Rugby Sevens, Hong Kong

The family (brother, cousin and in-laws) descended upon Hong Kong this weekend which coincided with the biggest party of the year in this neck o' the woods aka The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.  It was good 'craic' to be sure.  I'll think I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Picasa Photos below




YouTube Video below

Tags: ..Rugby Sevens, Hong Kong..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Hiking - Castle Peak - NE NT

How to get there: MTR to Tuen Mun then walk towards the highest peak you can see with a huge antenna on top (approx 30 minutes to the base) - Return the same way or head East across barren hilly wasteland) - Time taken: Approx 5 hours




Picasa pics below

Tags: ..Hiking - Castle Peak - NE NT..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Hiking - Lantau Trail Stage 7 and 8

How to get there: MTR to Tung Chung then Bus 11 towards Tai O but hop off at Shek Pik Reservoir - To return: Get bus 11 back to Tung Chung

Deserted Spooky House

Read more...

Hiking Wilson Trail - Stage 3

How to get there: MTR to Lam Tin - Exit C - turn right out onto Lei Yeu Mun Rd East (cross to opposite side at roundabout) and continue for about 20 minutes - all the way to the big cemetery - Climb to the top of the cemetery for the trail. Note: Some of the trail is not very well marked or signed e.g. a sign like this beside some steps "<-- Wilson Trail -->" pointing up and down the mountain actually meant continue straight ahead - Guess who went up the mountain for 30 minutes only to have to backtack - Ah well it was a nice view! - Return: by bus to Lam Tin or any other MTR. Time taken: 3 hours

..

Tags: ..Hiking Wilson Trail - Stage 3..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Hiking - Dragons Back and Pottinger Peak, Hong Kong

Very nice views over Shek O although the hike is a little dull till you get to the end. To get there: Walk out of Chai Wan MTR exit A and up through the cemetery (bear left for Pottinger Peak) To return: On Shek O Rd take a bus back to towards Chai Wan

Picasa below

Tags: ..Hiking - Dragons Back and Pottinger Peak, Hong Kong..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Hiking Lantau Trail - Stage 2 & 3 - Lantau Peak

Fantastic views of Lantau if you are lucky to have a clear day.  How to get there: Tung Chung MTR - Exit B then bus 3M (not frequent) or taxi to top of the hill -Nam Shan. Trail starts on your left. Return: Various buses to Tung Chung

YouTube video below here

Tags: .Hiking Lantau Trail - Stage 2 & 3 - Lantau Peak..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Hiking Razor Back (Tai To Yan), Hong Kong

A few tough hilly bits at the beginning but very manageable 3.5 hour hike with some great views around NE Territories
To get there: From Tai Po Market KCR, take bus 64K to the Kadoorie Farm stop. The trail starts on the opposite side of the road. You finish at Fanling MTR.

.

Tags: .Hiking Razor Back (Tai To Yan), Hong Kong..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Hiking Stage 4 of the Wilson Trail

Easy-ish 3 hour hike (hilly at the start) with good woodland and coastal views
 
How Get there: Take the MTR to Choi Hung station (exit C2) and then Minibus 1A (Sai Kung). After about 7 mins the steep ascent, just past a Shell service station alight at the next bus stop. This is Tseng Lan Shue. From here it is a five-minute walk to the start point of Section 4, enters the hills at the base of the slope, beside a Country Parks map (ask a local if stuck)

Return: walk down Shatin Pass Rd or as a shortcut take the steps near the temple

YouTube Video below

Tags: .Hiking Stage 4 of the Wilson Trail..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Hiking Stage 9 & 10 of the Lantau Trail

To get there: From Tung Chung MTR station take bus 11 and hop off before the Shek Pik Reservoir and veer left.  To return: Get bus back to Tung Chung MTR.  Time taken: 3.5 hours. Difficulty: Easy
Stage 9 is quite scenic and passes some nice beaches. Stage 10 is 'All along the Catchwater' so paved but quite boring :-(

More pics below

Tags: ..Hiking Stage 9 & 10 of the Lantau Trail..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Hiking Clearwater Bay Walk (High Junk Peak), Hong Kong

This is  a fairly easy 3 hour hike with some great scenery around Clearwater Bay

How to get there: Take MTR to Tseung Kwan O and then minibus 103M along Clearwater Bay Road. After about ten minutes you will see a bus-stop with purple trash bin and trail head map and set of steps on your right. Jump out there or next stop and walk back. 


To return walk down the hill to Po Toi O and catch the minibus back to the MTR or walk back the very scenic road for 20 minutes to the bus terminus on your right where there are many buses and minibuses.

