Nocturnes is an aesthetic treat as well as informative introduction to the world of hawk moth field research (Film review)

  

Hong Kong International Film Festival 

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Nocturnes (India-U.S.A., 2024)

- Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan, co-directors

- Part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival's Reality Bites program

 

A few days before this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival got going, a friend and I were telling each other about which offerings we had got tickets for.  Upon doing so, he casually remarked that he was surprised that, given my love of critter spottings (including of butterflies and moths) while out hiking in Hong Kong, I didn't have Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivisan's Nocturnes on my list. 

After he did that, I went and checked out the synopsis for it in the HKIFF program booklet -- and determined that this documentary about research conducted in the forest of the Eastern Himalayas into the hawk moth of Arunachal Pradesh did indeed sound right up my alley.  At the same time, I still was very pleasantly surprised that Nocturnes turned out to be such an aesthetic treat even while also imparting information on such as the size and look of the hawk moth, the elevations at which it can be found, and how climate change can and will affect the life of the species. 

Mansi Mungee is an ecologist whom the filmmakers at a "food joint" in the Himalayas, where they had gone to make a film on snow leopard habitats.  When she told them about how her research involved going at night to set up moth screens on which hundreds, even thousands, of insects are attracted to when light is shone on it, they decided to capture this nocturnal scenes and enterprise on film (with the help of cinematographer Satya Rai Nagpaul).  And also install multiple mics to record not only the conversation of Mansi and her assistants (all of them indigenous individuals local to the area -- the chief of whom is Bicki, from the Bugun community) as they meticulously and patiently carry out their rigorous work but also the sounds of the forest that include the flapping of the wings of the moths and other insects in the film.

This results in Nocturne being an impressively immersive and textured work that encourages and rewards those viewers happy to look and listen at what nature is willing to reveal. At the same time, I think the documentary also gets its viewers appreciating and enjoying the dedication and passion of the chief human in the picture, and feel privileged to be privy to the academic discussions Mansi has with her mentor (Ramana Athrey) as well as the bonding and humanising chats she has with her obliging assistants.  

 

On a lingustic note: Hindi and Bugun is spoken in the film but the documentary's primary language is English.  Much of Nocturnes is dialogue-less though.  And while this might bother some people unused to this -- and get them feeling that time drags as a result -- there are others who will feel that it makes for a meditative viewing experience that actually works out to both relaxing and stimulating -- and generally very satisfying indeed.  So much so, in fact, that I think I would have been happy for this 82 minute length work to have had a running time that was closer to 100 minutes! :)

My rating for this film: 8.0

Just two days into 2024 and I already worry that it won't be a happy new year!

I like the color of these flowers I spotted on a hike

yesterday (New Year's Day, 2024)

 

It's just the second day of the new year and I don't want to be a kill joy but I worry that 2024 may be worse than 2023.  Some portends that are not good: the killing of Palestinian civilians continuing on New Year's Day; ditto the war in Ukraine caused by Russia's invasion in February 2022; ditto the civil war in Myanmar which massively escalated in May 2021; etc. And to add to it, there being a massive earthquake in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan yesterday -- though, thankfully, all tsunami warnings issued in association with it have now been lifted.

 

And then there's Hong Kong where, as per an RTHK report: "Safeguarding national security will continue to be Hong Kong's top priority, Chief Secretary Eric Chan said on Monday [i.e., New Year's Day], as he vowed to complete work for Basic Law Article 23 security legislation within this year."

 

A reminder: China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong on June 30th, 2020, which remains very much in effect and has sowed so much fear along with actual political persecution in the city. Basic Law Article 23 would effectively be Hong Kong's domestic version of a national security law -- one which has been opposed for decades by Hongkongers. Indeed, back on July 1st, 2003, over 500,000 people took part in a protest march against it -- and in the aftermath, the then Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Tung Chi-wah, felt obliged to resign, as did the then Security Chief, one Regina Ip.

