Rus and Ems walking the trail at Lamma + beach + bar

After a particularly lazy day yesterday (I forgot to mention that we watched Rocky Bilboa), we were both up relatively early and walked down to the Piers.
We took the same Ferry that Rus had done on Thursday but we walked the trail from Sok Kwu Wan. The temperature today was a good 10 degrees lower than Rus's earlier jaunt, so it was comfortable in that sense, and we stuck to the path rather than deviating to all the different vantange points and beaches. When we got to the beautiful beach at Hung Shin Ye and did our usual - singapore satays at the beach front bar (concerto inn, lamma island). We continued our walk to Yung Shing Wan, picked me up a fabulous Elmo (sesame street) bag, banana muffin for Rus and 10 (yes ten) cans of pepsi max. The excitement.
We then sat outside the Fountain Head (bar) until the manager arrived and bought out Tsing Tao for Rus and my diet coke.... we left the bar just before 8 to pick up the ferry. One of my favourite part of being out here is travelling by ferry in the evening with all the skyscrapers lit up. Its really lovely. Back at the apartment, we have just called customer service out to bring a spare bed, bedding and towels for my brothers arrival (early) tomorrow morning. It will have to be an early night tonight as tomorrow we need to be at the airport by 7 (and that's not a natural waking hour for me). As I type this, my brother will be 3 hours into his flight, hopefully getting some sleep as he's going to have a very busy week as there's a lot to fit in...

Freak Show and Astrologists....

Today was an interesting one. It seems that most people in HK have never seen anyone quite like me. I made the fatal error of walking around showing my stomach. Those that know a little of me, will know that i've got a love affair with tattoos and body piercing, so today, being a warm day, some showed :)
Picture this - walking along quite happily and the women were all staring, disapprovingly, sucking air in between their teeth, shaking their heads, looking horrified and looking scared. Made me smile. The Thai girl grabbing her mate and moving her round so she could get a better look. Then there was the men. Actually turning round and coming back for a second look. Rus looked quite agitated at one point, but when I explained that I didn't care and that it was more likely they were staring because its not common place here, that he relaxed.
After relaxing a bit too much, an Indian came up to Rus and proceeded to tell him intimate details about his life, his past and about things he should avoid. He was an astrologer. The outcome is (according to the indian) that Rus is a honest, good, kind man and he'll live to 89
There I was thinking that in my 70's i'd be having an easy time of it. There's that idea out of the window.
Anyway, off for pizza now. We won't be using chop sticks xx Emma xx

Lamma Walk (Updated)

As it looks like we've got a few cooler days coming i thought i'd make the most of the hot weather while it's here and so today I went to the other port on Lamma Island (Sok Kwu Wan) and did the walk across the island to Yung Shue Wan (The main port). It took the best part of 4 hours but i must admit i did deviate a few times to look at beaches and vantage points. This is one hardcore walk, especially when it's 27 degrees up!!.
Sok Kwu Wan is beautiful when you approach, it's very fishing orientated and is much more picturesque than Yung Shue Wan. I encountered mangrove swamps, also the caves in the pics are called the "Kamikaze" caves and are huge, apparently during the occupation of WW2 the Japanese were in the process of setting up the caves to be able to launch raids on any approaching allies, but the war ended before the arrangements were complete. The walk takes you up and down and up again and really hits the legs after a while, but is hugely rewarding when you get to see the views. I'm always a bit dissapointed with the pics because they never translate the sheer scale of the landscape...we're talking ski jump type hills, both up and down. And the paths you see in the pics are not paths at all but are actually Lamma's version of roads which is why you'll see little pickups in a few of the pics. I must admit that after the last couple of days i'm happily knackered for want of a better phrase, although i'm sure a bit fitter!!.
Em's off work for 5 days now, so were gonna be chilling and maybe heading off a few places together. Really looking forward to it, it's the first real time off she's had apart from weekends that is and so she's really into just unwinding for a few days. Shame the weathers not gonna be too good but we'll have to see about that as a forecast of rain here can often be a 2 minute shower in an otherwise beautifully hot day.
So i have Em to entertain for 5 days, and from Sunday Andrew, Em's brother joins the party!!. So if he can cope with the jetlag, we'll be sorting somewhere we can all go together before Em has to get back to the grind!.

