Hiking Down the Peak

We are running out of islands to explore. We decided to go hiking at Pok Fu Lam Country Park today. With the help of the iPhone and its GPS, I am able to record our trail (photos, speed, distance and timing) on the “EveryTrail” application. This is just so amazing. Looking on the published map and the trail we recorded, we are able to trace back our trail and see those “landmark” shots which we took with our iPhone. For those who are into hiking, this is one handy iPhone application you can’t miss! (Click here to see our interactive map: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=876456)

We started our hike up at the Peak. According to my “hiking application”, it took us exactly 1:28:27 to hike down the 3.1km forested path. That is an average speed of 2.1km/hour! Thanks to the nice weather and the gentle-down sloped man-made path, this hike is not as strenuous as the ones we had on Po Toi Island. It is a breeze for us! (We were walking downhill. It will be tough if we are going uphill) There are a lot of hikers along this trail. And there are also “rest-stops” (sheltered pavilions, toilets and benches) along the track. This trail is very family-friendly for starters (with kids and old folks like us).

To satisfy Elkan’s desires for some wild and raw exploration, we went off the track to explore the rocky ripples and the reservoir lake. My little boy prefers the rough dirty tracks.  To him, a hike is not complete without entering the “forested areas”. One minute, he was pestering me to bring him into the forest, the next he was running away from those “new” insects and muddy tracks. It was really funny to see him both excited and scared at the same time. We were worried for his safety too – especially when he likes to go fast and solo down the rocks. Well, Elkan loves an adventure but he is also one “careful explorer” who will bail out anytime when he is unsure.

Hallow, lunch is ready.

(Photo Taken – Our Halloween Lunch – Thanks to Chef Bobo, we were served “Spidergetti” and “Red Devil Pepper”.)

A Day @ Po Toi Island

The cool season is here. Blue sky, warm sun and cool breeze. This is the perfect time to go trekking and island-hopping. We decided to explore Po Toi Island today.

Po Toi Island (located south of Stanley) is a pretty quiet place – ideal for those who love wilderness and nature. We took a 20-minute ferry (HKD40 Return) from Blake’s Pier (at Stanley Market). The island houses a very small population so do not expect a lot of shops and restaurants like the Tai-O or Cheung Chau Island. There is a seafood restaurant near the pier but it closes at 5:30pm. It is advisable to bring your own snacks and drinks for I didn’t see any drink stalls on the island. There is no road signs inland to guide you where to go. We have to explore our way to find the hiking tracks.

According to the websites, Po Toi is more well known for its 2000-year old wall cravings, rock formations and haunted house. Like other ancient wall cravings in Hong Kong, these monuments are usually very small and faint. No one knows exactly who made these cravings and why. The hiking tracks are narrow, rugged and “wild”. It seems like very few visitors come here to hike. Tall grasses overgrown on both sides of the tracks. I have to use a bamboo stick to “open” the path ahead. We didn’t have time to explore the entire island as the last ferry leaves at 6pm. Elkan was disappointed that he didn’t do much “rock-climbing”. Well, at least the sunset view was breathtakingly beautiful.

8:05pm on Star Ferry

(Photo Taken:  8:05pm, On board of the Star Ferry, in between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island – This is the best time to board the Star Ferry. You get to see the laser light-show on both sides of Hong Kong.)

Halloween @ Disneyland

For some “boo-boo” reason, this is our 2nd trip to Disneyland in three days. Our first visit (on Wednesday night) was definitely more shocking and frightening – compared with what we went through tonight. You see, Halloween Nights only operate on Thursdays – Sundays. We were here on Wednesday night at 7pm (we rushed all the way on a HKD270-cab-fare only to find out that park was closing in 30 minutes). You can imagine the shock on our face when the ticket counter broke the news to us. The journey home was unbelievable painful and demoralising.

Finally, we returned tonight to redeem ourselves and the promise we made to Elkan – that we will bring him back to Disneyland before he flies back to Singapore.  At 17-degree, it was pretty chilly but comfortable. Felicia and Elkan were here from 4pm to 12am! It was quite a different experience to roam the park at night without the big crowd. We were one of the last few wandering beings in the park… (Thankfully, we managed to take the last cab out of this remote place.)  Disneyland is certainly more “Halloween-kid-friendly” than Ocean Park. At least, the English-speaking “ghosts” here are more polite and less rowdy. Really, who’s afraid of a cartoon ghost like Mickey and Snow White?