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For part of my trip to Hong Kong, I decided I wanted to do some hiking. But due to the consistently gloomy weather, I scrapped this plan; I decided I didn't want to get stuck in the middle of who knows where in the middle of a downpour. Knowing that Lantau Island offers lots of beautiful views and has its own bus service, I decided to venture around the island for the day. I figured I could see lots of nature, quaint locales I hadn't seen, and was always pretty close to a bus if the weather turned foul.
I took the metro out to the island and got off at the same stop as the cable cars to the Big Buddha. This time, though, instead of going to the cable cars, I veered to the right and into the bus area. There, under the cover of shade and shelter, was a little stand not much bigger than my coffee table. Behind it was a kind woman with maps, a calculator, and a big smile. She helped me decide what to see and figure out how much the bus fare would cost. We decided a full day pass for $35
was cheaper than individual tickets.
My first stop was the town of Tai O. Tai O is a fishing villagew famous for its traditional stilt houses. I wandered up and down the lanes, some no wider than a sidewalk. People were friendly and oms just stared. One guy came out and closed his gate when he saw me approaching--I'm guessing many people have wandered into his yard since tis along the waterfront, ignoring that it's his private space. the town is divided by a wtaerway and it seems most people have a boat. The whole town feels like time ahs stood still, and everything is preserved and waiting for something to happen. It made me think of people who sit on their front porch in rocking chairs, watching the world go by. Except, since this is a small town on an island in Hong Kong, the only thing that goes by are tourists and neighbors.
At one point I was turned around and studying the photo of the map I had on my camera. I asked a Chinese woman to help me. But she spoke no English and was from Beijing. So she and I worked together to
ask directions and find out way back to the main part of the town. There we relaxed with refreshments at a coffee shop along the waterway. She was ready to go faster than I, so she left and I read the book provided by the shop owner on the history of the town. In total, I spent 3 hours in Tai O and could hae stayed longer if I wasn't on a schedule.
I took the bus to Chueng Sha beach for my second stop. The woman at the map stand had said it was beautiful. When the bus driver dropped me off, I was feeling skeptical. A beach on a cloudy day? It looked as if it might rain at any moment. Luckily, that's what everyone else thought, too, and the beach was nearly deserted. There were four people on it (not counting the lifeguard) and they were quietly fishing. It was like having a white, sandy beach to myself. I sat on a rock for a long time, just watching and listening to the waves crash on the beach. Bliss.
I took the bus to my last stop, Mui O. It's actually the connecting point for
ferries to HK Island and is a bit touristy. but I set off determined to see the area. While I was wandering, I saw a sign for an old path. I thought it sounded like fun and decided to see where it would take me. So I walked... and walked.. and walked... and it never seemed to end! I wondered where I was going! Finally, I realized I wasn't on the path, but walking to it! The actual path was made of dirt and led to the next village!
I looked at my watch and decided to head back. I wasn't sure how late the buses ran and didn't want to end up waiting for an hour to get back to the metro. So I covered the 2 km (I swear the sign is wrong!) in about twenty minutes, just missing the bus back north. I ended up waiting an hour anyway, but at least it was in the shade. After a day of wandering, it felt good to rest.
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