Trekking to Shek O

[we were not really trekking at all]

[not really trekking at all] Now that we have a couple of mates in the village, there is even more incentive to drop by Shek O. Last week we met up with Cousin Shirley in her neighborhood, Quarry Bay, and went seeking a new way to Shek O. Shoils usually takes the MTR to Shau Kei Wan and then hoofs it up the hills but we were told that there was a way via Quarry Bay. We were fortunate to also meet up with Chris and Miya, who live in Quarry Bay also, and they had stumbled on the way during one of their earliest walks.

Surprisingly it only takes two hours to get there. Our group took a bit longer because we were chatting and stopping to investigate various vistas and such. At one point we passed near some power lines that were crackling ominously and took a few minutes standing under the lines, debating what the noise meant. Who knows how close the world came to losing two MBAs, two teachers, and an architect/planner. Except for the teachers all the rest of us are currently expendable.

bathing beauties

SB and I went alone together yesterday, having decided that we needed to do something in the afternoon. We arrived in under two hours, just before dark. I remembered that one part of the trek involved having to walk along the side of the road but somehow it seemed longer this time, probably because the road was reduced to one lane due to construction, and it was not fun for us to scamper among cars and buses. HK drivers do not give the clearance to pedestrians like they do in the States. In fact, I am beginning to suspect that they may do the opposite, perhaps viewing it as a point of pride at how close they can "safely" maneuver their vehicles. I am not exaggerating when I say that a double deck bus passed me as I was flattened against a retaining wall, with under two feet of space between ourselves. I hope the construction finishes soon...and that adding a sidewalk is in the plans.

I also did not remember the stairs being so plentiful but that may have been a result of me not working out for the past few weeks and having had training the day before. It was a deliberately grueling training and my legs felt like lead.

It was too dark for SB to swim, but we did enjoy an ocean front meal at Big Wave Bay. I feasted on a bacon cheeseburger and salad while some mosquitoes feasted on me. A couple at the table in front of us were sipping wine and taking turns between mooning over each other while sucking face and mooning over each other while slurping oysters. I will admit to more than a small dose of pleasure when a large, soaking wet, ocean loving dog chose to sidle up next to the lovebirds and tried to relieve them of some of their snacks. He even got a bit of slobber on them before being dragged away.

umm.. is that dog wearing a speedo?!