August 4, Lamma Island
My last full day in Hong Kong dawned bright and sunny. This would be a fine chance to escape from the city and do some hiking in the outlying islands. I chose car-free Lamma Island; easy to reach by fast ferry and with a clearly defined hiking trail that I could cover in a couple of hours. Bonus: a beautiful beach halfway along the route.
I arrived on Lamma with a whole ferry load of tourists. We disembarked and all set off along the narrow main street. The first thought in my mind was ‘how soon can I get away from this horde of people?’ The street wound on and on, lined with small shops selling organic goods and handmade souvenirs, as well as the usual bars, convenience stores and seafood restaurants. Bikes were parked all around. Lamma definitely has a distinct hippie vibe.
I stopped at one of the organic stores and loaded up with snacks. Then I found the start of the trail and was off, walking at a brisk pace with my backpack full of food. For the first 45 minutes the trail was narrow and winding. I passed by some small groups of houses, and lots of lush tropical big leaf greenery. Not many people were on the trail and I was entirely by myself much of the time. What a contrast to the jam-packed streets of Hong Kong! Eventually I found the beach and settled down to relax a while, sunbathing in my shorts and vest as I couldn’t be bothered to put on my bikini. The beach was quite busy, mostly with tourists from mainland China speaking Mandarin. I overheard the word ‘laowai’ and frowned slightly to myself. The beach had a wifi connection (good old Hong Kong)…so I was able to snap a few shots and upload them onto Instagram. Feeling my skin begin to burn, I got up, slathered on sunscreen and started walking again.
The second part of the Lamma trail was longer and steeper, flanked by towering green hillsides. I walked upwards for what seemed like forever, guzzling water and pouring with sweat. My sunglasses refused to stay put on my damp nose. But it was worth it because the trail took me up into the mountains overlooking Lamma. The view over the island was stunning, despite the presence of some kind of industrial station behind the beach. Hmm, this can easily be cropped out of photos.
After an hour or so the trail started to head downward and I was soon making my way towards the second Lamma village. On the way I found a deep grotto cut into the mountainside. The information sign said that it was used as an ammo store during the war against the Japanese. It was pitch black and looked extremely creepy. I didn’t go inside.
Soon I arrived at the end of the trail, in the village of Sok Yue Wan. Here the ferry would depart back to Kowloon. The journey back was quite rough and some people started freaking out and squealing. Luckily although I hate flying I have no problem with sailing. We made it back in one piece.
I caught the old and famous Star Ferry over to Hong Kong Island (this ferry has been running since colonial times and is the cheapest transport in Hong Kong at only 2HKD, around 20 pence). My China visa was ready and waiting at CTS.
Finally, home for pasta and wine with Chungwah and Walter. Then an early night in preparation for tomorrow’s train odyssey to the mainland.
