These past few days have been very exciting! I've seen a pink dolphin, explored the small fishing village of Tai O, seen the main agriculture farmlands of Hong Kong, and met up with some wonderful people. Life is good here in Hong Kong, and I can't believe I only have 6 days here until I go to Phuket!!
Tai O is one of my favorite experiences in Hong Kong so far! Fay, our new friend Ian, and I took a bus to Tai O, on the island of Lantau through winding mountains with gorgeous views of the South China Sea. Tai O is famous for its productions of fermented shrimp paste and dried, salted fish. When we arrived, we decided to go on a small boat ride through the stilted, aluminum houses of the villagers and out to the mouth of the sea to spot the famed pink dolphins (only found in the South China Sea, I believe)!! It was only the three of us on the boat with the captain, and off we went! As you will see in the photos, it was AMAZING. We wandered up through what truly felt like an "Asian Venice," or a bit like the riverboats in Thailand. It was strange to see aluminum homes perched atop unstable-looking stilts above the water! Then we went in search of this mythical creature. I was sure this ride would be like those San Francisco "whale-watching" rides in which all you ended up spotting was a fistful of kelp. So we rode out into sea and all four pairs of eyes were scanning the horizon, but I was sure the only one who would spot a dolphin, if anything at all, would be the experienced, beady eyes of our boat captain, an ancient Chinese man. But holy smokes!! Out of the corner of my eye I could see a blur of movement, and I look over just to catch a pink dolphin diving back into the water not 30 feet away!! Of course I shrieked and the chase was on! We slowly manuevered through the calm waters to where the little devil seemed to be going, and soon enough there were several more sightings of the dolphin jumping up and diving back into the water! At one point it was about 5 feet from our boat, swimming around and curious, or perhaps bored, with this boatful (well, three) of peering strangers.
That boat ride was honestly the best $20 HKD (which is less than $3 USD!!!!!) that I have ever spent in my life.
We continued on after the boat ride to explore the village, where rows of dried fish, shrimp paste, live seafood, and dried fish stomach (a delicacy costing around $25,000 HKD, about $3000 USD, for about a pound!) were being sold.
We wandered through the village and along the seashore, and spotted so many vegetable gardens tended by the elderly locals slowly working the rich earth. I find the growth of vegetables to be so beautiful and exciting. Something about those stalky, healthy plants shooting from the soil and becoming a perfect specimen to be eaten and enjoyed! Pretty cool.
Besides my trip to Tai O, I also visited several farms in the Gam Tim area in the New Territories. My new friend Kenneth, the marketing manager for a local vegetable marketing organization, drove me to various sites so I could see my first real farms in Hong Kong. It was a great experience to see first-hand where the local, organic produce was grown and tended to by the real farmers in the city, and I learned a lot. I also saw some huge dogs. Oh, and to say driving in Hong Kong is an insane, death-defying task would be a grave understatement.
I'm officially alone in Hong Kong now, since Fay ended her vacation here and went back to the States. But with my research, we weren't able to spend too much time together anyway, but it was fun while it lasted. I've resumed my solo traveling mode and am going to enjoy this too, I know. Ordering from restaurants with only Chinese menus will prove to be amusing events, I am sure.
I have plans to finally go hiking in Hong Kong! Locals here don't hike a lot, I've learned, even though there are amazing, breath-taking panoramic hikes in the mountains and beaches in Sai Kung, Hong Kong Island, and the islands. I will also be meeting up with a couple more people for some fun, and doing a bit more research. I'll let you know how it goes!
this was the most delicious thing EVER! it's ginger milk custard that is silky, sweet, spicy, and a taste of heaven!
the pink dolphin!! i'm surprised i was lucky enough to catch a photo!
Man's small, insignificant existence compared to the natural world surrounding us.
puts shaved ice in the states to SHAME.
Bride's Pool Falls. I think there is a story of an unwilling bride traveling to wed a man through an arranged marriage. She falls in/commits suicide in these falls, and her ghost can be seen combing her hair....AHHHHHHHHHH!!
The largest, and only, terraced farm I've ever seen. Quite a spectacular site to see terraces on the whole side of the mountain, each terrace filled with different vegetation.
A big pig at Kadoorie Farms. They have 10 pigs, and they are teaching the public how to raise organic, happy livestock.
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