Hiking Up and Down Mount Johnston

About to ascend Mt Johnston in Ap Lei Chau

This afternoon my friend and I went back to Ap Lei Chau -- and tackled Mount Johnston, and what a glorious day to do it. The sky was so blue, and we only saw one cloud in the distance. 

We started off at Kennedy Town again and walked up Victoria Road, and this time bypassed going down to Cyberport and kept walking along Victoria Road until we hit Pokfulam Road and then down to Aberdeen where we had a quick stop at McCafe to have coffee and snacks before crossing the bridge to Ap Lei Chau.

Going down the other side of the mountain

This time we were mentally prepared for climbing up the steep mountain that thankfully had ropes to help people up and they were very handy, though very dusty. My shorts and windbreaker were becoming dusty too from me holding up the rope waist level. 

Finally we reached the top (196m) and it's a very flat and has a fantastic 360-degree view of the south side of Hong Kong, Ocean Park, and Lamma Island in the distance.

Mount Johnston, also known as Yuk Kwai Shan is named after Alexander Robert Johnston (1812-1888), who was a British colonial officer who served twice as Acting Administrator of Hong Kong from 1841 to 1842.

After admiring the views we had to get down the mountain on the other side to a tombolo -- a small island attached with a narrow sandy beach. It was there, my friend said that we could catch a sampan back to Aberdeen...

Looking back up Mt Johnston from Ap Lei Pai

So we tried to descend on the other side. It didn't look difficult... Again we had to hold onto ropes to get down and my friend suggested walking backwards to avoid sliding too much. I dropped my water bottle twice! Next time need to carry a knapsack and wear gloves and better shoes.

We got onto the thin sandy strip and walked across to the "tied island" for a break. The water was so clear there. However, we didn't know if we could make it over the other side of this smaller island to catch a sampan which was supposedly HK$50 per person. So we decided to go back where we came.

Going back up wasn't too bad, and yes those ropes were very helpful again. There was less sliding. A mother and her son were in front of me and she kept encouraging him to keep going or to take a break if he needed. I told her it was my first time here and she said it was for them too.

For kids this hike is pretty tough if they are not fit! Using the rope definitely involved a bit of core and lots of balance.

Looking at Ocean Park and a new hotel there

Going back down the other side was a bit easier now that I had some experience for the past few hours! When we finally made it back down to Lei Tung Commercial Centre, my legs were kind of like jelly. We took the MTR back home and my socks, runners, windbreaker and shorts were covered in dust!

What a day!

Scenic Southside Walk

An old battery at the U of Chicago campus

 

Today we played urban tourists and walked over 12k from Kennedy Town all the way to Ap Lei Chau! This is not a route most people would go, but it was time to visit the south side of Hong Kong Island.

Looking at Bel-Air in Cyberport from Victoria Rd

At the start of the walk we visited the University of Chicago campus that was designed by the late Vancouver architect Bing Thom. His signature clean lines, incorporating the building into the heritage site as well as the natural landscape was clear here.

He is remembered with a replica of his drawing carved in stone that says "Tree of knowledge" on it, referring to the campus offering an education to students and faculty. 

The site also includes a battery to hold a gun emplacement looking out to the sea. But the weapon has been long gone, and instead a large deep circular pit is left behind. 

A sculpture of a dragon boat

We then walked to Cyberport for a quick pit stop, a mall in the middle of no where, but offers a hodgepodge of food options for people living in the area. Nearby the grass at the park was downright deplorable, completely dry and dusty. 

Pressing on we walked up a gentle incline back up onto Victoria Road before it merged into Pok Fu Lam Road. We passed by Wah Fu Estate and then soon we were in Aberdeen. The promenade there is short but nice, a bit touristy with a model of a dragon boat and some bronze statues depicting life in the area centuries before that are related to fishing.

Then we found the entrance to the bridge to go further south to Ap Lei Chau and South Horizons. We made it to Lei Tung and then my friend pointed up to a giant hill called Yuk Kwai Shan or Mount Johnston to climb! I was not prepared for that with not enough water and we had already walked 12k! I also had a time crunch to be back in time to eat at 4.30pm (linner or dunch) before the restaurant closed at 6pm.

