Tai Lam Country Park hike (Photo-essay)

Two Sundays ago, I went on my first hike with Roz's Hiking Group (a friendly group of hikers that still bears its founder Roz's name despite her now living in Australia rather than Hong Kong). The actual walking part of this New Territories hike lasted a little more than 4 hours and took us from Tsuen Kam Au to Sham Tseng (where we loaded up on roast goose and other delicious food!) through a chunk of Tai Lam Country Park. Suffice to say that I enjoyed myself -- despite the dreadful Hong Kong haze obscuring what otherwise would have been grand views *sob!* -- and enough to definitely plan to go hiking with this group again before too long.

Before that though, more specifically tomorrow (The National Day of the People's Republic of China -- and therefore a public holiday over here in the HKSAR!), am hoping to go on another hiking excursion. Almost needless to say, also am keeping my fingers crossed that the current unhazy situation holds out so that tomorrow's hike will afford good views along with exercise. At the same time, am contenting myself with the following photographic evidence that even on hazy days, there still are cool things to observe and discover in the (relative) wilds of Hong Kong! ;b

With haze like this...,

...one feels compelled to focus more on
nearby and smaller aspects of nature --
including wildlife like this actually quite large
spider hanging on its web...

...and this dragonfly which
obligingly posed for a time on a twig for me! ;)

As for flora:
howzabout some green bamboo
along with a bamboo thicket?

Also, here's a close-up of
some beautiful lotus flowers
in one of two lotus ponds
passed along the hike

A wider view of the other lotus pond --
both located in the vicinity of what looks to be
the largely abandoned (bar for one house)
village of Tsing Fai Tong

Natural running water ;)

Lastly, here's the piece de resistance:
a natural pond with water so clear
it allows for beautiful reflections
when viewed from certain angles :)