Blue skies and cool critters spotted along a Lantau Trail hike (Photo-essay)

Friends of mine who've viewed my hiking photo-essays (such as the one documenting the earlier part of this hike I went on one beautiful Sunday) often ask me, "Where are the people?"  And while it's true enough that there are times while I'll wait for other hikers to move along before I take a photo, the truth of the matter is that many sections of Hong Kong's hundreds -- if not thousands -- of kilometers of hiking trails really aren't as well trodden as many people might think.

And while it's also true that the four major long trails (i.e., the Maclehose, Wilson, Hong Kong (Island) and Lantau) are the ones that often are the most well traversed, certain sections are more popular than others.  In the case of the Lantau Trail, the major attractions are Sections 2 (which goes up Sunset Peak) and 3 (which goes up Lantau Peak) while some of my favorites, including Section 12, often go ignored -- something which, frankly, I'm not going to complain about since it just means I have more of the trail to myself whenever I go on it! ;b

The 275 meter high unnamed high point of this section is dwarfed 

by the higher range that includes 869 meter high Sunset Peak

Sky, land and trees combine to make a pretty picture

that I had to take a snap of for posterity :)

On trails and days like this one, one just has to pause

for a bit to admire the views :)

Looking down towards Chi Ma Wan

 Flags fly and washing dries on the edge of Pui O

 Wild birds also can be spotted on the edge 

of this Lantau village!

A little lizard thinks it's well camouflaged

but I managed to spot it fairly easily! :b

Also fairly easy to spot on the edge of the river

that we passed by was this mudskipper :)