Sunday, November 1, 2009

On Hong Kong's southern-most island


How many steps do you reckon
there are to get to the top?*

Part of the path down --
and no, I really kid you not!

Before I continue with my Korean-themed posts...

My mother regularly e-mails me to ask what I did today or over the weekend in Hong Kong. Today, my answer was that a friend and I went hiking on Po Toi, Hong Kong's southern-most island. And to illustrate what I mean, I sent a few photographs to her -- including the two in this blog post.

At some point, I do also intend to post a Po Toi photo-essay that shows sections of the rest of the island with a total landmass of less than 4 square kilometers, including some of the amazing natural rock formations to be found on it. For now though, I just want to enjoy the sense of achievement and well-being that comes from having completed a really good hike: one that involved quite a bit of exercise in weather hotter than I had expected -- as well as under skies that were a great deal more beautifully blue than I've seen in the past few days -- and took in some truly breath-taking scenery and cool sights!

Post script: I really would welcome estimates for the step query I posed above; this not least since my hike companion and I decided it'd be best not to try to count the steps as we climbed up them. (Mid way through the climb, my hike companion also said that she was having impulses to kill me -- as I had been the one who suggested this hike -- only I was saved because I think she was too tired to do so! ;D )

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've never even heard of Po Toi. I'd love to see more pics!

So, when you are asking us to guess how many steps, I presume you are looking for a numerical answer and not something like "too many"! ;p

I'll guess 1000 steps. Does that sound about right too your tortured feet?

Olivia said...

Ok, my desire to kill you was only because my legs was sore from a previous strenuous hike and you'd sold this hike as a leisurely hike/walk with great views. While the latter was fulfilled (very much so), the X number of steps up was not what I called leisurely.

Luckily the post hike alcohol helped wane my desire for your death :P

YTSL said...

Hi duriandave --

You shall see more pictures of Po Toi, I promise -- just not immediately. And re the steps: 1,000 sounds about right -- less so to my feet than my hip muscles and calves too! ;D

Hi Olivia --

Well, the second highest hill in Po Toi really is nothing compared to the second highest mountain in the whole of Hong Kong (which you scaled the weekend before this). So in comparison, it *was* leisurely... -- even if I think we actually went up that hill faster than the sign post's forecasted 45 minutes!

As for the post hike alcohol: it seems so unhealthy to drink after such good exercise. And yet it felt so right at the time, didn't it? ;b

Anonymous said...

Wow..I reckon "rolling down" would be fastest way to get down. That's really steep.

YTSL said...

Hi Mei Teng --

Rolling down might be the fastest way to get down -- but it wouldn't be the safest or most comfortable! ;D

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the link to my "photo essay". Yes - I reckon it's about 1000 steps up that hill. Just over 600 feet (188m).

I have to say that your photo of that bit of rock in the path makes it look steeper than it is though. The "Rugged Trail" round the other peninsula and down to the Tin Hau temple looks quite fun although we didn't have time to do it when I was there using the Tues/Thurs one per day ferry.

YTSL said...

Hi smogsblog --

You're welcome re the link to your blog. As for that second photo: weird but true -- if you click on it, the enlarged version makes the path look less steep than in the smaller version of that photo. ;b