Ma On Shan Country Trail done in reverse (Photo-essay)

Many moons ago now, I went on that which I've come to think of as "the hike from hell" -- an arduous excursion that had me seriously wondering at one point whether I'd need to call on Hong Kong's helicopter rescue service for help! Happily, that experience didn't put me off hiking in Hong Kong altogether. And close to three years later, I decided to go along the Ma On Shan Country Trail with my now regular hiking companion -- with the full realization that one third of this official trail would involve my re-visiting sections that I had previously ventured along on that scary "hell hike".

One reason for doing so stemmed from my recalling that parts of that hike really did go through very lovely countryside indeed. Another was that, feeling quite a bit fitter now as well as more experienced than when I went on what was only my seventeenth hike in the Big Lychee, I figured that going back to this area would help me exorcise some demons as well as provide me with a good sense of my fitness levels now versus then.

As it turned out, this later hike proved to be a pretty pleasant one indeed. And even while the (only) 4.5 kilometer long Ma On Shan Country Trail did feel on the short side, this hike did yield a number of interesting sights as well as splendid views on the day during which we were so happy to be outdoors and making the most of pleasant weather and beautiful blue skies. :)

We hiked the Ma On Shan Country Trail in reverse --
and consequently began by climbing up several steps

Before too long, the steps up the hill disappeared
-- and beautiful vistas opened up to be viewed

The views inland included ones of Pyramid Hill --
one of those Hong Kong peaks I aspire to get up
some day... just not that particular day!

View of Sai Kung from the edge of the Ngong Ping
plateau located in Ma On Shan Country Park
(as opposed to on Lantau Island)

View from Ngong Ping plateau of Pyramid Hill
and saddle-shaped Ma On Shan

The descent from the plateau down towards the old
mining settlement of Ma On Shan Tsuen and Ma On Shan
new town was surprisingly quick and easy

An unexpected "find" on this hike -- a building that
played a memorable role in the 2009 Milkyway
Image movie, Tactical Unit - Comrades in Arms! :b

Also spotted at the tail end of this hike: entrances
to the now disused iron mine at Ma On Shan

Unusual sightings while hiking in southwest Lantau

While it's true enough that most Hong Kong hikes
yield their share of mountainous or hilly vistas...

...I do think it's pretty unusual to come across a herd
of super placid cows near the summit of 490 meter high
Ling Wui Shan -- like was my experience earlier today! :O

Many probably will be of the opinion that it's even more
singular to spot a flying dragon (statue) while out hiking
-- in Hong Kong, or anywhere else for that matter! :D

Since it's such a rare sight, I simply had to go take
a closer look at -- and photo of -- the thing...! ;b

Earlier today, a friend who began hiking with me last September and I went on a very enjoyable hike -- whose completion gave us a nice sense of accomplishment -- along Lantau Trail Stages 5 and 6. (Since Lantau Trail Stage 5 ends far from any roads, those going on it must then go along Stage 6 or another walking trail in order to get to a place where they can get a bus or taxi.)

Our 11 kilometer hike took us into parts of Hong Kong where few people venture and up three peaks, including the very summits of Hong Kong's 56th and 64th highest hills. As one might expect, such a route offered up some splendid natural vistas -- which we were able to appreciate even though today was one with less optimally clear air than we wish could be the case.

Less expected, however, was our coming across a herd of cows basking in the sun a stone's throw away from the top of the highest hill we climbed today -- though it could be said that there were plentiful signs of their presence on the hike up in the shape of several cow patties, some of which were considerably fresher than the others! Honestly, until I saw them with my very own eyes today, I never would have thought that cows would be able to climb up such steep inclines as the ones we were on earlier today!

Although some might be surprised at the sight of a flying dragon in this part of the Big Lychee, I actually wasn't -- because years ago, when doing research for an article about dragons in Hong Kong, I learnt of the existence of the flying dragon statue built by the Venerable Master Hua who also founded the nearby Tsz Hing Monastery. Still, I have to say that it's quite the experience to see it in the setting in which it is located -- but will also state that this colorful but rather obviously amateur-constructed statue actually is more impressive viewed from afar rather than up close! ;D

Point and circles (This week's Photo Hunt themes)

This year's edition of the Hong Kong Arts Festival started a month earlier than is usually the case but I've yet to check out any of its offerings. This time last year, however, I already had taken in a performance of Hobson's Choice by the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Power Plant show (which also originated from Britain) that were two of the 39th Hong Kong Arts Festival more unusual -- and, to my mind, inspired -- offerings.

The Power Plant show -- which I wrote about previously but am doing so again for this week's contribution to Sandi's and Gattina's Photo Hunts, took me out to Kowloon Walled City Park. Even in the daytime and bereft of the special effects, sounds and visuals that make up the Power Plant show, this public park is a place where the imagination can go pretty wild due to its colorful historical connections. (This now beautifully landscaped park stands on the site of the infamously more or less lawless Kowloon Walled City that began life as an imperial Chinese outpost but went on to become one of the most densely-populated places in the world.)

