houses.  About 200 hearty souls live on this rocky marvel.

The restaurants on the island are indeed "interesting," offering a wide variety of  dried sea weed dishes.  Hmm

This dish has a seeweed bed, with a fried egg and ham on top.  Hmm.  Maybe next time.

Restaurants on Poi To have a certain "ambience."

A wide variety of dried seeweed was available for purchase.

There is bit of a jungle on Po Toi, this banyan tree is a beauty as is the model modeling the tree.

Elephant grass.

Bamboo.

There is a nice well paved trail with nice protective railings to prevent you from sprawling into the rocky, bushy, abyss below.

Amongst the rocks were graves.  Strange place for a graveyard.

The unusual rock formation is called Palm Rock.

Interesting rock formations on the edge of the ocean.

Celia posing on the granite.

A peek into an abyss.

Cactus!  Was a pleasant day, about 20 above, but by the end of March I am sure Po Toi will get pretty hot.

Plenty of stairs to a lovely viewpoint.

The scenery, and I include Celia, was beautiful.

Lots of interesting rock formations.

We ended our day at this "lovely" local for a cold pop.  

Note the drying fish on the restaurant's veranda.


Have a great week everyone!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk