Saturday, August 4, 2012

Oooooo and Paths (This week's Photo Hunt themes)

  
Ooooo!  As those who know me can attest, it's the sound I'm prone to make upon catching sight of cute Hello Kitty or Ponyo item -- and also, while out hiking on one of Hong Kong's many hiking paths, trigonometrical stations, a particularly eye-catching vista or some other cool sight.

And while there were no plushie sightings when my then regular hiking companion (who *sob* returned to Canada earlier this year) and I went hiking on the Nei Lak Shan Country Trail on Lantau Island back in July 2010, we definitely saw enough to ooooo and aaaah about on that particular excursion to make me decide that it was my favorite hike of that year.

Two of the things that made me gasp out an ooooo sound on that hike can be seen in the top most photo in this week's entry for Sandi's and Gattina's Photo Hunts. The first, on the left of that picture, is the Ngong Ping 360 cable car route connecting Tung Chung town and the picturesque Ngong Ping plateau -- and I count it one of the main attractions of the Nei Lak Shan Country Trail that part of its path is directly under the path of the cable cars!

The other thing visible in that top most photo that made me go ooooo when I saw it and realized what it was the large landslide "scar" on the side of Nei Lak Shan.  It was due to landslide damage caused by typhoons that a few hiking paths, including the Nei Lak Shan Country Trail, had been closed to the public.  In fact, the Nei Lak Shan Country Trail had been officially declared to be permanently closed before for about a year before the authorities reversed their decision.

Rather than re-route the path as they have with such as the nearby Lantau Trail Stage 4 though, the authorities actually repaired the sections of Nei Lak Shan Country Trail that were damaged by landslide -- and then laid out a trail atop and through the landslide damaged area. In all honesty, I felt a bit weird walking and standing in that particular section of the trail.  But even while one part of me wanted to pass by it as quickly as possible, another part of me couldn't resist stopping to take a couple of photos from there. And so, will you ooooo when I hereby confirm that the third photo in this blog entry was indeed one of those? ;b

12 comments:

Carver said...

Those are gorgeous paths to hike on. That would be weird to stand where the landslide happened. Happy Weekend!

LifeRamblings said...

lovely paths to take a stroll but landslides can be a little scary.

Trekcapri said...

Hi YTSL, wow what a beautiful hike and they are very much worthy of a big ooooo and more. Lovely photos.

Have a great weekend.

MaR said...

Absolutely beautiful! feel like grabbing my hiking boots and backpack! Happy weekend.

oooo ~ path

Gattina said...

Very beautiful, I shoud also shout OOOO, lol !

YTSL said...

Hi Carver --

It is indeed a great hiking trail -- and weird to stand where the landslide happened. Happy weekend to you too! :)

Hi LifeRamblings --

Definitely re landslides... but I trust the Hong Kong countryside authorities with regards to hiking path safety as they tend to err on the side of caution, when they err at all.

Hi Trekcapri --

I'm glad you think my choice of subject for this week's Photo Hunts is ooooo worthy. Hope you have a great weekend too. :)

Hi Mar --

Weekends are great time to grab one's hiking boots and backpack and put them to use, I reckon... ;b

Hi Gattina --

Great that you're getting into the ooooo spirit too! ;b

Hootin Anni said...

I do the same sound when I see something on the store shelves I want. I didn't say what I need...just want. LOL

And your scenery is worthy of many oooooo's and ahhhhh's.

Susan Demeter said...

The landslide would be a bit worrying, like you I'd feel a bit weird, but compelled to take the hike as well. Great photos! And yes the Niagara gorge is part of the Falls area. It can be a treacherous hike as you would not want to slip in the water!

eastcoastlife said...

Gosh, looking at the long winding paths, I got exhausted. kekeke....

The scenery is simply gorgeous.

You're so brave to hike through landslide areas.

YTSL said...

Hi Hootin Anni --

Heheheh re your revelation re when you make ooooo noises! ;D

Hi Sue --

The scarier bit? That's not the only landslide area on the Nei Lak Shan Country Trail... ;S

(And thanks again for the info re Niagara Gorge.)

Hi EastCoastLife --

Hehehehe... guess you don't plan to go hiking when you visit Hong Kong, right? ;b

peppylady (Dora) said...

Your landslide was done by typhoon. Our was actual cause by several factors bad logging and forest fire from quite a few years back. But still a pretty picture.

Thanks for stopping by.
Coffee is on

YTSL said...

Hi peppylady --

Aah, so yours was the result of a combination of humans and nature at work. Still, I would hesitate to go up a landslide trail like you did! ;D