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The Trek
We crossed the hill from the sight of the cubs under the guidance of the guy from the agriculture and fisheries department headed to Tai O where we would take the bus back to Tung Chung. The scenery was magnificent and one could really feel the vast expanse of sky above us, lifting our spirits... it was a feeling one could only really feel if he or she went there, a truly unique experience - it was almost holy .
Having
left the screaming cubs behind, we were free to enjoy this unique experience
- until we became tired after 10 minutes of walking. I had already consumed
my second and last can of V already and whilst quite a few of the scouts were experiencing
the discouragement of fatigue, I trundled on through the shrubbery taking
photos of their innate difficulties.
We gathered at a cluster of granite a kilometre away from where we started and rested. I took the opportunity to take a group snap shot [Mr Lee], a feat I have not managed to initiate since I began writing these 'logs'.
There we were, sitting on a rock, miles from anything of comfort trying to smile. We scrambled slowly from the rocky mess and continued towards Tai O. The road was easy considering what we encountered in the Christmas camp of 2001. Most of it was flat dirt path. Unchallenging yet pleasant to the feet. We continued to scramble, past another group of volunteers planting trees two kilometre from our site. They were really hard-core, considering the mid afternoon heat that day. Exchanging greetings, our distance increased and again there was a sierra void of civilisation. If scrambling with a 'unique feeling' was all we did, we would all be lying on the ground somewhere in Lantau so obviously, there was something else that kept us alive - and that was the magnificent panoramas from the paths we trekked.
After a couple of steps; some dirt; more dirt; patches of shrub and a cool sea breeze, we came to a halt before an imposing mound of earth that stuck out of the ground like a pin in our soles.
The courage within us built up and we hiked up the mound with Kwok Pui Kao leading the pack. It was relatively easy business - until we had to descend from the pinnacle of earth. The descent was life sucking. It was insane and gave no consideration whatsoever to the condition of our limbs. It was so bad I could not take any photos to show you the insanity of the route. It wouldn't be so bad if we were fresh from the MTR but we weren't; the slope was steep and knees felt really bad. People's legs shook involuntarily and the slope became a hazard to the unwary. I plodded downhill and awaited the arrival of the pacers.
It was about this time that an unfortunate incident happened. One member - we will make no mention of names, had mistakemly taken an unidentified cub's bag in place of his own. Furthermore, we had already consumed his drink and were about to finish off the drumsticks in he bag. -> A more detailed account of the incident can be found by clicking here.
So anyway, we contined our trek, ignoring the incident and found ourselves in Tai O.
Tai O is a small settlement we visited some years ago as a simple excursion. Veteran members recalled eating honey syrup crackers and various snacks there. Unfortunately, because I did not have any recording facilities at that time, the event was not logged and so scant information is availible for that particular excursion. When we reached the supposedly ancient settlement, I was surprised at the level of development in the area. Tall apartment blocks had been constructed some distance from the main village. Apartments that could match those on Hong Kong Island.
We lounged by the bus stop and managed to get a few tasty snacks down our gullet before moving on.
By five thirty, we had already completed the hike and were dropping out of the number eleven bus like dead flies. Tung Chung Station loomed ahead of us and our journey was complete. With hope, there will be more people next time...