 

Back to yesterday's RTHK piece: "On social media, Chan said the upcoming legislation, together with the existing national security law, will more effectively prevent, stop and punish acts endangering national security." So... Chan thinks Hong Kong is still not... secure?! (In other words: Hong Kong is still not back (to normal)? Re that last bit: if so, he and I are in agreement; albeit for different reasons!) 

 

Another bit from that piece: "Meanwhile, the number of visitors to Hong Kong topped 30 million in the first 11 months of last year, Chan said, adding that the government will continue to hold different international events and drive the local economy." 

 

While at first glance, that sounds impressive, do bear in mind though that that's still just around half of the number of visitors attracted to Hong Kong in 2018; and that the vast majority of Hong Kong's visitors, then but especially now, are from Mainland China rather than the rest of the world. So I really am not so sure how valid Hong Kong's description of itself as "Asia's World City" is anymore.

 

One more quote from the RTHK piece: "He also called on new district councillors to respond to people's urgent needs and concerns." Note: That would the new district councillors who gained seats in the District Council "election" last month which only 27.5% of registered voters decided to take part in -- as opposed to 71.2% for the 2019 District Council election -- for whatever reason (e.g., they couldn't be bothered to take part in something they considered a sham, couldn't find any candidate they actually believed would help them/Hong Kong, etc.)

 

So... happy new year? I would love for it to be so. But I already worry. And I think I have good reason to.  Still, if I were to look for a good portend: yesterday saw Hong Kong beat China 2-1 in a football match; the first time Hong Kong's footballers recorded a victory over China's in 29 years (or is it 38? -- in any case, it's a pretty historic victory!)  And granted that China had two players sent off (and an assistant coach) over the course of the game -- so were handicapped by having two players fewer than Hong Kong for part of the game.  But in some ways, that makes the whole thing even more hilarious (and yes, it's indeed good to have something to laugh about -- and so early into 2024 too)! :)

The kind of week that makes one pessimistic about Hong Kong's prospects, however personally resilient one endeavors to be

  

Lest we forget: it's currently a holiday season!

 

Earlier this week, the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI) released the results of its 2023 review and 2024 forecast survey.  Earlier in the month, PORI had interviewed 501 Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above, asking them to evaluate whether they felt satisfied about the city’s development in the past year and for their projections for 2024, as well as assessing their happiness and prospects.

 

The result, as reported by the Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP), was that "Hongkongers have a net optimism rate of zero percentage points for the city’s development in the year ahead". More specifically, "while 40 per cent of respondents were optimistic about the city’s development in 2024, 40 per cent said they were pessimistic, giving a net optimism rate of 0 percentage points".  Lest it not be obvious: "“The very simple picture is that people are very pessimistic about the future of Hong Kong in 2024, on the whole,” Robert Chung, president and CEO of PORI, said in response to a question from HKFP."

 

Interestingly, however, "respondents had a “less pessimistic” assessment of their personal prospects, with 47 per cent saying they expected personal development to improve next year, versus 22 per cent who expected a setback.  “When you ask them about how they feel about themselves, how they cope with [the outlook], they seem to be less pessimistic,” Chung added."  How to account for this?  

 

The way veteran journalist and political commentator Johnny Lau sees it, "While many people found the city’s prospect to be pessimistic, they were able to adjust their mood and feel happy for themselves" Somehow, "while the external environment was uncontrollable, people demonstrated resilience by adjusting their personal feelings".

 

I wonder if people living outside of Hong Kong will find this strange and even hard to believe.  But I must say that I can understand this -- and even have this kind of experience and perspective myself.  Take as an example my mood and situation this week: on the one hand, I've had good times by way of doing such as having had Christmas dinner with family members and spent time doing such as going on enjoyable hikes and walk this week, and also viewing a really excellent film in Abang Adik (Malaysia-Taiwan, 2023) at the cinema; but on the other, I'm also all too aware that this has been yet another week of political repression in Hong Kong.

