A crispy Christmas Day hike with three friends (Photo-essay)

December 25th is a special day for many people -- particularly those of the Christian faith but not only them.  The thing is that Western colonialism, cultural and political, has made it so that many people think of Christmas Day is a special time of the year -- if nothing else because it's a public holiday in their home territory.

This is the case in my mainly Muslim native land of Malaysia.  And this also is so in largely Buddhist and Taoist Hong Kong, where I currently reside.  So December 25 has long been a happy day for me -- if nothing else than because it's a day when I'm on holiday, as are many of my friends!

Thus it was that since none of us were working that day, three friends and I went hiking one Christmas Day in the Tai Tam Country Park section of Hong Kong Island. To add to that day feeling special, the air was pretty clear as well as crisp -- and yes, the company that day was very enjoyable too! :)

 Lest there be any doubt, there are indeed parts of 

Hong Kong that are densely populated, and 

some of it was visible early on in the hike!

 Sooner than some might expect, however, we soon 

were closer to nature than the concrete jungle

While still on Mount Parker Road, we spotted a butterfly 

(known as the Common Sailor?) that had 

decided to stop and rest a bit on the tarmac

The man-made structures in the picture don't detract

from the scenic nature of the vista as far as I'm concerned

The hand painted arrow points to the summit of

Boa Vista, from where one can get a view bonanza

A naturally black (and gray) and white view

looking westwards to Parkview!

 Fish galore in the beautiful clear waters of

Tai Tam Upper Reservoir

The obelisk that gave Obelisk Hill, near Tai Tam, 

its name was built during the colonial period by 

the Royal Navy for navigational purposes