Hong Kong with friends
Shortly after returning from Bali I boarded another flight to spend a week in Hong Kong. Initially I stayed with Catherine and Vince. The weather remained great the entire time and I was able to get in some long walks towards the country park. Early on I headed into HK Island with Catherine to visit our friend Isabel who has been convalescing in hospital. It was good to catch up with her husband Fritz while I was there.
I headed back into the island for a couple of other chores (hearing aid issues: repair and a new mould, and some shopping for electronics: hard drive for Robert, and checking out the new Canon EOS 70D).
Saturday I headed over to David & Leslie Rule's for a visit with Dave and Norma Murrell (visiting from England). We started off with a hike in the mountains behind their home: Ray, Mark and I did the long loop up while the others stayed to an easier and shorter route, with both groups hooking up for the walk back. That was followed by a BBQ with more of Dave & Norma's friends dropping by and including Norma's son and 2 of her nephews.
Gary and I continued the activity level by doing a 10km hike from Sai Kung up to a section of the Maclehose Trail - steep ascent from sea level but then it flattened out for quite a stretch before descending to near David Rule's home. The walk could have been shorter but we made a few wrong turns on the day. Great exercise and fantastic clear skies.
While in HK I changed my flight to stay another 4 days: allowing me to attend the memorial for Derek "Dribble" Dixon, and attempt to get one of the new iPad Airs when they went on sale in HK (no luck on the iPad front as they sold out in 7 minutes!).
I spent some time wondering around Central on Hong Kong Island and enjoyed some pretty clear skies.
Thursday was the day to remember the wonderful Derek "Dribble" Dixon. 2:00pm started with a memorial service at St John's Cathedral attended by Derek's wife and daughters, Stephanie and Yvonne, as well as a large gathering of friends and fellow Hash House Harriers. From there we headed over to the Hong Kong Football Club where Derek had been a member for many years. We toasted and remembered and watched the wonderful slide show and video that was compiled from the photos and video of Derek and his time in Hong Kong. And since the day is the normal day for the Southside Hash House Harrier's weekly run we moved on to the top of the Happy Valley racecourse for a short run where all were welcome. Miss you Dribble!
It was also Halloween so I took a few photos of the decorations that went up in the Lan Kwai Fung entertainment area.
Saturday saw Typhoon Krosa lingering in the South China sea and within 300km of Hong Kong so we were under low cloud ceilings and a rather smoggy air quality. No rain however so David, Leslie and their dogs and I headed out for a 7.25km walk to the Maclehose Trail and from there to a lovely secondary trail. The trail took us past vistas of Port Shelter and the yachts out for race 1 of the Hebe Haven Winter Sailing season. We followed past a few streams and along long abandoned terraces of rice paddys and the ruins of villages that would have tended them. At one point we had a wonderful secluded set of pools of water that cascaded down the slopes and would at one time fed the paddys. Trail continued for about 300 meters of bamboo forming a striped tunnel through which our path followed. But that ended too soon and we were into a much more overgrown shiggy before reentering the Maclehose Trail and our way on down and on back to the Rule's home. The clouds had darkened while we were out but the rains had held off.
Sunday the typhoon was still lingering but far enough to not bring rain, just overcast skies. So easy morning and lunch in Sai Kung and then David, Leslie, Moira and the dogs and I headed out for a short 5km walk covering the first part of the previous day's walk. To finish the day we had a carnivore feast with Daniel taking care of the bone!
I headed back into the island for a couple of other chores (hearing aid issues: repair and a new mould, and some shopping for electronics: hard drive for Robert, and checking out the new Canon EOS 70D).
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| Me with Mark & Gary at the BBQ for Dave & Norma |
Saturday I headed over to David & Leslie Rule's for a visit with Dave and Norma Murrell (visiting from England). We started off with a hike in the mountains behind their home: Ray, Mark and I did the long loop up while the others stayed to an easier and shorter route, with both groups hooking up for the walk back. That was followed by a BBQ with more of Dave & Norma's friends dropping by and including Norma's son and 2 of her nephews.
Gary and I continued the activity level by doing a 10km hike from Sai Kung up to a section of the Maclehose Trail - steep ascent from sea level but then it flattened out for quite a stretch before descending to near David Rule's home. The walk could have been shorter but we made a few wrong turns on the day. Great exercise and fantastic clear skies.
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| heading up to the Maclehose Trail | view from the Maclehose Trail |
I spent some time wondering around Central on Hong Kong Island and enjoyed some pretty clear skies.
 The old and new of Hong Kong |
Clear skies and water traffic looking to convention centre 
Tourist junk in Hong Kong harbour |
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| Grace and Stephanie |
Saturday saw Typhoon Krosa lingering in the South China sea and within 300km of Hong Kong so we were under low cloud ceilings and a rather smoggy air quality. No rain however so David, Leslie and their dogs and I headed out for a 7.25km walk to the Maclehose Trail and from there to a lovely secondary trail. The trail took us past vistas of Port Shelter and the yachts out for race 1 of the Hebe Haven Winter Sailing season. We followed past a few streams and along long abandoned terraces of rice paddys and the ruins of villages that would have tended them. At one point we had a wonderful secluded set of pools of water that cascaded down the slopes and would at one time fed the paddys. Trail continued for about 300 meters of bamboo forming a striped tunnel through which our path followed. But that ended too soon and we were into a much more overgrown shiggy before reentering the Maclehose Trail and our way on down and on back to the Rule's home. The clouds had darkened while we were out but the rains had held off.Sunday the typhoon was still lingering but far enough to not bring rain, just overcast skies. So easy morning and lunch in Sai Kung and then David, Leslie, Moira and the dogs and I headed out for a short 5km walk covering the first part of the previous day's walk. To finish the day we had a carnivore feast with Daniel taking care of the bone!