 

Among the lowlights: Veteran activist Koo Sze-yiu was denied bail for a third time on Monday (i.e., Christmas!) morning over a protest he had planned -- yes, PLANNED (as opposed to carry out) -- against the overhauled District Council "elections" that took place on December 10th (with just 27.5% of registered voters electing to turn up for it!).  A reminder: Mr Koo is 77 years old AND has been diagnosed with Stage 4 rectal cancer; so it can seem mean, if not rather mad, to treat him like he poses a genuine threat to national security.  

 

And yesterday saw three students jailed for up to six years over their involvement in a foiled 2021 plot to bomb court buildings and government offices.  Cheung Ho-yeung, Ho Yu-wang and Kwok Man-hei are currently 23, 20 and 21 years old.  Which means that they were 21, 18 and 19 when they were arrested and charged with taking part in a “conspiracy to commit terrorism” under the national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong on June 30th, 2020.  

 

Of the trio, Ho Yu-wang was singled out as "the plot mastermind who planned to manufacture explosives and target court buildings in 2021".  A reminder: the youngest of the trio, Ho was 19 years old at the time of their arrest and supposed plotting to "commit terrorism". At the same time though, "no bombs were [actually] made and no casualties occurred".  Call me naive but... could the authorities have taken these young people too seriously as threats to national security?!

 

Meanwhile, this morning saw lots of news reports about another young Hong Kong activist having gone into exile.  One of the youngest pro-democracy activists to have been sentenced in Hong Kong under a national security law, Tony Chung is still only 22 years of age but already an ex-convict -- having completed his prison sentence in June of this year.  But, as he's now made public, he was still not completely free -- with his being required to not post or say "anything that would harm Hong Kong’s national security — a wide-ranging and unclear restriction — and not speaking publicly".  

 

Oh, and, as further detailed in a Washington Post piece: "Since Chung’s release, officials from Hong Kong’s Correctional Services Department have requested meetings every two to four weeks, summoning him to random locations and then transporting him to undisclosed places in a seven-seater van, its curtains drawn shut. Chung said that during those encounters, he was interrogated about his activities over the previous weeks, asked to provide the names of elementary school classmates as well as “detailed information about his visits to restaurants and bars, along with contents of [his] conversations.”"

 

"The “deep surveillance and immense pressure” he experienced after being released from prison “disturbed my life, and I couldn’t withstand such torture, both physically and mentally. So I felt that I had to leave Hong Kong,” Chung told the Guardian, hours after arriving in the UK."  Honestly, his decision is understandable for many people.  (And just to be clear: one need not agree with his politics to do that.)

Oh, and this afternoon saw news that the parents of Agnes Chow, another young Hong Kong activist who's gone into exile, were questioned at Tai Po Police Station this morning.  (Agnes Chow lived in Tai Po before she was sent to jail and then moved to Canada.)  As the Hong Kong Free Press reported: "Chow’s mother was invited to assist police investigation as the guarantor of her daughter’s bail, sources told local media on Friday".  And while it may sound innocous enough, the fact of the matter is that what we have now in Hong Kong is the employment of tactics previously associated only with Mainland China and involving using family ties to exert emotional pressure on people.

 

Writing about the treatment that Tony Chung's outlined that he has received post coming out of jail, Bloomberg's Matthew Brooker Tweeted that "The term "police state" gets thrown about a bit, but hard to see how HK doesn't meet the definition on this basis: police state [n.] a totalitarian state characterized by the use of police, esp. secret police, to suppress dissent and exert repressive control over its citizens".  And I'm sure he thinks this too about the treatment meted out to Agnes Chow, her parents, Ho Yu-wang and Co, and Koo Sze-yiu.

 

A darker thought: this week's not over yet.  What other bad developments are in store this weekend... and in the year to come?  And how much more must Hong Kong and its -- thus far, often unexpectedly resilient -- people endure?!

Thinking of those who really f**king love Hong Kong but aren't in Hong Kong while up on Mount Butler today

  

So I went up Mount Butler today...