However, this magical mystery tour of a night show truly transformed the Kowloon Walled City Park into one where the unexpected would be found whenever one rounded one of the space's multiple corners -- with such as balls of fire dancing near the surface of one of the park's ponds, colorful circles of light floating about in another area and what at first glance looks like circular-shaped luminescent fruit stuck on trees in yet another area.

So, one might ask, was the point of all of this? The short answer looks to be "to entertain, of course!" A longer answer might well be that this show demonstrates how wonderfully art can combine with nature and, also, that the artistic experience is a sensory experience that utilizes the audience's as well as artists' abilities to imagine, share a love of fun surprises and reach out to one another and, in the process, rise above linguistic and cultural differences. :)

Okinawa's UNESCO World Heritage listed-Shuri Castle

Pass through these gates that are part of Shuri Castle...

...to get to inner sections of this complex, including
the ornate Seiden (Main Hall) of the castle complex

Although it may not look like so, pretty much all
that you see at Shuri Castle are reconstructions
due to the castle having been reduced to ashes
during the second world war

Once upon a time, Japan was home to hundreds -- thousands even -- of castles. However, few of those castles exist today -- with close to 2,000 having been dismantled or destroyed during the Meiji period alone.

The general consensus appears to be that there are just 12 original castles left in The Land of the Rising Sun. Although little of what the visitor to Shuri-jo beholds is actually original (on account of much of this complex having been destroyed during the second world war), he or she can take solace in the reconstructed Ryukyu royal palace nonetheless being part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed sites on the Okinawa Islands.

As outlined on UNESCO's official site, Shuri-jô (Shuri Castle) built in the second half of the 14th century, was the main castle of the kings of Chûzan and, after unification, of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The hill on which it stands dominates Naha City and its port. It is divided into inner and outer enclosures, conforming with the topography. The castle's enclosure walls, built with random bonding of coralline limestone, extend over 1,080 m.

From what I could see when I visited the complex on the final full day of my recent Okinawa vacation, the castle's restorers have done a splendid job. To be sure, this former royal residence actually is generally more modest in decor than I expected -- but it occupies a commanding location atop a hill and a space that is so large that my friends and I didn't actually cover all of its grounds despite spending several hours there.

A visit to Shuri-jo also helps one to recognize how substantial was the cultural as well as political influence of imperial China on the Ryukyu kingdom for centuries. Thus it is that even though Okinawa is officially part of Japan nowadays, my two friends with whom I met up with this past holiday were agreed that this part of the world actually felt more like a cross between Japan proper and Taiwan than other parts of that East Asian country that we have visited.

At the same time, despite more than one source having described Shuri Castle as being reminiscent of, inspired by or resembling the Forbidden City in Beijing, I saw little at the Okinawan site to remind me of that truly magnificent and sprawling Chinese palace complex that I visited some years back (but whose photographs I took of it I've sadly lost!). For what it's worth though, I also don't think that Shuri-jo is all that similar to other castles I've visited, including the beautiful Himeji Castle.

Instead, this Okinawan castle is one that seemed to me to have its own unique touches and identity -- and I really am glad that it has been restored to something approaching its past glory and open to the public to appreciate and learn some episodes of Okinawa's colorful history from.

Okinawa's Underwater Observatory and Glass Bottom Boat Ride (Photo-essay)

On the morning of the same day that my two friends with whom I rendezvoused with in Okinawa and I made our way out to Manzamo, we headed for two cool attractions located near each other that both are part of the Busena Marine Park. What with our visit to Okinawa's world class Churaumi Aquarium the day before having thoroughly whetted our appetite to view more of the islands' marine life, we decided to go down into the Underwater Observatory located 170 meters off the coast of Cape Busena and also take a ride on a glass bottom boat moored nearby.

Looking back, I definitely would consider my visit to the Underwater Observatory and the ride on the glass bottom boat to rank among the highlights of my Okinawa holiday. So I'm truly sorry that the photos I took while I was safely from inside that wonderful facility just doesn't do that amazing experience any justice.

Still, with the thought that something is better than nothing, here's going ahead and offering up some photos taken while in that facility as well as of that facility and the glass bottom boat. As for the boat ride itself: I have to say that this happened to be one of the times where I was really so focused on the act of looking that I decided against doing anything that would distract from that activity such as attempting to take good and clear photographs of what could be seen under the sea -- but yes, it sure was a great experience, particularly because I got to see far more marine life (including many brightly colored fish but, also, beautiful blue-grey starfish, sea cucumbers of varying lengths and colors, and three seriously scary-looking striped sea snakes) over the course of the ride than I expected would be the case! :)

Two children play at the water's edge --
with a glass bottom boat and the Underwater
Observatory visible further in the distance

A closer look at the Underwater Observatory
and -- I kid you not -- the seafood restaurant
located nearby! :O

It was so windy on the walkway out to the
Underwater Observatory that Puppet Ponyo
had trouble standing up straight (and I worried
a bit that she would get blown into the sea!)

