Coronavirus and the great outdoors

I've done the hike up Mt Butler several times.  It's a well worn path for people living in Hong Kong as it's one of the most accessible of hikes.  You get a cab up to Parkview, then you start your hike up along the trail.  The start of the hike is difficult, but before long you're up at the top of Mount Butler looking out at incredible views of Hong Kong.  There are a few more difficult sections, but for the most part it's generally downhill.

We decided on a very different approach to climbing up to Mount Butler, by doing it in reverse.  This may not seem so hard, but there is actually a dramatic difference.  When you start at Parkview, you are in effect already starting at a very high elevation and you eventually end up near sea level.  The effect of that is that the hike is a "net down" in terms of the walking.  By starting instead at Quarry Bay, we were doing the exact opposite and creating a "net up" in terms of all the hiking.

It was a lovely day out.  Almost all days have been lovely of late.  Coronavirus had seen to these problems with a near complete shutdown of its factories.  The lack of industry in China means no smog and no haze.

Everyone who was out and about was able to breathe in deeply, to fill their lungs with the fresh forrest air that was unsullied by the factory smoke from Hong Kong's larger neighbour.

The visibility was also exceptionally good.

At every big vantage point, people were standing around taking photos and looking out into the distance, able to spot landmarks they hadn't been able to see clearly for years.

The hike itself was tough.  Going the direction we went meant hundreds of stairs.  There were plenty of people who were walking in the other direction, but very few who were following the direction that we took.  At several points, I had no thought in my head other than a metronome... slowly pushing and pacing me to keep walking up the stairs.  It was worth it though and the work out felt great.  Seeing Hong Kongers of all type out enjoying the weather and fresh air also made me happy.  They weren't cooped up and terrified of the virus, they were out trying to be healthy and active which is surely a better preventative measure.