Great views from The Peak and High West on a super hot but also super high visibility day :)

Clear view from Victoria Peak this afternoon of 

Victoria Harbour and the land on either side of it

 View from High West of the northwestern section of 

Hong Kong Island, all of Lamma Island

and the beautiful blue water in the vicinity

 View from High West that includes the top of Victoria Peak 

along with lower portions of Hong Kong Island and 

the Kowloon Peninsula on the other side of the harbour

As the Dinah Washington song that I was introduced to by Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express goes, "What a difference a day makes". Yesterday, I was feeling so sickly that I decided to spend most of it resting in my apartment.  Today, I felt better as well as felt a need to go out.  So, despite it being a super hot (i.e., around 33 degrees Celsius) day, I decided to take advantage of it being one of those super rare super clear visibility Hong Kong days by going up to The Peak for a stroll around its northern section (the one that looks out to -- and offers up great views of -- Victoria Harbour) with a friend.

While walking along The Peak's Lugard Road and seeing beautiful views that were considerably clearer than I had ever seen them before, I told my friend that it really would be a shame if we didn't truly take advantage of the great visibility we were being afforded and go up to the top of High West.  

It took a bit of cajoling to get her to agree to climb the hundreds of steps up to the 494 meter high hill but I think I can safely surmise that once she saw the amazing panoramic views to be had when we were up there, she was in agreement that our exertion was well worth it!  For my part, even while I've been up to the top of High West several times before, I have to say that I get bowled over by the views from there every time.  And today really was the day that I've been able to see furthest from there -- so much so that not only could I clearly see Lantau (and make out Lantau and Sunset Peaks on it) but also Shek Kwu Chau and the Soko Islands. 

More than incidentally, I find it puzzling that there are no signs pointing people to the trail that goes up to High West from the park at the western end of the popular Peak circuit.  Once you know about its existence though, it's easy enough to find.  Just go to the southwestern end of the park and then down a short flight of steps.  Follow the tree-lined path that it leads to for a few minutes.  It'll lead you to a clearing. Walk across it and you'll find the beginning of a long flight of steps that will lead you up to High West.  (And yes, it's recommended that you go back down the same way that you go up -- as the other trails on High West are on the seriously rugged side!)