Ten Thousand Foot Long Silver Cloth.

Chasing waterfalls.

I'm really missing hiking, but it's way too hot to walk very far. Yesterday I decided to brave the heat and do a fairly short walk near Tai O. I chose this walk as it's supposed to be shaded most of the way.

I was going to Shui Lo Cho Stream. As the raging white waters of this stream cascade down the mountainside in a series of pools and waterfalls, they are said to resemble a ten thousand foot long roll of silver coloured silken cloth. It is from this that they take their Chinese name.

To get to the stream I first took the number 11 bus from Tung Chung to Tai O fishing village. I got off the bus at the last stop. This journey takes around an hour and, as long as you get a seat, it is very enjoyable as the scenery is really beautiful. Mind you, the road is a bit winding, so if you get carsick, you may not enjoy it.

Looking down on Cheung Sha Wan from the bus.

The Shek Pik Reservoir from the bus.

Then once I got off the bus in Tai O, I walked towards the pier where the ferries arrive. Behind the pier there is a really long pink bridge known as Tai O Waterfront Promenade. I walked across this. There are views out across the sea on one side. On the other side there are lots of mangroves. In the distance behind the mangroves, the mountains loom. The scenery around Tai O always makes me think of Scotland.

Colourful banner next to the pier.

Tai O ferry pier.

Tai O Waterfront Promenade Bridge.

Almost there.

Looking back at Tai O across the mangroves.

Distant village nestled under the mountains.

Closer view.

Mangroves.

The other side of the bridge is busier with lots of boats.

The other side is busier with lots of boats.

Once you have crossed the bridge, there is a lovely little village with a small harbour.

The village on the other side of the bridge.

The village on the other side of the bridge.

The village on the other side of the bridge.

Little village harbour.

There are no cars here, but there are lots of bikes around.

Bicycles.

Bicycles.

There are plant pots placed along one wall. A lovely idea, but they looked in need of a bit of tender loving care.

Plant pots on the wall.

Plant pots on the wall.

One of the village houses is covered in beautiful paintings

What a great house.

Painting.

Painting.

Painting.

There's a fancy wall and an area that is just filled with wild flowers.

Wall

Flowers.

Flowers.

At the end of the village, I followed the sign for Man Cheong Po. The walk became more like a hike and fortunately most of it was under the shade of the trees. Every now and then I caught a glimpse of the Tai O Heritage Hotel in the distance. It's housed in the old colonial police station.

Sign post.

Pathway.

Tai O Heritage Hotel.

Tai O Heritage Hotel.

At this point I was wandering along Lantau Trail Section Seven. There were notices about a diversion which I will need to check out if I ever do this trail. I passed a sign for a campsite, some interesting vegetation and hundreds of enormous spiders. Luckily, I like spiders, but this is not a walk for the arachnophobic.

Lantau Trail Marker.

Lantau Trail Diversion.

Campsite.

Fungi.

Spider. I could have put my hand next to it to show the size but I'm not crazy.

Just trust me, they are big.

I passed an old gateway surrounded by bamboo. I wonder if it once led to a monastery.

Gateway.

There were occasional glimpses of the sea. Soon I was looking down at a rocky beach with a huge dredger next to it. I could also see a small pier in the distance. I knew I was nearing the turn off for the waterfalls.

View.

Looking down at the dredger.

Reaching the dredger.

And this is where disaster struck. Up ahead, blocking the road were two sleeping dogs. I know, I know, I shouldn't be scared of dogs, but sometimes the stray dogs here can be very aggressive. I did not want to walk right past them. I stopped and looked at them and then I thought: "Ok, I'll just climb down to the beach and pass them that way. The dogs were sleeping in the shade at the end of the pier.

Beach and pier.

Beach and pier.

Rocky beach.

Looking back at the dredger.

From the beach, I got past the dogs with no problem, but by the time I clambered back onto the path I was wondering if I had missed the turn off or not. I wasn't sure. I kept going and I came to a warning sign about trespassing, so I was entering the part of Lantau Trail Stage Seven that was supposedly closed. I decided to go a little bit further. I came to a bridge over a stream. I felt sure this was the stream I was looking for. I walked on and felt pretty sure that just past the end of the green railings, but on my left hand side, would be the path that led to the waterfalls.

Warning notice. Shades of Sha Lo Wan with its pitchforks and burning torches.

Bridge on trail.

Shui Lo Cho Stream.

It's only a couple of minutes walk along the path to the bottom falls and a pool that some people swim in. I have seen videos where people hike all the way up the stream to the top of the mountain. They climb up some of the waterfalls or some of the steep paths to the side. This struck me as being far too dangerous.

I knew that back the way, near the pier, there were stairs up to Man Cheung Po, also known as Tai O Infinity Pool. There's a manmade dam in the stream here and the water behind it is held back in a large pool that looks just like an infinity swimming pool. People used to come here to swim, but they were not meant to, as this is the fresh water supply for some of the nearby villages. Since people did not obey the no swimming notices, the area got fenced off and has guards and CCTV. I've heard it's about a twenty minute climb to get up there and then all you can do is peer through the fence. I might go there when it's cooler, but even just a twenty minute climb did not appeal in the heat.

I decided I would look at the bottom level and try to go up one more level only and that would do for me.

I was surprised to find about twelve people at the waterfall. I had scarcely passed anyone on the walk. I think they had just finished swimming there. It's permitted to swim in the bottom pool as the drinking water has already been siphoned off. I didn't swim though. I thought it looked a bit murky. I could just be a bit fussy.

Bottom waterfall.

Bottom waterfall.

Pool to swim in.

I thought I would have a go at climbing up to the next level and actually it wasn't that hard. To my surprise, there was one man sitting up there. He was using a drone to film the whole stream from top to bottom. I should get one of those, it would save me a lot of climbing effort. The man was very friendly and offered to take my photo.

Waterfall one level up.

Me one level up.

I looked at the way down, then asked the man if there was an easier path down on the other side. He said that unfortunately there was only a way up, and that it was very dangerous. That was pretty much what I had thought. Well, I had no choice really, but to go back down. I said goodbye to the man, turned round and looked at the near vertical path down. I suddenly realised I was not overly fond of heights, especially when water was raging down them. The only way I could get down was to sit down and go very, very slowly on my bottom. I stopped occasionally to take the odd photo of the water gushing past next to me and have a bit of a rest, and amazingly enough I made it without mishap or injury.

Looking down and wondering why I came up in the first place.

Help!

Water gushing down next to me as I descended.

Water gushing down next to me as I descended.

Water gushing down next to me as I descended.

Safely back down the bottom, I began my return journey. Remembering the dogs on the path, I walked along the beach. Horror! One dog was still on the path; the other was on the beach. I stopped. The dog on the beach turned and looked at me, then it wagged its tail and hurried off about its business. Phew, thank God, friendly dogs. I continued my walk. It was only a couple of kilometres back the way, but I must admit the heat was getting to me. I was glad I hadn't done the additional climb to the infinity pool.

It was a relief to see the long bridge again and know I was almost back at the bus stop. I didn't even have the energy for a walk around Tai O.

Return across the long bridge.

Although the bus stop is in the shade, me and all the other passengers were struggling waiting for the bus to come. Fortunately, I only had to wait about ten minutes. Air conditioning! What a fantastic invention.