I was back on the beach again. What can I say? I spent the first five years of my life in a small, beach front community in the Philippines and it's in my blood now. Every so often I have to be close to water, feet in the sand, sun on my shoulders. It is not as though I need it all the time (after all I spent four years in Ithaca and the Adirondack Mountains and loved it) but I think I may be photo tropic. Sunshine and sea salt energize me.
I spent a short day in Cheung Chau. It is a leisurely ferry ride to the island, which is famous for its temples (several are dedicated to Tin Hau), its bun festival, and its windsurfing. I went there mainly to survey it for a possible short weekend getaway for SB and me. My criteria were that it should be relatively laid back, close to water, and far enough that no one could call us and convince my notoriously attention span deprived partner to abandon our plans and go do something else. I know him well. Great plans have been torn asunder by a seemingly minor distraction. We missed a day of snow-shoeing once because he found some old letters in the attic and got side-tracked reading them while I paced below and wondered what was taking him so long to bring down his snowshoes. He dawdled and missed his flight to New York to see me for my birthday. Yes, he is not good with time and schedules.
Cheung Chau is a solid option. There are enough things to explore for a weekend, and the atmosphere is very relaxed and not at all hustling like most of Hong Kong. It will be a nice change from our action packed weekends in Happy Valley, though not without action. Despite our leisurely schedule, we should look into windsurfing. The weather is cooling, which reduces the number of people in the water. This is perfectly suitable for SB, who grew up playing in the frigid waters of the Adirondack lakes. It will be downright warm in comparison to kayaking in Maine where the water actually feels sharp when it touches your body. I, in the meantime, have brought my shorty wetsuit with me, which I used in the summers at Lake Cayuga in Ithaca. I just hope that the windsurfing center stays open into the winter here.
I spent a short day in Cheung Chau. It is a leisurely ferry ride to the island, which is famous for its temples (several are dedicated to Tin Hau), its bun festival, and its windsurfing. I went there mainly to survey it for a possible short weekend getaway for SB and me. My criteria were that it should be relatively laid back, close to water, and far enough that no one could call us and convince my notoriously attention span deprived partner to abandon our plans and go do something else. I know him well. Great plans have been torn asunder by a seemingly minor distraction. We missed a day of snow-shoeing once because he found some old letters in the attic and got side-tracked reading them while I paced below and wondered what was taking him so long to bring down his snowshoes. He dawdled and missed his flight to New York to see me for my birthday. Yes, he is not good with time and schedules.
Cheung Chau is a solid option. There are enough things to explore for a weekend, and the atmosphere is very relaxed and not at all hustling like most of Hong Kong. It will be a nice change from our action packed weekends in Happy Valley, though not without action. Despite our leisurely schedule, we should look into windsurfing. The weather is cooling, which reduces the number of people in the water. This is perfectly suitable for SB, who grew up playing in the frigid waters of the Adirondack lakes. It will be downright warm in comparison to kayaking in Maine where the water actually feels sharp when it touches your body. I, in the meantime, have brought my shorty wetsuit with me, which I used in the summers at Lake Cayuga in Ithaca. I just hope that the windsurfing center stays open into the winter here.
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