sketches from the other side

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local picture of the day

June 26, 2009

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source: Getty

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Reservoir Hike: Tai Tam Country Park

This is one of those hikes that you can do in a couple of hours, or you can make a whole day out of. SB and I intended to go for a couple of hours but it quickly turned into a whole day excursion when we were unable to settle on a path and instead meandered through a bit of all the trails. Tai Tam Country Park is located in the areas protecting the reservoirs and green lungs of Hong Kong. The main part is to follow Tai Tam Reservoir Road, which is thankfully closed to vehicle traffic. From there, you can choose your own adventure. SB started from our home in the valley and trotted up the hill to Wong Nai Chung Gap, past HK Cricket Club, and then left onto Tai Tam Reservoir Road. Here and there we stopped to watch some children learning cricket, and then to watch people playing at the public tennis centre. We also stopped by the Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park, which is a small reservoir filled with koi . The park rents paddle boats , which families paddled around and fed

tentative steps

I didn't think it would end like this, with paranoid silence followed by a rush of activity to flee the place that I lived longer than anywhere else in my life. Democracy protests that seemed so doomed, yet brave, descended into violent oppression. Police turning into oppressors overnight. So now, a new place and a new life but still so much to say about the other side. Thoughts still finding their way out. I'm back. I think?

Sunset at High West

The Mount High West overlook isn't on an official trail, but it is popular enough that it is easy to follow. Many people start their hikes from Kennedy Town, climbing 2100 steps out of the urban area and often lugging photography equipment. A less vertical route would be to come across from the Peak along Harlech/Lugard Rds. SB and I took the furbabies with us on a longer route, starting from our home in Happy Valley, across Black's Link (first part of HK Trail Section 4), past Wanchai Gap, past Magazine Gap, around Victoria Peak (after getting somewhat turned around a few times), and then on to Mount High West in time to enjoy sunset. Even Google Maps shows the path to the overlook. Along the way, we enjoyed lovely views back at the city while also being above all of the noise and hubbub. We always enjoy encountering historic markers; this one is for the Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, that existed on Barker Road between 1897 and 1947.

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