Hong Kong - Hiking

Climbing the Dragon's Back
Hong Kong is not exactly what you see on TV.  First, it's made up more than 250 islands, the second largest of which is Hong Kong island with its famed curtain of skyscrapers.  Second, due to the islands' steepness more than 75% of the land is uninhabited.  All the buildings and people are wedged into narrow bands between sea and cliff face.  With just a fifteen minute bus ride up and into the mountains you can be trekking in the wilderness, relatively speaking.

Our bus of choice was the number 14 to Shek O, which is Cantonese for Rocky Bay.  We were on our way to trek the five kilometer "Dragon's Back" trail.  Dodo looked calm on the outside as we waited at the bus stop but once we boarded she peppered me with questions.  "What's the plan?"  "How far are we walking?"  "I only brought one small bottle of water!"  She looked a bit panicky - it was a broiling hot day, mid-nineties, humidity felt like 200%.  When I shrugged my shoulders, told her there was no real plan, "we're just winging it", she closed her eyes slowly, probably wondering how she came to be dating an orangutan.

Our double-decker ascended the zig-zag road under protest, like a mule that was fed up with its load.  We got off at the trail head, an inconspicuous opening in the jungle marked with a phone, a restroom and a few signs.

We would later learn that we walked the trail backwards, taking on the sharpest part first.  I was worried that we'd have 5 kilometers of stairs, they looked like they were never going to end.

After twenty flights worth, the stairs gave way to a shallower dirt path.

We crested the first peak and fully understood the "Dragon Back" moniker.  The trail undulated along the peak line.

Thankfully, the jungle was tall enough to give intermittent shade.

The vines extended overhead, some reaching from one side to the other.  It felt like the path could be swallowed up in days without any human intervention to the contrary.

There were hundreds and hundreds of butterflies, no two looked the same.

We got an occasional glance through the trees at the view to come.

When we reached the top we were huffing and puffing.  The view to the southeast was amazing.  Shek O beach is in the lower left of the photo.

Just behind the beach is Shek O village.

This is the view to the northeast.

Looking due north we could just make out the tops of the skyscrapers in Mongkok, the neighborhood across Victoria Bay from downtown Hong Kong.

The view, due east, over Shek O golf course.

The view, due west to Stanley, where the rich live and further to Lamma island.

Tai Tam Tuk reservoir, to the northwest.  If you look closely in the upper right you can see the tip of the International Commerce Centre, the tallest building in Hong Kong.

The deep blue of Stanley Bay.

Stanley Bay looking southwest.

It made me appreciate Hong Kong in a new way.  Though covered in sweat and thirsty as hell I was loathe to return to civilization.