It's always Greener on the Other Side
When you think of Hong Kong, you think of crowded, condensed high rises. So it’s surprising that “70 percent of Hong Kong’s total area is rural, including about 40 percent designated as protected country parks. This means Hong Kong has one of the world’s highest ratios of designated parkland.” (Hong Kong Tourism Board).
We chose to be on the Southside of Hong Kong Island because of these parks. The feel is greener; is quieter; is cleaner. Our back view is of green hillside. Even though we stare at these mountains daily, we had yet to explore them. Two simple reasons… heat and hills. So we were excited when neighbors described a flat walk nearby. So Sunday, we borrowed a bike pump and got the kids bikes ready to go. We piled into a cab with the bikes hanging out unable to shut the trunk all the way for a 5 minute drive up the road. We got off at Tai Tam Country Park, where there were cars, a snack cart and people milling around.
Chinese are known more for their focus on academics not on sports. Horse racing is the most popular spectator sport and hiking is the most popular participant sport. So we expected it to be busy. And it was. But large open space has a way of making that ok. The kids started peddled down the paved path. The path skirts several reservoirs that supply drinking water to Hong Kong. Tai Tam actually means big pool in Cantonese. Even though I think big pool refers to the ocean bay that Tai Tam is on, it is very appropriate to describe the four reservoirs too.
We passed many people fishing in the reservoirs. One of the first had caught a fish almost as long as Ally. You could look over the sides and see fish and turtle swimming everywhere. After passing several bridges we came to another fisherman. This one was using large frogs as bait. We became fasinated watching him hook the frogs and cast them over the side. After using his two poles. He tied fishing line to sticks and cast them too. Then his wife and him sat down to wait and eat. We watched so long, we realized we were hungry too and sat at a nearby table for a picnic lunch. It wasn’t long after that Austin declared he was hot, too hot to go on. So we thought it was as good time as any to head back. It was just as well as we had about hit the end of the flat part of the trail before the steep ascents began.
Somehow the road back always seem shorter, so we were back to the gate in no time. From there we grabbed a cab and went straight to the American club for a cool swim in the pool.
We chose to be on the Southside of Hong Kong Island because of these parks. The feel is greener; is quieter; is cleaner. Our back view is of green hillside. Even though we stare at these mountains daily, we had yet to explore them. Two simple reasons… heat and hills. So we were excited when neighbors described a flat walk nearby. So Sunday, we borrowed a bike pump and got the kids bikes ready to go. We piled into a cab with the bikes hanging out unable to shut the trunk all the way for a 5 minute drive up the road. We got off at Tai Tam Country Park, where there were cars, a snack cart and people milling around.
Chinese are known more for their focus on academics not on sports. Horse racing is the most popular spectator sport and hiking is the most popular participant sport. So we expected it to be busy. And it was. But large open space has a way of making that ok. The kids started peddled down the paved path. The path skirts several reservoirs that supply drinking water to Hong Kong. Tai Tam actually means big pool in Cantonese. Even though I think big pool refers to the ocean bay that Tai Tam is on, it is very appropriate to describe the four reservoirs too.
We passed many people fishing in the reservoirs. One of the first had caught a fish almost as long as Ally. You could look over the sides and see fish and turtle swimming everywhere. After passing several bridges we came to another fisherman. This one was using large frogs as bait. We became fasinated watching him hook the frogs and cast them over the side. After using his two poles. He tied fishing line to sticks and cast them too. Then his wife and him sat down to wait and eat. We watched so long, we realized we were hungry too and sat at a nearby table for a picnic lunch. It wasn’t long after that Austin declared he was hot, too hot to go on. So we thought it was as good time as any to head back. It was just as well as we had about hit the end of the flat part of the trail before the steep ascents began.
Somehow the road back always seem shorter, so we were back to the gate in no time. From there we grabbed a cab and went straight to the American club for a cool swim in the pool.
posted by Annie P @ 8:00 PM
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