 

...and got positive proof once again 

that Hong Kong is really beautiful

 

I sincerely hope that those folks who really

 f**king love Hong Kong but can't be here today 

will be able to return some day

A rejuvenating hike from the Peak down to Aberdeen (Photo-essay)

A Canadian friend who's visited Hong Kong many times before but not for some four years is currently here.  He told me he wanted to do more hiking than he had previously done and in parts of Hong Kong he previously had not set foot in.  After determining that he had never gone on this particular route, I took him on a hike from the Peak down to Aberdeen.

 

It's a route that I've been on multiple time over the years and/but enjoyed each time for the varied scenery that it offers up.  And I'm glad to say that my friend was able to appreciate its charms too.  At one point, he said, "I can see how a hike like this would help you to rejuvenate and re-appreciate Hong Kong".  And that just about sums it all up really! :)

 

Spotted early on in the hike: a butterfly with parts of its wings 

missing yet still is able to fly as well as is very much alive

-- a metaphor for Hong Kong in 2023? :S

 

As I told my friend: I'm sorry but it's well nigh impossible

to find a hike route that doesn't have ups and downs in Hong Kong!

 

Umbrellas at a pavillion -- I assume they were put up there by the

morning walkers that regularly visit but would it also be fair to assume 

that they are free for passersby to take and use in rainy weather?!

 

View of Aberdeen and the surrounding area which shows well

how urban and rural parts of Hong Kong are so close together

 

View of Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau which includes the

breakwater I've (now) been on! :)

 

A spot which my friend thought would be a good place

to go swimming on a hot summer's day ;b

 

A look back up at the fog covered Peak got us counting our

good fortune that it was less humid and wet a few hundred feet down below!

 

The old St Peter's Secondary School building's covered with 

way more greenery than when I last saw it a year or two ago! :O

Chinese New Year flower and critter spotting on my second Chinese New Year hike of 2023 (Photo-essay)

On my hike last week, I had hoped to see Chinese New Year flowers -- seeing as it was Chinese New Year already and all -- but I came up blank on that score and wondered if Chinese New Year had come too early this year for the flowers to bloom.  A few days ago though, a friend posted her photos of these seasonal flora that I look forward to seeing each year on Facebook.  So I decided to hike this afternoon in sections of Tai Tam Country Park where I had come across clumps of Chinese New Year flowers in previous years.

I'm happy to report that I was successful in making some Chinese New Year flowers on my hike.  But, actually, there were fewer of them in bloom than when I hiked in the area on the 15th day of Chinese New Year last year.  On the other hand, I made quite a few critter spottings: specifically, of birds and boars.  And got in a generally nice hike on a beautiful blue sky, crisp air day.  So, all in all, it was a very pleasant afternoon out in the Hong Kong outdoors once more! :)

 

Proof that it really was a bright blue sky day! :)

 

When visibility is high, Tai Mo Shan can seem not so 

far away even when one's on Hong Kong Island!

 

Me and my (long) shadow out hiking in Hong Kong :)

 

If you can see beyond Kowloon Peak to a number of

other New Territories mountain ranges and mountains,

you know that the air is clear and visibility high that day! :)

 

Enough scenic views!  Now for some bird pics, including

of this fat orange breasted critter (who I'd appreciate

someone IDing for me!)

 

Another avian beauty that I'd appreciate getting an ID for!

 

Okay, at least I can ID these flowers with absolute certainty:

and yes, these are the famous Chinese New Year flowers! :)

 

And this, dear readers, is one of 10 wild boar

that I caught sight of on the hike today :)

A Chinese New Year hike with various interesting sightings

A greeting that's still valid as today's just the 3rd day

of Chinese New Year! :)

 

Something many (all?) of us would like to have this year!

 

I went out hiking yesterday, the second day of Chinese New Year.  For a change, I decided to go on on that would take place partly after dark. (I don't usually do this but I know that the Victoria Peak Circuit is lighted -- and, in fact, have been on it in the dark twice before.)  And while my plan to catch the sunset from the Peak wasn't entirely successful (due to conditions being hazier than I would have liked), I did get the views of the city lights that I had hoped -- and more because, as it turned out, I also was treated to the sight of various new year messages put up on the sides of Hong Kong's tallest building, the International Commerce Centre (ICC) over in West Kowloon. 

