A Tai Lam Country Park hike whose trailhead is by the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir's dam (Photo-essay)

Every so often when out hiking in Hong Kong, one will pass by a correctional facility.  Even more surreal is the experience of walking past a prison guard post to get to a trailhead.  But that's indeed what one does when embarking on a Tai Lam Country Park hike by way of an entry way near the dam of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir! 

There are times when I wonder whether the inmates at the nearby prisons (there actually are two -- one for men, another for women) have any inkling of how close they are to areas of substantial greenery and scenic beauty.  Maybe it's for the best that they don't; otherwise, they might get frustrated at it being a case of "so near, yet so far" on top of the realization of their not free for a time to venture wherever they wish... :S

Here's guessing that those buildings are part of the 

minimum security Tai Lam Correctional Institution rather than 

the maximum security Tai Lam Centre for Women nearby... :S

 

The much thicker walled dam of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir

 

A view from the dam of the reserovir that has been 

nicknamed "Thousand Island Lake" by some hikers 

 

The dam's far in the distance at this point but we still were

far closer to the hike start than end! ;b

One of the waterfalls transporting water into the reservoir

 

A very dead and dessicated snake spotted along the way ;S

 

Pretty butterfly and similarly pretty lichen?

 

 One last view of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir -- and this time,

its dam is so far away, it's no longer visible! :)