Seeing Things From Different Points of View.

A Climb Up Mount High West.

23.02.2022 - 01.03.2022

View from Mount High West.

I've been avoiding going out much for the last few weeks, because the COVID situation here has gone totally out of control. Our government used to get worked up if we had around ten new cases. Recently we have been having more than 50,000 new cases a day. The normal structures in place for controlling COVID haven't been able to cope with the huge increase in numbers, so hospitals are overflowing and sick people are at home rather than in isolation.

Also it is possible we are going to go into a lock down situation some time this month to allow mass testing for COVID to take place. We don't know if or when this lock down will happen, but rumours about it have sparked off panic buying. As a result shops are being emptied and the queues in them are enormous.

Add to that, the fact that for about two weeks it was really freezing and continuosly pouring here and you can see why staying in has been more appealing than venturing out.

Last Wednesday, the 26th of February, we did go out to Lai Chi Kok to get our boosters. There's a beautiful park there. I didn't have time to look around this time, but I did leave Peter for a short rest and looked at the gardens near the testing centre.

Pavilion at Chinese Garden.

Chinese Garden.

Fish Fountain.

Stone Lantern.

Pond in Chinese Garden.

Bridge in Chinese Garden.

Bougainvillea.

One of my other few forays into the outside world was to buy take away pizzas on Monday. I lead an exciting life! Restaurants close at 6pm at the moment due to COVID and only do take away after that. I was told the pizzas would take an hour to bake so I went for a walk to the far side of Discovery Bay where I don't usually go, just so I could pass the time. It's quite pretty over there with a lovely marina.

I started out just walking along the waterfront.

I noticed these boats were a popular resting place with tired birds.

Families wandering along the waterfront.

The view back the way.

There's an ornate fountain at the end of the waterfront.

I walked over towards Nim Shue Wan Beach.

I then walked round to the marina which looked lovely as the sun began to go down.

Boats in the marina.

The Marina.

More ornate fountains.

Wending my way back to get our pizzas.

Yesterday, Tuesday 1st March, I had to go and get Peter more eye medicine in Central, so I thought I might as well do the hike I was going to do last time I went. I changed last time due to a blanket of fog descending on everything. This time it was really sunny with beautiful views so I decided to do it.

When I arrived in Central around 11am, I could scarcely believe how empty the MTR was. You can normally scarcely move here for other people.

Hong Kong is like a ghost town.

Empty MTR station.

I took a slight detour to photograph the Central Post Office which I believe is going to be demolished.

For once when I took the number 15 bus up the Peak I remembered to sit on the correct side for views.

I took a picture of the cenotaph from the trip up.

I also photographed the colourful restored houses in Wan Chai.

The views from the bus as it wound its way up the Peak were gorgeous but not easy to take from a moving vehicle.

Blue Skies and Views on the way up.

Views on the Way Up.

Beautiful Views over Hong Kong

I managed to get some lovely shots over Hong Kong as the bus went uphill.

Views.

And More Views.

I used to do some lessons in a school opposite this mansion.

At the top of the Peak I went to the Lions Pavilion to ensure there really were lovely views before starting my hike. This time I wasn't disappointed.

Lions Pavilion.

View from the Pavilion.

Lions Pavilion.

View from Lions Pavilion.

Before setting out on my walk I nipped in to the Peak Shopping Centre to use the loo. It's necessary to scan the vaccination pass on your phone to get in nowadays. I noticed a restaurant with plastic food models. It reminded me of restaurants in Japan.

Peak Galeria Shopping Centre

Peak Tram under Blue Skies for a Change.

Restaurant with plastic food models.

Plastic Food Models.

Then I headed off to Lugard Road. This road is the first part of Hong Kong Trail Section 1. It can also be walked as a circular trail together with Harlech Road. It also leads to the walk up to Mount High West which was where I was going.

