Saturday afternoon we went for a hike on Lantau Island. After an outdoor brunch on the square in Discovery Bay we changed clothes and set off for Mui Wo. It’s not too far (about 1-2 hours), but although most of the hike is along the coastline you have to hike over one pretty steep hill. I loved the walk, the nature on Lantau Island is beautiful and the views over the sea fantastic. The weather was not great, overcast with a bit of occasional rain (and 30 degrees Celcius), but not too bad for a hike. I was amazed that we only met a few people, if I would live in Discovery Bay this would likely be a standard run for a Saturday afternoon. Hiking here I realize how much I miss nature in Shanghai, that’s the only real downside of living in that exciting city. But I have decided to compensate that by going more on weekend trips. Next weekend I’ll be in Beijing (for business), the weekend after that Macau (a wedding) and then I might go to either SheShan or Hangzhou.
Mui Wo is a pleasant village, with a nice beach in Silvermine Bay. There are also several nice seafood restaurants (we did not try them, but our friends told us this), an Italian restaurant and even a McDonalds (right at the harbour next to the ferry terminal, it’s a pity to see the golden arches there). We decided to go on to Cheung Sha, and have dinner there on the beach. Because it’s a 3-4 hour hike through the mountains, we opted for a bus ride. For HKD 5 you are there in about 15 minutes (the bus trip is like a roller coaster though, the bus speeds through the hairpin curves over the mountain).
On the almost empty Cheung Sha beach there is a good South African restaurant (The Stoep) where we enjoyed some beers and a bottle of Chardonnay, together with among others ostrich steak, big prawns, and bbq-ed sole. Give it a try if you are looking for a different place to eat in Hong Kong! After dinner we took a taxi to Mui Wo and from there the slow ferry back to Discovery Bay.
We arrived in time to watch England win its first game in the overloaded Residents Club. After the game we took the boat back to Central, and from there a taxi to our hotel. Just in time to watch Sweden kick off!