It dawned on me around mid-August that I went this entire wonderful summer traveling the region, cooking, eating, exploring and meeting new friends…but all without one single day on the beach! No toes were dipped in the ocean, no hours spent basking in the sunshine on a sandy shore, no sunscreen applied generously, and no waves splashed around in. For a Lebanese San Diegan such as myself, you could say this was less than ideal. I was more than ready to get out of the city!
Destination: HONG KONG
The remedy for beach-deprivation turned out to be a quick trip back to Hong Kong where we could knock out two birds with one stone: sorting out visa issues and enjoying the Island’s coastal terrain all in one go. Lucky for us, this time around we had some friends in town who were fantastic hosts and got us out of the city to explore more of the island.
HK’s north shore.
Not too many visitors realize that Hong Kong Island has a lot to offer outside the tall, dense, labryinthine city of malls on its northern shore. The stormy weather that frequently blankets the island is probably the biggest reason that not many will venture far from the city center. However we had the brilliant fortune to land there on a weekend where there was nothing but bluebird skies for miles.
We decided the best plan of action was to kick off the weekend with a lazy saturday on the beach. After taking an easy hour-long bus ride over to the southside of the island we made what turned out to be a side trip to Stanley Bay. We soon realized that we had landed ourselves in a lovely waterfront marketplace, but one that had no access to the beach! No thanks!
Stanley Waterfront Marketplace: not the beach.
We made the most of our little error, dropping into City Market for picnic supplies - a delicious pizza, fresh fruit and the appropriate beverages - we took in some calories, took some photos and then jumped into a cab headed straight to the beach at Repulse Bay.
Truth be told, after a summer away from the beach, Repulse Bay really hit the spot. The sun was strong but low in the sky and so the temperature was ideal. There were certainly crowds ashore, but it was enjoyable nonetheless and the water was particularly warm and easy to enjoy.
Aside from the glaringly hideous architecture of the hotels and condos surrounding the bay, everything about our time on the beach that day was just beautiful!
HK’s south shore.
I should also mention that as beaches go, Repulse Bay has some pretty sophisticated public showering and changing facilities just off the sand. Great news at the end of the day when you have sand hidden in every which where you can imagine.
You know it’s has to be close to the real deal when they serve Almaza.
We topped off our evening with something else I have been missing all summer: Lebanese food! This was as authentic as I can imagine it getting seeing as we were pretty far east (or west depending how you look at it) of Beirut.
Hello, dear old friend. It’s been far too long.
Sunday we were feeling a little more ambitious and opted to hike along the famously gorgeous Dragon Back trail. Unsurprisingly, the “trailhead” pretty much began inside of a mall! The hike quickly led us through a breathtaking Chinese cemetery situated in a hillside.
Despite the steep climb it was well worth wandering through to take in the many details of the sprawling cemetery, which from far away looks like a spectacular giant stone wall embedded in the mountain.
Going up!
After walking up, up, up some more through some dense greenery we arrived to the actual trailhead. The path led us along a curvy meandering stroll around, up and down the lush green hills of Hong Kong Island.
Reaching the ridge was the ultimate payoff as the views have to be some of the best to be had on the island. All the shades of blues and greens you could dream up!
The rush of reaching the top in addition to the fabulous feeling of the breeze rushing along the ridge inspired all sorts of happy snapshots and general joyousness.
Oh! What a feeling!
Sporting his fabulous “Beijing bikini” look :)
Going down…
By the trail’s end we were pooped! So we were very happy to find out that an express bus stopped right there to sweep us back to the city for a relaxed evening of foot massages and homecooking.
Ending the afternoon in the market before heading home for a good meal and a well-deserved foot massage.
I definitely look forward to going back to Hong Kong and finding my way to get out of the city all over again!