Lots of boats docked around Aberdeen

So we turned back and caught the bus back to Causeway Bay. Guess we head up to Yuk Kwai Shan next time but perhaps without the prologue of walking all the way there!

Picture of the Day: Lo Pan Temple

The Lo Pan Temple contrasts with highrises

 

Today from Kennedy Town I walked along Victoria Road and the Mount Davis Road. There are many nice flats in the area and I saw some girls in uniform walking down. Turns out they study at St Clare's Girls' School which was founded by missionary sisters from Quebec. That explains the students wearing red scarves with a maple leaf embroidered at the bottom.

Large Chinese-style grave sites at Pok Fu Lam

Down below I could see Mt Davis Road was parallel to Victoria Road and I could have kept going, but then decided to go along a highway overpass that took me to Pok Fu Lam Road. Below the overpass was a hillside with very large Chinese graves. 

Pok Fu Lam Road is very busy and pedestrians only have a few opportunities to cross the road via an underpass. The first one I went into was a maze with no signs for directions and I just chose a path to go on and ended up on the other side of the street! Later one I took another underpass to go back to the other side. 

Then there was a sign for Lo Pan Temple and I decided to check it out. I went down some stairs and saw the temple's roof, an archaic building in modern Hong Kong. Then I went down to see it and it is built for Lo Pan, the patron saint of Chinese builders and contractors.

The temple's curious jagged roof from the back

It was first built in 1884 for Lo Pan, or Lu Ban in Mandarin. He was a Chinese carpenter, engineer, philosopher, inventor, military thinker, and statesman during the Spring and Autumn period in China.

I took a quick look inside, though an elderly man was staring at me and I wondered if I should step inside and thought better not! But inside is a two-hall structure, with an unusual jagged roof and many colourful ceramic figurines decorating the roof.  

A quick walk along the neighbourhood revealed if I walked straight down I would hit Sands Street in Kennedy Town. So instead I took the long way, walking back up the stairs and continued a bit further down to HKU MTR station and then walked down Hill Road to Shek Tong Tsui.

The front of Lo Pan Temple

It was an interesting meander in the neighbourhood. 

Long Walks Yield Discoveries

Brilliant fuchsia flowers to brighten up an overcast day

Perhaps because the weather was overcast today, or people finally heeded the warnings of health officials, fewer people were seen out and about during the Easter holiday.

Today Hong Kong had 11 more coronavirus cases, bringing the total to exactly 1,000; of the new cases, 10 were from overseas, one was local.

Stone Manor was so intriguing I had to take a closer look

To make sure I would avoid crowds of people like along the waterfront, I walked along Victoria Road, a relatively quiet road that few people walk on because of the long incline involved, and it passes by a garbage dump area that has a certain smell... thankfully wearing a mask helps block the pungent odors!

Along Victoria Road are cemeteries and a handful of people came out to belatedly visit their ancestors for Qing Ming. I even spotted my relatives from across the street who were carrying bunches of flowers. For a second I wondered if I should join them, but decided they probably didn't want my company in our era of social distancing and continued on my way.

I passed by socialite Brenda Chau Tam Yuet-ching's home called Villa D'Oro that apparently has a gold toilet, and tycoon Cecil Chao Sze-tsung's place across the street with Happy Lodge where he has probably had numerous trysts.

There are two of these crests, one on each gate

I walked all the way to Sassoon Road and at the roundabout, spotted a house made of stone and circled round to take a closer look. After some research I find Stone Manor was built in the 1930s and is the home of the late Henry Fok Ying-tung's family. Drapes cover up the windows, but it looks like it should be in the English countryside than on a quiet street in Pokfulam.

The gates have a crest that say: Semper Fidelis", or "always loyal".

The last time the home was in the news was when Fok's son Kenneth Fok Kai-kong married former Olympic diver Guo Jingjing there in 2012.

Perhaps I should go on more walks to discover other interesting things!

Coronavirus Dilemma

Along Victoria Road here is a view looking towards Lamma Island

After dealing with a stressful week, I have to say a dose of sunshine does wonders to the body and spirit.