Fortunately, she and I (and my two friends) did
manage to make it to the facility -- and down
four meters inside of it -- without any mishap!

View of -- let me emphasize here -- marine life that are
actually out in the sea (rather than in an aquarium!)

It was amazing to see the waters teeming with life!

Seemingly so little separated those of us
inside the Underwater Observatory
from the life -- and sea water -- outside

Lest it not be obvious: I would most heartily
recommend that a visit to Okinawa Honto include
a ride on one of these glass bottom boats along with
a visit to the Underground Observatory! :)

On Okinawa Honto's Manzamo, and more

View of the elephant trunk-like feature
that's Manzamo most famous sight

Another part of the scenic Okinawan cliffs that
caught many a photographer's attention and fancy

These two islands joined together by a rope

that I viewed from that vantage point surely
have an interesting story surrounding them...

Two weeks ago, I was in Okinawa. Perhaps because that part of Japan feels like a majorly different world from Hong Kong -- particularly since one place represents an idyllic vacation spot for me whereas the other is the often super intense and busy place where I live and work -- the time that I was there actually feels like it was further in my past than a mere two weeks ago.

Indeed, I had to check the calendar to make sure that it really was the case that just two Sundays ago from today that I had strolled about the green area atop the coral reef cliffs at Manzamo and beheld breathtakingly beautiful views like the ones in the photographs at the top of this blog entry.

Located just off Highway 58 on Okinawa Honto, Manzamo faces the East China Sea and is part of the Okinawa-Kaigan Quasi-National Park. A splendidly scenic spot, it invariably attracts a number of visitors -- almost all of whom were either Japanese- or Cantonese-speaking. (The definite sense I had from my visit to Japan's southernmost prefecture is that the vast majority of tourists visiting it are Japanese from other parts of the country -- and that Hong Kongers make up a dominant percentage of Okinawa's non-Japanese visitors.)

Strangely, however, neither of the two guide books I've used on my recent trips to Japan (i.e., the third (i.e. 2005) edition of The Rough Guide to Japan and the current edition of Frommer's Japan) give Manzamo so much as a mention. And ditto re Japan-guide.com -- an on-line resource that I've found pretty helpful and useful when visiting other parts of that East Asian country.

Especially when reading Frommer's Japan, I wonder if English-speaking visitors to Okinawa are predominantly Americans whose greatest knowledge of, and interest in, this part of Japan stems from it having been the only part of the country on which ground battles -- and horrifically bloody ones that saw hundreds of thousands of casualties at that -- were waged during World War II? (And I guess this may well be so, what with there being 14 American military bases on Okinawa.)

In any event, I have to say that I'm glad that the two American friends with whom I had an Okinawan rendez-vous shared my preference for checking out Okinawa's beautiful natural sights over visiting sites where large numbers of people -- civilians as well as military personnel -- prematurely lost their lives, and in terribly violent ways at that. For even while I do realize that it is important to not forget the past, I also do not want to dwell too much on its sadder parts -- and prefer to be able to enjoy and celebrate the fact that beauty exists in this part of the world which, particularly after a visit to the Okinawan Prefectural Museum, I came away from a visit realizing has seen its share of tragedy yet still has endured.

Heart and vintage (This week's Photo Hunt themes)

As regular visitors to this blog (including fellow participants of Sandi's and/or Gattina's Photo Hunt memes) can't help but realize, I love hiking in Hong Kong -- and really heart that there are plenty of cool sights for me to check out when I'm on the trails.

To be sure, when out on a beautiful, clear air day hiking such as the Tai Tan Country Trail (that I like so much I've happily hiked it twice -- with different pairs of friends -- as well as took enough photos to make up three photo-essays (see here, here and here) the first time around), it can be hard to tear one's eyes away from the gorgeous -- vintage even? ;) -- vistas that abound in this part of the world.

But my experience of hiking on hazy, misty, foggy and polluted air days have trained and taught me to look closer around me as I walk along the trails. And now, even on days when one can see far into beautiful blue yonders, I find that there invariably are nearby things that will catch my eye.

Thus it was, that (even) while walking along the Tai Tan Country Trail, I came to spot two rocks -- whose age I can't tell, but probably are old enough to be considered vintage -- that looked to me like nature had carved into hearts! (For surely you won't be stone-hearted and not allow me this stretch of the imagination that makes it so that I can "play" this week? ;b)