A de-stressing hike in an uncrowded part of green Hong Kong (Photo-essay)

When all this is finally over (who knows when) and leisure travel can become an acceptable thing again, I would like to pay a visit to Taiwan.  I've only visited the island nation once before, but that was more than 12 years ago and years before the exemplary Tsai Ing Wen -- who was re-elected with record numbers earlier this year -- became its President.  I reckon there's much we can learn from it -- in terms of such as its handling of the Wuhan coronavirus --  and its leaders (including digital minister Audrey Tang).    

In the meantime, I try to make the most out of being in Hong Kong: a territory whose people and key institutions are facing threats from their own government along with the Wuhan coronavirus (the latter of which the people of Hong Kong are battling more successfully than many others); but which nonetheless has not had a full lockdown imposed on it.  In view of how small many Hong Kong residences are, I sincerely hope that the Big Lychee's country parks and wild countryside will never be declared off limits to people.  For I, for one, find that a hike in rural Hong Kong really can do wonders for one's peace of mind, and perhaps more than ever in these troubling times for the world at large...

The sky was overcast but the temperature was pleasantly cool and 

the fresh winds quite welcome on the most recent hike I went on

I learnt a long time ago that these 700 plus steps 

along Stage 7 of the Hong Kong Trail are 

much better to go down on than up! ;b

 

 Even on super high visibility days, this particular trail

never ever seems to attract many people -- which means

that it's ideal to go on during these social distancing times

I thought it already weird to come across Chinese New Year flowers

in March but I've now seen them still in bloom in April! :O

Unlike such a blue kingfisher, this bug was one of the few critters 

I saw along the hike that I managed to snap a photo of!

Forest bathing in green Hong Kong :)

 

The peace was occasionally disturbed by the sound of what I got to 

realizing were speedboats towing water skiers (one of whom I enjoyed 

watching taking a fall more than his skimming along the water! ;b)

It did end up drizzling a bit during my hike but I still "hearted"

being out in the Hong Kong countryside that afternoon :)