On the afternoon of July 4th, 2010, heavy mist obscured the promised vista from the view compass
along the Nei Lak Shan Country Trail
To my regular hiking companion's and my delight,that certainly was not the case this afternoon!
"What a difference a day makes", sang Dinah Washington, including in the magical Chungking Express (1994). And as far as views to be had during my regular hiking companion's and my hike this week versus last week in the same part of Hong Kong (i.e., Lantau Island's Ngong Ping Plateau and the slopes of Nei Lak Shan (the Big Lychee's sixth highest mountain)) are concerned, what a difference just one week can make!
Lured to Ngong Ping two Sundays in a row by the prospect of the temperature up there being in the low 20s degrees Celsius (and thus more than 10 degrees lower than in other parts of Hong Kong), last week saw us enjoying a walk in the clouds and this week, a hike undertaken under amazingly blue skies and in clear air that offered up views that stretched for whole kilometers and miles.
And while a walk in misty conditions is not without its charms, suffice to say that today's hike really made us two shutterbugs extremely happy -- in fact, I'd go so far as to say that at times, we were quite giddy with delight! And this especially since I had mentioned to my regular hiking companion that after we got the clear view from the view compass, everything else would be a bonus... whereupon we got rewarded further along the hike with incredible views of Lantau Peak, Tung Chung and Chek Lap Kok Airport -- and so much beyond as well as surrounding them all -- along with those of Ngong Ping 360 and the Big Buddha!!
So, yes, truly another day to remember -- even though this time I forewent the beach... in favor of getting back in time to clean up and then head to a chamber music concert at Hong Kong City Hall. (Yes, really -- great experiences in nature, and then involving culture in one single Sunday in Hong Kong! Or as a previous Hong Kong Tourism Board campaign slogan went: "Hong Kong. Live it! Love it!!")
Lured to Ngong Ping two Sundays in a row by the prospect of the temperature up there being in the low 20s degrees Celsius (and thus more than 10 degrees lower than in other parts of Hong Kong), last week saw us enjoying a walk in the clouds and this week, a hike undertaken under amazingly blue skies and in clear air that offered up views that stretched for whole kilometers and miles.
And while a walk in misty conditions is not without its charms, suffice to say that today's hike really made us two shutterbugs extremely happy -- in fact, I'd go so far as to say that at times, we were quite giddy with delight! And this especially since I had mentioned to my regular hiking companion that after we got the clear view from the view compass, everything else would be a bonus... whereupon we got rewarded further along the hike with incredible views of Lantau Peak, Tung Chung and Chek Lap Kok Airport -- and so much beyond as well as surrounding them all -- along with those of Ngong Ping 360 and the Big Buddha!!
So, yes, truly another day to remember -- even though this time I forewent the beach... in favor of getting back in time to clean up and then head to a chamber music concert at Hong Kong City Hall. (Yes, really -- great experiences in nature, and then involving culture in one single Sunday in Hong Kong! Or as a previous Hong Kong Tourism Board campaign slogan went: "Hong Kong. Live it! Love it!!")
2 comments:
wow that sure must have been a super day
Hi magiceye --
Ya, it really was a super day... one whose memory has carried me through this Monday (and the start of a long new work week!)!
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