Ringing in the new year of the tiger with a hike along the South Lantau Country Trail! (Photo-essay)

Kung hei fatt choi!  Sun nin fai lok!  Sum seung si sing!  A new year of the tiger is here and I sincerely hope that it'll be a better one for Hong Kong, and the world at large, than the most recent pig, rat and ox years have been.  

 

On a personal note: so far, so good -- in that, even though the weather had threatened to be less optimal, I still managed to go and have a pleasant hike earlier today with a friend!  So here's taking a (short) break from political and pandemic talk and sharing some photos from this afternoon's hike along from Pak Kung Au to Nam Shan along the South Lantau Country Trail which I've been on a number of times already, and enjoyed every time!  (And yeah, pretty much every time I go hiking, I get to thinking that Hong Kong is really beautiful and that I f**king love this part of the world!)

Things were on the distinctly misty side 

when my hiking companion and I got off 

the bus at Pak Kung Au and began today's hike 

 

Undeterred, we pressed ahead -- and, frankly, I thought

that conditions weren't all that bad and actually picturesque!

 

About one third into the hike, the mist lifted and 

we startedto get scenic views, including of 

Sha Tsui village and Cheung Sha beach

 

One of a number of rock pools that I could see some 

people getting tempted to get in on a warmer day :b

 

Wild mint that gives off a nice fragrance, 

especially if you tear the leaves

 

Greenery as far as the eye could see, and a bit 

of mist that made the scenery atmospheric ;)

 

View that includes Pui O village and beach, 

and the Chi Ma Wan peninsula
 

Post boxes at Nam Shan, including one for the village

and another that looked like it had been transported

all the way over from the USA! :D