1/10/15 Sunset Peak

Even though it's "winter" here in Hong Kong, the 20 degree weather has been perfect for spending time outside. My friends and I had been chatting all week about hiking somewhere on Lantau Island, which is geographically separate from Hong Kong Island and the New Territories, but still only a short train ride away. (Bless the MTR)

We decided on Sunset Peak, and all 7 of us rolled out to Lantau just after lunch. Naturally, the plan was to catch the sunset from the mountain top, so we didn't want to get there too-too early but also DEFINITELY couldn't have been too late and missed it!

The hike itself was long and a real challenge for a novice like me, but Hong Kong has a lot of hiking trails to explore so I'm determined to work up my strength :) Here are a bunch of pictures from the journey up, and of us at the top!

Our starting point! We had to take a bus from the MTR station to here, and it was so packed in there we were sharing seats and squishing really close. Thankfully that was before we got all gross and sweaty.

Off we go!

After about 20 minutes on the trail the trees cleared to reveal a first glimpse of the view we'd be enjoying from the top. Ocean, islands, and skies abounding. 

Taking photos was a great excuse to catch a breath... and fix your hair.
Mmmmm, yeah, work the camera. 

The trail looked pretty much like this the entire way, and the huge stones mostly served as stairs. Thousands of stairs. Making the path must have taken forever.

Pictures of people taking pictures - it's all very meta.

More than once I caught my friends whistling songs from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. But with paths like this, you really can't blame them. 

Almost at the peak, when suddenly rock outcroppings started appearing. When it came to climbing those, the spirit was willing but the legs were protesting. We settled for pictures instead.

About 5 more minutes to the actual peak by this point, and the sky started turning the most beautiful of colours. 

Finally at the top! 869 m above sea level, and it was WINDY up here! 

Smile Chris! 

Impromptu photo-shoot while we still had sunlight. 

Remember the Waterloo Engineers that we love? We love them. Here's one.

And here's the other! Yay for fellow Canadians :D :D 

Instead of taking photos of the sunset itself and watching it through a viewfinder, I decided to put the camera down and take in the moment just for myself. I did however take this shot a minute afterwards, as the clouds looked too beautiful to ignore.

It was definitely dark by the time we got back to the bottom, and we even had to use out phone flashlights to make sure we didn't trip down the last few flights of stairs. After a dinner of bibimbap and a MTR ride home, I was ready for a hot shower and a good night's sleep. What an amazing day!!

Today's Little Thing, Happy Thing: Hong Kong's foliage. Coming from Ontario, I'm used to greenery, but the flora and fauna on this side of the globe is so different from Canada's that I'm constantly in awe of the plants growing everywhere, big and small. The trees have wider, glossier, more rounded leaves than you'd usually see on an oak or maple, so they shine in the sunlight and make me smile.