Bauhinia flowers in bloom

Yesterday afternoon I needed to buy some walnuts and almonds for my oatmeal, and instead of taking the bus or MTR to Sheung Wan, I decided to walk to the mom-and-pop shop via the waterfront. Even though it was foggy, it was nice to be outside during the day. We all practiced social distancing, everyone, except runners, wearing masks.

After I came back home, instead of feeling tired carrying back 4lbs of nuts, I felt energized and tackled some work I didn't get to during the week.

This morning I decided to go out for a walk again after breakfast, this time along Victoria Road, where I hadn't gone for a while. There weren't too many people here, and I soaked up the blue skies and very warm temperatures at 22 to 26 degrees.

Thank goodness I wore a hat and the mask came in handy as joggers ran by. It's a few weeks before Qing Ming, but lots of people were already at the various cemeteries along Victoria Road to pay their respects to elders.

My great aunt and uncle are in one of these columbariums and I managed to find them -- there are so many floors and niches that you can only find them through the number on their niche. Thank goodness I had taken a picture last year which showed their code number.

Many people have visited cemeteries ahead of Qing Ming

Qing Ming is a nice time for families to gather in remembrance of loved ones, but this year it's a more anxious time with the coronavirus.

There are concerns of another wave coming, and these fears have already resulted in people staying away from bars and restaurants. Dr Gabriel Leung, an epidemiologist and dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong, and Chinese University respiratory medicine expert Professor David Hui Shu-cheong have separately called on the government to limit the number of patrons in restaurants and bars.

Leung has added the government should subsidize part of the salaries of bar and restaurant employees so they won't be laid off, but it doesn't seem keen on the idea, and would rather these establishments figure out themselves the best way to stay open but have fewer patrons.

Prof David Hui urges bars and restaurants have fewer patrons

In the meantime, after news on Friday of at least five positive cases of the coronavirus were of people drinking in bars in Lan Kwai Fong, the area was completely dead that evening, and last night too.

It's a difficult situation for restaurant and bar owners, chefs, and staff -- do you stay open? If you do, how will you operate to try to make the environment as safe as possible for everyone?

Even conducting temperature checks and filling out health declaration forms aren't going to ensure the coronavirus will not come into the dining premises -- someone could be asymptomatic but carry the virus and spread it to others.

Already a number of places in Central have had to shut down for two weeks because customers or staff have found out they were positive.

Lan Kwai Fong in Central was eerily quiet on Friday night

Is it worth the risk?

But at the same time, how do you operate a business if your food and/or drinks are not possible for takeaway?

We live in challenging times, but Hongkongers will find a way to survive.

Picture of the Day: Hot Dog

Yuen Yuen with his proud owner showing off pictures

This afternoon we walked towards the waterfront and came across a man in his 70s and his dog, a Japanese Shiba Inu.

"He's very docile, he likes people petting him," his owner said and so we did.

"Touch his ears, they are particularly soft," he added, and they really were. It was the first time my three-year-old nephew had ever pet a dog!

The dog's Instagram page

Then the owner told us if we take pictures, we should tag his dog's Instagram account (@yuenyuen9011)...

And oh boy does the white dog with cream-coloured ears have a lot of fans! Most of the pictures are of the canine with various random visitors in Kennedy Town, and he has posted for pictures at the Instagram pier, and he's even been to the swimming shed along Victoria Road.

What a hot dog.

Photo of the Day: Bike Sharing

A Gobee bike along Victoria Road, west of Kennedy Town of all places!

Gobee Bike is a Hong Kong initiative in the bike-sharing business. It launched in April to lacklustre fanfare when it turned out the app was only available on Android and not iPhones on the first day.

Then a few days later it was back in the headlines because it was discovered that several of its green bikes were in the Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, while others were found damaged.

But somehow earlier this month, Gobee Bike got HK$9 billion -- yes billion -- from internet-of-things fund led by Mail.Ru co-founder Dmitry Grishin, with Alibaba's Hong Kong entrepreneurship fund kicking in some of the dough too.

