Hong Kong - Part 2
(Continued from here)
So day 3 was quite normal compared to the adventures the previous two
days. I took MRT to the other end of the Lantau island to visit a Buddhist monastery
located there. Sounds simple, right? Except that to reach there, one has to
take a cable car (The Ngong Ping), which does not look as simple as it sounds. The
5.7 km cable ride looks straight down to the rolling mountainous grasslands and
the sea. I have had very few experiences that could rival the sensation of
floating and this was one for sure. Staring at the valley thousands of feet
below and the only thing that’s preventing you from falling are a couple of
cables. Adding to the drama was the foggy and windy weather.
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| Across the sea and into the mountains |
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| Hong Kong International airport on the left |
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| Into the clouds |
The day
ended with an Asian version of walk of fame & beautiful night skyline of
Hong Kong.
The final day started with an idea of going for a hike, which would have
been good without a 16 kg backpack and a flight to catch in the evening. So I
gathered information regarding hiking trail towards the east end of the island,
aptly named "the dragon’s back trail". After an MRT ride and a
kilometer’s walk, I reached the starting point of the trail. Ironically, it
happened to be a cemetery on the face of a hill aligned like a staircase.
Climbing 300 steep steps alongside the coffins (with no other living human in sight) with a
backpack and cigarette, felt like taking a nap right next to coffins every 40
odd steps. Made it to the top without any nap thanks to the holy spirits (they
didn't want me there :P) after 40 min. With 1.5 km done and 14.5 km to go,
panting and tired, I started walking and I saw a few elderly people working out.
Finally some humans. After
walking through rainforest-kind of environment on both sides for an hour with a
few viewing points here and there, I reached a junction. For the sake of
adventure, I took the route on the left, which had a muddy path, while the
other one had proper, tarred walkways. The next 3-4 hours the trail got narrower, rockier
and harder as I proceeded and there was no single human I could see anywhere in
viewing range (no mobile network or data). Something pushed me to keep going
and my calculation was that if I didn't find anything after 4 hrs, I could walk
back and still make it to airport on time for the flight.
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| From the top of cemetery |
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| Stairs continued beyond the cemetery |
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| The road that was taken |
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| Trail route after an hour after the dreaded left turn. |
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| And it got tougher & tougher. |
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| Few scenic view points |
After 3+ hours, I came to another junction
and while wondering if I should go ahead do the left turn, I finally got to
meet a couple of Canadians, who came from the other end of the trail.
It was really good feeling, more of a mental boost to see people around you
again (after being lost in the jungle for 3+ hours) and got to know the summit
was another 30 min away towards the left. After hiking through the final stretch,
I could see more people at the summit reaching from the other side (apparently
that was an easier 5 km trail). After resting on the summit for sometime, I
started climbing down with the the orecks (Lynne & lauren) and after an hour, we finished the trail. I invited them to
nearby beach for lunch, which I had read about online. A small, little, white-sand
beach, a cozy restaurant facing it and a beer - what else could I ask for - a
mini paradise inside the world renowned concrete jungle. After a nice dip in
the sea and a shower, a hot, delicious lunch was ready. Along was some
motherly care from lynne, asking me to eat more. I hitchhiked with the duo in a cab back to
central Hong Kong. I did some souvenir shopping and took the last train to airport,
right on time to check in and leave.
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| Final stretch to summit |
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| View from summit |
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| The beach from the top |
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| Summit |
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| The mother/ Daughter duo |
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| Beach finally :) |
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| My stupid grin after sight of beach |
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| Cocacabana - the resto :) |
What was supposed to be a transit trip for a day turned into a 4-day
backpacking trip with random people. By the end of trip, there were mixed emotions
of feeling accomplished, wanting more of it, and being happy. Accomplished for
not being a Wikipedia or travel-site tourist, rather being a genuine traveler,
deeply immersed seeking to understand and experience the city. Wanting more
because the wanderlust in me is always
longing to be in strange places. And happy to understand that after all, home
isn't a location; it's a feeling of belonging.
Proofreading courtesy @VP
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