Tai Lam Country Park hike (Photo-essay)

"Were you ever a scout?" a professor of mine once asked. As I puzzled over why he was asking me this question from seemingly out of the blue, he followed up with, "You know, "Be prepared!""; whereupon I realized that he was teasing me over my tendency to observe the Scout motto and sometimes over-prepare for things.

But while I realize that there have indeed been times when my over-cautiousness has not been ideal, I also do reckon that it often has served me well -- including when out hiking in Hong Kong. More specifically, especially when I'm the hike leader, I never go on a hike without a guidebook and/or the appropriate Countryside series map of the area as well as such as a torchlight, plenty of bottled water, a towel to wipe the copious amounts of sweat I shed on any hike away, sunscreen, insect repellant, and -- of course! -- my trusty camera. And I often take pains to ensure that that's the case with my hike companion(s).

So... before this hike (which was undertaken on a hot July day -- i.e., the middle of summer -- last year) even got started, I found myself turning away a friend of a friend who had come equipped with just a small bottle of water and wearing not the most comfortable of shoes. At the same time, I considered that her friend (and mine) passed muster... So off we went on a hike in Tai Lam Country Park (out in the western New Territories) that began on a paved path that was very well shaded but soon segued onto a trail that was much less so -- but also more scenic for our pains... ;b

The Tai Lam Forest Track is the kind of trail
(one with plenty of tree cover) that's good to go on
on a hot summer's day

Early on in the hike, we got evidence that it was one where
we would be seeing quite a lot of non-humanoid creatures...

I think the heat that day made animals --
not just people! -- just feel lethargic and lazy

Wood-coloured insect on the road

Less easy to spot (but, trust me, it's there!) --
a grasshopper that blends well with the greenery

It may not seem to be so in this photo
but trust me when I tell you that this spider's
on the huge side by spider standards!

The kind of scenic vista that unfolded before us
once we got past the densely forested section of the hike

The country park authorities conveniently erected
benches in scenic spots (including this one --
from where Tai Mo Shan's usually mist-shrouded peak
is visible in the background)

To be continued... but of course! ;b