Along the eastern section of the South Lantau Country Trail (Photo-essay)

Before anything else: Kong Hei Fat Choi and Happy New Year of the Dragon to this blog's visitors, especially the regulars among you (regardless of whether you are the commenting type or not ;b)! And if you're wondering, yes, I have done some traditional Chinese New Year stuff like visit the Chinese New Year Flower Market in Victoria Park, have dim sum lunch with a large group (though, in my case, it was friends rather than relatives) and go watch a Chinese New Year movie.

Additionally, as has become a tradition of sorts for me this time of the year, I went out hiking with friends. And, in fact, this year, I've actually went on two hikes rather than just one; the first on Chinese New Year Eve and the second -- which was quite a bit easier than the Cloudy Hill excursion -- earlier today! :)

But rather than post photos from today's hike, I'm electing to go back in time with this photo-essay to a brighter as well as less cold and damp day than today. More specifically, I'm returning via my photo archive to a day in December during which my regular hiking companion and I trekked along the 7 kilometer Pak Kung Au to Nam Shan section of the South Lantau Country Trail that I had been on a few years earlier with a couple of friends, during which hike we had lingered so much to enjoy the scenery that we ended up hiking in darkness for some of the end portion -- an experience I was determined not to repeat this second time around going along this eastern section of the official Country Trail!

Although this hike was not one I'd consider dangerous
to undertake, it is along a trail with sections that
people should exercise care when going along them

A close to identical -- but clearer -- view of
Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Sha Tsui to
one I had on my earlier hike along this trail

Looking back to Pak Kung Au (and, further
in the distance, the seriously intimidating
-- to me, at least! -- Lantau Peak)

What bliss to come across and photograph
this male member of the blue pansy butterfly
species resting on a rock! :)

Much of this trail goes along the mountain side
and offers up panoramic views of South Lantau

A view showing part of the mountainous 'wall'
that separates south from north in this section of
(still) largely wild and rural Lantau Island

The kind of rugged scenery and landscape
that few people associate with Hong Kong

Believe me when I say that it's one of the things I treasure
about living in Hong Kong that I can regularly venture
into the countryside and be treated to vistas like this :)

To be continued... of course! ;b