Tai Tan Country Trail hike (Photo-essay)

Although I've put up a few photos taken while out in Hong Kong since returning from my German vacation, my past few months' photo-essays (e.g., this one) -- as well as quite a few other entries (like this recent one) -- have been Germany- rather than Hong Kong hike-focused. But here's finally returning to "regular programming" with the first Hong Kong hiking photo-essay since the one back in July with photos of a from The Twins to Stanley portion of a hike I actually went on back in -- augh, how time flies :O -- November last year.

More specifically, the next hike I went on after that which saw me finally conquer the formidable -- to the likes of me anyways! -- twin peaks of The Twins took two friends and me to Sai Kung West Country Park. The Tai Tan Country Trail -- which should not be confused with the Tai Tam Country Trail on Hong Kong Island -- skirts along a scenic section of coast, sometimes at sea level and sometimes at somewhat higher ground. So yes, it's one of those hikes that I think deserves not just one but at least two (maybe even three!) photo-essays worth of coverage on this blog...

Shortly after passing through the wooden archway
announcing the start of this official hiking trail,
I was getting the feeling that this would be a hike
offering plenty of aesthetically-pleasing scenes and sights

Early on in the hike, one could hear the restful sounds of
Hau Tong Kai stream's flowing waters as one traipsed along

Many Hong Kong hikes pass through abandoned villages
but this one passed through a still inhabited one
with houses that look very nice(ly kept up) indeed

This home made not be as recently painted
as the ones in the above photo
but I think it still definitely has its charms

Minutes away from a village, a resting feral cow
gives proof that it's not just humans who have made
this neck of the Hong Kong woods home :b

Call me namby-pamby but it's nice to have
those laid out stones to step on as one passes
through land that can otherwise be on the wet side!

And yeah, those describing of this hiking trail
as a coastal trail really weren't kidding!

Looking across Long Harbour to other country areas of
the "Leisure garden of Hong Kong" (i.e., the Sai Kung Peninsula)

To be continued... of course! :)