Hong Kong from Cham Shan (Needle Hill) and Tai Mo Shan (Big Misty Mountain)

My Dear Great Ones,

In the middle of the Hong Kong Territory is the tallest mountain of the whole Special Administration Region: mighty Tai Mo Shan (Big Misty Mountain).  Most days there is a mist floating around its peak, hence its name, but on a clear day one can look into China, the spectacular skyline of Shenzhen stretches as wide as the horizon, and one can also see downtown Hong Kong and Kowloon, surrounded by peaks and water. And then close by there is Needle Hill offering fine views of Tsuen Mun, Kowloon, Shatin and wonderful HK peaks.  While the "mountains," here in HK are no where near as grand as the Rockies, they are still beautiful and add a spectacular dimension to Hong Kong that makes this amazing place that much more amazing.

Eli about to embark on the last stage up to the peak of Needle Hill.

A view of Shing Mun reservoir and Tseun Mun, a part of Kowloon.

Amazing perspective.  The landscape is more spectacular than the city scape which is saying a lot.

Shatin, a small hamlet of 600,000 people.

Eli on top of Needle Hill.

Hong Kong to the left, way in the distance.

Eli on the way down.

Eli below Tai Mo Shan.  On a rare non misty day.

Kowloon and Hong Kong in the distance.

Yuen Long. 

Hong Kong?

Elsie and Daniel checking out the view on New Year's Day.

Evening light.  Kowloon and Hong Kong are in the distance.

Have a great week everyone.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Beautiful Phi Phi Island

Hello Most Excellent Ones,

Phi Phi, (Pee Pee as the Thais pronounce it,) islands is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth.  The islands which are made up of dramatic limestone cliffs, covered by lush jungle vegetation, and surrounded by a warm ocean teeming with fish of every shape and size, hue and color,  is a feast for the eyes.  Here are a few pictures of what I mean: 

Fantastic dramatic limestone cliffs.

One of many beaches.

Evening scene.

Even clouds over the ocean near Phi Phi are dramatic.

In the evening the cliffs light up in different shades and color.

Sunset.

Scenes from top of the lookout.  Elsie taking a rest.

Three happy most excellent ones enjoying the view.

Eli and Elsie

Dear Most Excellent Ones,

I just enjoyed a most excellent time with two most excellent ones (Eli and Elsie) who kept me amused with their constant laugh out loud banter and wacky sense of humour.  We took a trip to Phi Phi Island in Thailand and then later, back in Hong Kong we explored Shing Mun Country Park plus spent New Year's Eve in TST.   It was a great time.

On the boat to Phi Phi island.  Elsie fortifying herself with coffee.

Eli making a face on a packed long tail boat.  This boat was the final mode of transportation to our hotel on Phi Phi.

Elsie riding the shoulders of Eli, so she won't get her feet wet.  We are disembarking on the beach by our hotel.

Eating a thai staple: fried chicken and pad thai.  Pad thai is great, but after about 4 days of it we were good.

The "kids," swinging together on the beach.

Elsie with her 1950's style sunglasses.  Cool.

Volleyball was played when sitting around in the sun got a little boring.

Waiting for ice cream.

Eli and Elsie winning a challenge at a Christmas Eve banquet on the beach.  They had to stand on a piece of paper together without any other part of the body on the stage.  The paper kept getting smaller and smaller until Eli had to carry Elsie and stand on one foot to win.  A bottle of wine and some caps were the prizes for their effort.

December 25, 2014.  Not a bad way to celebrate Christmas.

Happily walking through the street markets of Phi Phi.

Merry Christmas!

On the beach, made famous by the Leonardo Di Capreo movie: The Beach.

Checking out fish being dried out in the sun.  Black flies were also interested in the fish.

Cool man.

Elsie petting a golden lab pup at a tattoo parlour.  

At the "Viewpoint."  Phi Phi is a beauty.

We took a boat trip around Phi Phi.  One of the activities was cliff jumping.  Elsie was the only girl that jumped.  Here you see her flinging herself off.  Eli is next in the green shorts.  I hurled myself off too, but once was plenty.

Eli and Elsie floating around in the choppy seas.  We also snorkelled a lot and were astounded by the colors and vast variety of the fish.

In a banana grove.

Back in Hong Kong, Eli and Elsie bonded with some "wild," cows that meander around Shing Mun country park, free and happy.

Eli taking a break from one of our vigorous hikes.

Often I was tagging behind the "kids," on our hikes.

Hanging out by a sign in the butterfly park at Shing Mun country park.

New Year's Eve in TST.  Streets were blocked off to traffic so was fun to wander around.

Daniel, Elsie and Eli hamming it up.

High on Tai Mo Shan the tallest "mountain," in Hong Kong.

Two most excellent ones.

Happy New Year everyone.

God bless you.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk