Hong Kong 2009 Day 3

As usual, I will not leave Hong Kong without a gratifying hike - an intense workout for the legs, a soothing embrace with nature and the sense of achievement upon completion of the trail. This time, we were intending to attempt Stage 5 of the MacLehose Trail, a section of the steep highlands that separates Kowloon from the New Territories. Hence, we were expecting sweeping views of Kowloon on one side, and Shatin on the other side.

Began the morning with a rich breakfast at the 'Beyond' cha can teng (so-called for its playing of good Beyond tunes when we had breakfast there last year) a street away from our apartment. Then visited the Wong Tai Sin temple, which disappointingly, was not as grand as people say it is.

The sunny-side-up looked a bit too raw

Slug had noodles with pork cutlet

Slug buying a bath towel from a market stall

Descending into the MTR station

Students' art works displayed at Wong Tai Sin station

Cute drawings done by kindergarten kids!

Old Master Q makes me feel so nostalgic

Fa Lun Gong still in vogue

At the back garden of the temple compound

Praying at the main hall

Wong Tai Sin Temple

Huge fishes at a seafood restaurant in Lung Cheung Mall

Eeeeee ...

After that, we took a bus to Tsz Wan Shan, and then a cab to Lion Rock Country Park. From the park, we began our ascent up small stony steps and thick forest to Lion Rock (so-named for its resemblance to a crouching lion). The good thing about hiking in Hong Kong is that the country parks and trails have all been marked out, paved and signposted properly, so that hiking there is neither a hassle (you do not need any map or sports equipment) nor a daunting task (at least we are not too far off from the urban areas).

Slug and I on the bus

At Lion Rock Country Park

The summit of Lion Rock at 495 metres

Up to Lion Rock

Safety signs are adequate

We climbed for about nearly an hour before we got to a simple resting stop. As we were catching our breath on a bench, we heard the trees rustling below us. Anxious that it could be some wild animal, it surprised us to see a group of middle-aged folks emerging from the leaf canopy. These hale and rugged folks had taken a shortcut and ascended the steep unpaved slopes just by grabbing onto the tree trunks and branches. Really put us to shame.

Halfway up

A hazy view of Kowloon below

Nobody should hike looking like this

The summit of Lion Rock was beckoning to us

At 16X zoom, we could see a lone human being at the top

30 minutes later, we reached a pavillion where a few middle-aged folks were relaxing there and reading newspapers. The path split into two, one leading to the peak of Lion Rock and the other leading to Amah Rock. Slug dissuaded me from attempting to scale up Lion Rock, saying that my slippers probably could not take me up the steep sandy slopes, but methinks he was just trying to weasel out of this strenuous pursuit.

The pavillion

View of the landscape marred by haze

Adequate information provided

Noticing that it was soon approaching late afternoon, we decided to cut short our attempt of Stage 5 (approximately another 6km to the nearest exit point) and proceeded to Amah Rock instead. What a bummer.

Legend has it that Amah Rock (望夫石 in Chinese) was actually transformed from a woman, who would carry her baby and climb the hills everyday to gaze out at sea and await the return of her fisherman husband. Little did she know that he had drowned at sea. The Goddess of the Sea, touched by her faithfulness, turned her into stone so that her spirit could unite with her husband's. However from a geological perspective, it is just a stack of granite corestones formed under physical weathering.

Onward to Amah Rock

Silly Slug sunbathing on a boulder

0.5km to Amah Rock (seemed like miles to us)

Slippers increasingly worn out with every step taken

Walking in the cooling forest

Amah Rock does resemble a woman carrying a baby on her back to a certain extent

View of Shatin town and Shing Mun River below

Resting at a pavillion to catch our breath

Looking at the dense vegetation in Lion Rock Country Park

Granite boulders that make up Amah Rock

Finally we decided to leave. We descended a long and winding flight of stony steps that never seemed to end. Halfway down, a signpost for the Hung Mui Kuk Nature Trail was enticing us to attempt it, but we were too exhausted to walk any further.

Time to go

Hung Mui Kuk Nature Trail

Amah Rock now far far behind (or rather, above) us

A gruelling hour to get down to ground. Our kneecaps were hurting from the pressure exerted on them due to the climbing down of the steep steps, but overall we were satisfied.

We have completed our hike

We were sniggering unkindly at this man whose way of carrying his water bottles reminded us of 沙僧

What a long flight of stairs

We walked towards the nearest bus-stop to catch a bus to Sha Tin town, where we had an expensive fast food dinner at Triple O's in New Town Plaza.

Finally emerged from the wilderness and into civilisation

Oooooo ... ...

Sitting outside New Town Plaza

And it was not enough, we headed to Temple Street for dim sum!

Slug's favourite dim sum eatery at Temple Street

Savouring Hong Kong's gastronomical delights at 11.30pm in bustling and unpolished Temple Street is our favourite way of immersing in the nightlife there.