Pics Here

Peng Chau Island

Today I wanted to find something to do to take my mind off it being Sam's birthday and not being able to see him so I decided to make a real day of it and set off for Peng Chau Island.
Peng Chau is a small island off the coast of Lantau Island. And tiny in comparison. The ferry options are much less than Lantau or Lamma and as a result it is that little bit more cut off. The island was more developed than i imagined as there has been a lot of renovation over the past few years, and there is a fair bit of development taking place with regard to new housing.
I Climbed "Finger Hill"...all 2000 or so steps of it but was rewarded with huge views all the way to Hong Kong Island itself, I could even see the buildings in Aberdeen. And that's a long way!!.
I had an encounter with an eagle with at least an eight foot wingspan, but had the wide angle lens on so couldn't get a very close shot of it. It did startle me though as i took the lens away from my eye to realise it was only 20 feet or so away, swooping above my head. There were huge butterflies everywhere, Screeching!!. I also got a macro of a hairy catterpillar on a rail and thought i was going to be attacked by a very able and very protective looking dog out for a walk with his 70plus female owner!!. And to top it off i got my trainers completely caked in mud as there was a shot i just had to have in the bay which involved trudging in the mud flats!!.
Trainers came into the shower with me when i got back!!....Rewarding day though, And a pleasureable place to spend it.
Better than being gloomy anyway :)

Pics Here

Happy Birthday Sam XXX

275 days today...Happy 9th Birthday to you Sam...Hope you have a wonderful day... Miss you every day
Lots of love always :)
Dad & Emma XXXXXXXXX

Model Powerboat at Victoria Park "Model Boat Lake"

Victoria Park & Causeway Bay

Today i decided to go and have a walk around Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.
I saw people doing Tai Chi, and a model powerboat on the model boat lake in the park. They also have a jogging track, tennis courts including a full on floodlit centre court as well as themed garden areas. I enjoyed some sandwiches here and then popped into causeway Bay centre and then to the waterfront before shooting off to do some shopping on the way home.

Pics Here

Hung Shing Ye Beach on Lamma Island

Music: The Beach Boys - I get Around, Wouldn't it be nice, God Only Knows.

A Flavour of Cheung Chau

Music: Rus Turner - Embraced

Gallery Updates

I've updated the following Galleries:

The Central Escalator
Lugard Road Circuit
Buildings & Skyline

Pics Here

Sunday ... Em update

We have mastered chopsticks!
I have completed and sent my uni assignment off a few days before the deadline!
It's a beautiful day today, where the streets will be lined with Filipino and Indonesian women and chattering at levels off the richter scale, and I should get 4 films developed this week.
We'll go off for another jaunt in a little while after i've made some breakfast - we've no plans so lets see where the day will take us!
Love ME! xx
Sunday Evening
So we've had a lovely day again today - woke up bright and early, then fell back asleep (whoops) but when we did surface for good we made the most of a really sunny day.
We took the Peak Tram up to the Peak and headed straight for Lugard Road where we took a nice walk, stopping off at all the viewing platforms along the way and looking down at the Hong Kong and Kowloon skylines and China sea. We had lunch, coffee and ice cream (a first this year for me and it was great!!!!) and headed home. We've had such a chilled evening which is good - no uni work to do for a few days so nothing to spend our time except ourselves.
This coming week I don't expect to enjoy with it being quarter end and the girl that i'm training up is on holiday so i'll be on my own with all the APAC account managers to tend to. However, as we all know, its only a four day week and Friday I won't be doing the journey to work until the following wednesday for the easter break. My brother is due to arrive next weekend which will be cool. We enjoy the variety of places within easy reach here in Hong Kong. You can be in the uber swanky bar area of Soho where we live in the mid levels of central, wandering one of the many shopping malls, eating noodles in the street or jump on the ferry to a lovely beach, set about on some hilly walks and take in idyllic views. We are going to book into a B&B or hotel on Lamma Island one weekend as we both love it so much.