YouTube video below here

Tags: .Hiking Clearwater Bay Walk (High Junk Peak), Hong Kong..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Hiking - Robins Nest, North East New Territories, Hong Kong

This is a recent hike I did after 4 weeks of neglecting my passion for ramblin' on the hills of Hong Kong.  It's on the border of the New Territories and Shenzhen, China.  There's a special area that's off limits to all but residents. To get there, I took the train to Fanling MTR then bus 78K towards Sha Tau Kok but you need to get off at Tseuk Leng San village before the checkpoint for the 'Closed Area Boundary'. I got kicked off the bus at the checkpoint because I didn't have a permit and was sent packing back towards Hong Kong.  Luckily it's only a ten minute walk back to Tseuk Leng San village. 


The start of trail can be found by clambering up to the tall electricity pylon to the right of the village. I had to walk over some graves on a hill (I'll probably be sent to fiery depths of hell for that!) and thru some bushes but I'm sure there must be a better way!

The peak is 492 metres with decent views of mainland China and the warning sign below!

More pics and video below - Enjoy!

To return to civilization: Walk down Wo Keng Shan Rd back to Sha Tau Kok Rd where you can get the 78K bus back to Fanling MTR or the minibus 55K to Fanling town then connect to minibus for Fanling MTR


Time taken: 3.5 hours on the trail

Tags: .Hiking - Robins Nest, NE NT, Hong Kong..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Yikes - I See DEAD People!

I wandered off to the back alleys of the local hood a few days ago and it suddenly became extremely morbid in a bizarre sort of way.  Suddenly I was in 'Deadsville' - It was basically 2 blocks of coffin shops and wreath flower shops. In Hong Kong there's an area call 'Sneaker Street' where every shop for 2 blocks sells sneakers. This was the equivalent for coffins and urns.

None of the fancy funeral parlors, that are common in the west.  These were tiny little shops, one next to the other, stacked from floor to ceiling with coffins of different shapes and styles.

The Chinese take death very seriously (as well they should) and people are traditionally buried on a hill.  This is typically in a coffin in a graveyard or ashes in an urn in an isolated tomb like the pic below.

Typically the corner shop of each block was a flower shop and they were busy creating elaborate ornate flower wreaths

This is the kind of Chinese takeout you don't look forward to ordering. 

I think this coffin was going to meet someone who met their maker - If you look closer, it's going the wrong way up a one way street - maybe towards the light?!

Tags: ..death Hong Kong dead Chinese coffins, urns..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

Underpants are EVIL!

There has been an unusually cold spell here in Hong Kong for the last few weeks but nothing approaching the Arctic weather bombarding most of the rest of the world e.g. Norway with sub zero temperatures of -40 degrees Celsius - WTF?

Since I arrived in Hong Kong back in Feb, I have been consistently donning my 'vagabond' uniform of shorts and tee-shirt for my day wear leisure attire ensemble.  I should clarify that these are shorts with netting i.e. no underwear as this just compounds my SAS syndrome.

However with such a cold front upon us, I've been forced to raise the BBC (Brass Balls Chill) Factor alert to 'BLUE' and adjust my whole approach to day wear fashion. The situation has escalated to such a serious degree that I have had to resort to drastic 'undercover' measures.  Much as I have enjoyed letting it all hang loose and roam free, I hereby declare 'Underpants' are back in season until further notice.

So tell me, how is the weather in your crotch o' the woods?

Tags: .Underpants..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...

One Week itinerary in Singapore

We wanted to escape the dreary damp weather in Hong Kong for the Xmas vacation so were fortunate to be able to crash at my cousins place in Singapore while he and his missus braved the rain, hail, sleet, snow, ice and general transport chaos, on their trip back to Ireland. Here's a few of the things we got up to during a very chilled out relaxing week.

Botanical Gardens including the extensive Orchid Garden

Sentosa Island which is south of the city centre but connected by bridges has lots of beaches and touristy attractions

Pulau Ubin which is a small island off the east coast where you can explore on a bike and get a feel for how the locals lived before modernisation and the financial sector kicked in

Shopping at the numerous markets and HUGE shopping malls where there is little sign of a recession given the number of folks carrying bags of designer label gear

The National Museum has a great permanent exhibit of the history of Singapore and how it separated from Malaysia

Raffles Hotel and shopping plaza where you can fine dine or sip a cocktail in a historic setting

Food glorious food courts which are everywhere and as well as being super cheap, they feature cuisine from all over Asia.  It is truly food heaven!

The Zoo and Night Safari.  OK - I'm kind of cheating here as although I've been to Singapore 3 times and wanted to go I've somehow just not made it yet but someday I definitely will.....maybe

We flew back to Hong Kong on New Years Eve just in time to head out on a boat and see the fireworks on the harbour




All in all not a bad way to finish of the old year and see in the new one.  How was yours?

Tags: ..1 week vacation One Week itinerary in Singapore..

If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here

Read more...