Lugard Road is named after Sir Frederick Lugard, who was Governor of Hong Kong from 1907 to 1912. It stretches for one and a half miles and is situated around 400 metres above sea level. There is an elevated section which affords fantastic harbour views. At some point I must go here at night.

The first part of the walk on Lugard Road.

First View Between Houses.

The Harbour Viewed Across Flowers.

The Harbour Viewed Across Flowers..

Harbour View.

Harbour Views.

Selfie on Lugard Road.

Harbour View surrounded by greenery

The elevated section must have been quite a feat of engineering. The roadway is over a hundred years old. Some parts are quite narrow. It has old fashioned street lamps and a pretty wrought iron fence.

The Elevated Section.

The Path.

Stairs leading off.

There's lots of beautiful vegetation along the way. The massive banyan trees with huge aerial roots are well-known. I was really pleased to see Chinese New Year flowers along the route. I first discovered these last year and thought, due to Covid, I wouldn't be hiking at the right time to see any this year.

Banyan Trees.

Chinese New Year Plants.

You have to be mega-wealthy to live on the Peak. Gardens are surrounded by rolls of barbed wire and security gates are kept very firmly locked.

Locked Gates

Barbed Wire.

I loved the Buddha statues I passed on the way.

Stone Buddah.

Stone Buddha.

Mount High West Walk is at the end of Lugard Road. It starts from the little park where Lugard and Harlech Roads meet. It's not a long walk but it involves climbing lots of steep flights of stairs so it is pretty tiring. I couldn't believe how hot it was when I was climbing. I was puffing and wheezing like a steam train all the way up.

Pavilion in the Park.

In the park.

Beautiful Bougainvillea in the park

Sign Post for the Mount High West Walk.

To begin the walk you go down a small number of stairs then wander through some woods for a short way. You will reach some seating areas, which would be good places to have a picnic. Then you'll start to climb. Some helpful signs along the route tell you how much further you have to go. There are great views back the way as you climb.

The path started flat.

The Path is shaded at the start.

Rest Point on Way Up.

Rest Area.

Then there were stairs, stairs and more stairs.

View back the way.

Mount High West is known in Cantonese as Sai Ko Shan. It reaches a height of 494 m. From the top of the mountain there are spectacular 360° views. Boards tell you what you are looking at. There's also a trigonometrical marker, of course.

Looking at the top of the mountain.

Top of Mount High West.

Trigonometrical Marker.

View Point at the Top.

Tiring as it may be to climb Mount High West when you get there the views more than make up for the steep way up, because from the top of Mount High West you can look out over Pok Fu Lam Reservoir in one direction and over Victoria Harbour in the other. I went past the view point and past the road closed signs to walk on the mountain path at the top of Mount High West. I noted a steep way down but didn't inflict it on myself.

View over Pok Fu Lam Reservoir.

Selfie with Pok Fu Lam Reservoir.

View over Mountain and Harbour.

View over Victoria Harbour.

Road Closed Sign.

Ferry sailing past Lamma Island.

When I had finished enjoying the views from the summit of Mount High West, I began my descent. I was feeling indecisive should I walk down the Peak via Pinewood Battery or should I complete the circular loop via Harlech Road then catch the bus down.

I decided to go with the Harlech Road option. Harlech Road does not have spectacular views like Lugard Road, but it has got a dramatic waterfall, lush vegetation, sitting areas and lots of shade.

Shady Harlech Road.

Sitting out on Harlech Road.

Trees are taking over on Harlech Road.

The Lugard Falls on Harlech Road

When I arrived back at the bus station a number 15 bus was just leaving. I could have waited around twenty minutes for the next one, but instead I decided to walk down through Pok Fu Lam Country Park again. I had missed walking very much during my 'at home' phase so wanted to keep going plus I wondered how different it would be on a sunny day and if its streams and waterfalls would be more exciting after all the rain we have had. It was different. Last time was very atmospheric, pleasantly creepy. This time was bright sunny and beautiful.

Pok Fu Lam Country Park again.