Looking across the harbour

Veronica had taken me for noodles in the Jordan district and we wanted to get a drink afterwards.  I had heard the view at the top of iSquare was nice so we decided to walk over to have a look.

What I had heard hadn't been wrong.  It was lovely.  What surprised me was the colour though.  It wasn't just "bright" in the way that many of the great metropolises are.  There was this incredible rainbow of colours which seemed to bounce off the water.  For those coming from darkened evening skies, it's easy to understand why Hong Kong can be such a captivating place.

Coronavirus and the new getaway

One of the great pleasures that living in Hong Kong has provided me is the ability to travel, and to travel extremely frequently.  I've been lucky to have experienced a lifestyle that I had longed for since childhood, which involved a level of jet setting few are able to enjoy.  I appreciate it's something very special that not many get to do.

This year has changed all of that completely.  With the global restrictions on travel and the difficulties (and uncertainties) of dealing with testing and quarantine, I've not even attempted to leave Hong Kong.  Like many others, I've found myself in Hong Kong for the longest consecutive stretch of time I've ever experienced.  That hasn't been a entirely terrible thing.  Compared to many other places around the world, Hong Kong has been quite good.  The virus is largely under control and life has been able to go on, even if in a slightly different way to normal.

With the BBQ in Cheung Sha, I decided to take advantage of some of the cheap holiday accommodation available in Mui Wo.  It would be my first "staycation" in Hong Kong, and I even had the benefit of other friends joining me for the adventure.

The hotel itself was bit old and tired, but the feeling of sleeping somewhere different for the first time in many months was more exhilarating than I expected.  I went to sleep with the happy feeling of being in different surroundings which I had clearly missed far more than I realised.  When I woke up, I had a lovely and unfamiliar view to greet me. 

The room was very simple, but the ocean view and the lack of any of the usual city noises had given me a lovely restful sleep.   I felt incredibly relaxed and quite happy.  I was close to home, but I could have been a world away from the densely packed streets of downtown Hong Kong.  

I walked downstairs to see what the complimentary breakfast on offer was.  With virus restrictions, there was no buffet and I was brought a pre-made plate.  It wasn't exactly what I wanted, so I politely ate some of it before excusing myself.

A change is sometimes all you need.  Living in Hong Kong, I have become so accustomed to the constant travels and opportunities to see something new.  It was a blessing to be able to keep doing that, even if on a more localised scale.

A day out in Cheung Sha

The BBQ at Cheung Sha beach would be on my list of "must do" experiences living in Hong Kong.

I had been lucky enough to go to one of the BBQs earlier in the year and so when I was given the opportunity to go again I jumped at the opportunity.  

It's a lovely day out for everyone, with the beach to one side and a large spread of delicious food and free flowing drinks helping to ensure that everyone is happy.  Some of the friends who had come for this special day had even brought their dogs and so the dogs were given the extra special treat of some of the left over bones from the BBQ.

One of the special experiences of Lantau are also all of the wild cows and buffalo that wander around.  They never seem to cause any harm and always create small crowds of excited onlookers whenever they make an appearance on the beaches.

As evening fell, it all became a bit much for one of them as it settled down on the beach for a rest.

It's such a common sight to see for us living in Hong Kong.  These gentle animals just chilling and enjoying the surroundings like the rest of us.

City waterfalls

It's been a bit of a strange year with the whole coronavirus.  With nowhere to go, I had built up a lot of annual leave at work and I had to clear this before the end of the year.  This seemed to be a issue being faced by many Hong Kongers.  Given the situation being faced by many, it seemed to be a very good problem to have.  I decided to take off a few Mondays for the rest of November to clear some of that leave.

I didn't have anywhere in particular to go, so I decided to go and explore some parts of Hong Kong I had never been to.  I jumped on the bus and went out to the far Western side of the island.

Nothing is really all that far in Hong Kong.  The bus ride was less than half an hour, yet in that short ride it felt like I had travelled to a different country.  It was a calmer, more relaxed part of Hong Kong, it felt almost suburban.  The cafes were the old style Hong Kong shops with lots of tiling everywhere and everything was just a bit more retro in terms of the architecture.

I had come out this way for a specific reason though.  I wanted to go and look at Waterfall Bay.  I had seen other people post some photos of it and it seemed worthy of a quick visit.

It was a very short walk from the main residential areas around Wah Fu.  The waterfall itself was more impressive than I expected.  It was taller and larger than I thought it would be, but beyond that it was also its location.  This waterfall looked out of place next to the tall high rises and buildings.  It looked like it belonged in the middle of a tropical forest in some remote location (which I guess it would have been long ago).

Instead, it sits like a preserved reminder of what was once here.  A protected little memory amongst the concrete and the buildings.  It is so starkly out of the place, yet this seems to make it even more unique and special.

I looked closely at the water as I contemplated dipping my feet in or swimming.  Sadly the water did not look anywhere clean or clear enough.  The water had pooled up in small unmoving areas and there was a slight layer of detritus floating on top.  I took a few steps back and decided that it was best to just admire from a distance.  After a while, a group of school kids appeared.  They were loud as they started throwing rocks into the water and trying to skim stones.  The peacefulness of the place was gone, but it was another reminder of just how close this place was to the busy streets of Hong Kong.