To start up the service, Gobee previously got pre-launch seed money led by Swiss Founders Fund.

Hong Kong people are naturally skeptical about bike sharing -- not many people even ride bikes to start with since a good part of the area is too hilly, and also bike lanes are relegated to the New Territories, where leisure bike riders clog up the paths for more serious ones.

A stunning view further up from where the bike was...

So it was to my great surprise when I was walking up Victoria Road towards Pokfulam to see a Gobee Bike parked on the sidewalk. How the heck did it get all the way from the New Territories to here?

I walked and ran a bit further along Victoria Road and then turned back to go home to see the green bicycle still there!

In any event one does wonder if Gobee is making any money and who are using the bikes anyway?

Just seems like the wrong service to launch in the city when drivers don't care to share the road, nor pay much attention to pedestrians either!

Picture of the Day: Sunset in K-Town

Looking at the sunset from Victoria Road

These last few days I've been fighting a cold thanks to sitting next to a mainland girl on the plane who was about four years old and coughing at my face at times... I was regretting not bringing a mask with me and now am paying for it.

However I do wonder how effective a mask is in blocking viruses from a coughing, phlegmy kid sitting next to you who is not instructed by her mother to cover her mouth...

A small crowd of people with cameras waiting for sunset

In any event I tried to rest today, but after a prolonged nap it was 5pm and I felt like going out for a stroll. I headed up Victoria Road in Kennedy Town, thinking I would go find the scenic spot I'd discovered back in April.

It turns out I didn't walk up Victoria Road far enough, but instead found another place where young couples like to go for cheap dates.

I followed a group of them down the stairs with the bright green railing to a hut where a man lived -- he was running his washing machine -- but nearby was a dock and many people were standing around.

One more picture of the sun setting by the water

I'd just come around 5.20pm when the sun was starting to set and it was either young couples or amateur photographers there ready to wait for the giant fiery orb the sink into the ocean.

Today was a bit hazy, but that's when you get the brilliant colours of the sunset... thanks to air pollution!

Picture of the Day: Parrot Walking

An encounter with a parrot along Victoria Road

This morning we woke up to an overcast day that threatened to rain and it did by lunchtime.

So we grabbed the opportunity to take another walk along Victoria Road again. This time we walked all the way to West Island School and back in about an hour which was pretty good.

On the way back home, we saw a kite, a predatory bird circling above us and then when we looked back at eye level we encountered a woman with a white parrot on her arm and pointing out the kite to it.

We stopped and chatted with the woman, possibly in her 60s with long hair and thick glasses. She tried to coax the domesticated bird to talk, as she boasted he would argue with her and tell her off.

Babagu was shy and wouldn't speak to us

But he refused to speak and she chastised him for being shy.

We asked how long she'd had him and she replied four years, and that his name was Babagu, apparently Indonesian for parrot.

She refused to let us take her picture with her pet, so we just took a snap of Babagu instead in all his shyness...

Discovering a Scenic Spot

Checking out the scenic spot for sunsets

This morning was another gorgeous day after a terrible week of rain. We decided to go for a walk along Victoria Road in Kennedy Town and check out the scenery there.

It's right by the water where some men try to catch fish

Under blue skies and hardly any clouds, we walked along as many buses and taxis passed by us because today is Qing Ming, the sweeping of the graves. All the buses were very full going up and coming down.

Just before we reached Mount Davis Road, there was a sign pointing to a hut saying it was a good place to watch the sunset. So we decided to check it out, going down several flights of stairs that zigzagged their way down towards the water.

Along the way we saw chunks of discarded flooring that should have belonged to tong lau flats... who put them there and why?

A small hut where visitors can hang out

When we made it to the bottom there were a bunch of Filipino women hanging out in the hut on their day off, while right by the water were two locals trying their hand at fishing.

It was a nice spot and well worth the effort to come down, though not much to do after you get there unless you do intend to have a mini picnic.

Strange to see discarded flooring dumped here

We can imagine it's a great place to watch sunsets, though with me being loved by mosquitoes I'd probably be eaten alive by them at dusk...!