Along with "Happy New Year"(note: no "Chinese" or "lunar" specified; there's no need since we are in Hong Kong and everyone knows which new year people are currently celebrating!), there were wishes put up for "Good health" along with such as "Good luck", "Happiness" and "Prosperity".  Speaking of good health: Three years ago yesterday was when the Mainland Chinese city of Wuhan went into lock down for the first time as a result of what was then referred to as the Wuhan coronavirus (but now is more frequently referred to as Covid).  

 

And three years ago today was a strange Chinese New Year Eve: one which saw Hong Kong still in turmoil (a reminder: the anti-extradition bill/pro-democracy street protests continued past 2019 and through to July 1st, 2020, the first full day of Hong Kong's national security law era); and also feeling like we were in the calm before the storm phase of a new pandemic.  And so it proved, with things changing really quickly and dramatically on the health front.

 

A measure of how quickly things changed back in January 2020: On the first day of Chinese New Year, 2020, I went out hiking (with a friend) and didn't see anyone wearing a mask out on the trails.  The next day, I went out hiking again -- and on the second day of Chinese New Year, 2020, I saw a number of hikers wearing surgical masks, including up on Mount Butler; a 436-meter-high hill on Hong Kong Island that I have to admit to panting quite a bit whenever I hike up it!    

 

Fast forward to Chinese New Year 2023 and masking is still required in Hong Kong for the most part -- but not in country parks and/or when exercising.  Even so, I saw quite a number of masked folks on the Peak Circuit yesterday.  Something quite different from my recent excursions in the area: the presence of tourists; including those speaking Mandarin but also such as Korean and Western languages other than English.

 

I know that the tourist influx to Hong Kong is by no means at the level that it was prior to 2020 but I must say it was a shock to see so many people at the Peak yesterday.  And while the bus I took up to Victoria Gap yesterday was not full, the queues for transportation going down were far longer than I would have liked -- and yes, part of me regrets having gone up to the Peak yesterday (and, also, not hiking down from it like is actually what I do -- be it down to Kennedy Town, Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen, etc.)!     

Ah well, at least I did get in some cool sights yesterday evening -- which, by the way, included my first wild boar spotting of 2023!  (For the record: it was a young boar; and I sincerely hope that it will be okay -- rather than hunted down by the authorities.)  On the other hand, I've yet to come across any Chinese New Year flowers this year.  Maybe (hopefully) I'll be able to remedy this situation on my next hike! :) 

My first hike of 2023 (Photo-essay)

I seem to be on a roll with regards to avian spottings.  On the second day of the new year, I went on my first hike of 2023.  It's been some months since I last went along it but the trail that takes one from Braemar Hill to Tai Tam Road (via Sir Cecil's Ride and Quarry Gap) is one I've been on multiple times over the years. 

 

On previous hikes, have seen snakes, wild boars and amorous stink bugs along sections of this route. This time around, it was too cold for snakes and too early in the day for wild boar spottings.  So I had to content myself with bird spottings and beautiful vistas galore -- which is pretty good consolation, all in all, I reckon! ;b

 

Not the most auspicious sight: an elderly hiker being attended 

to by Emergency Services near my trail head! :O

 

The thing with a lot a Hong Kong hikes is that they begin 

with an ascent up stairs or an incline of some sort... :S

 

A less usual visual: the moon in the afternoon sky!

 

Sunlight on the water of the Tai Tam Upper Reservoir

 

 

Lots of birds of the same feather perched on branches of a tree

 

White wagtails are so cute!

 

The Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir is 

almost always beautiful to me

 

Three "moon gates" in the water ;)

Hiking on an alternative route less taken between Mui Wo and the Trappist Monastery pier (Photo-essay)

I went for my first hike in a number of months earlier today which also was my first hike in a while where I wasn't the hike leader.  The friend I was with and I have been on the usual route that goes from Discovery Bay to Mui Wo via the Trappist Monastery several times.  We've also (separately) hiked from Discovery Bay to Mui Wo via Lo Fu Tau.  

 

This time around, my friend took me on a route further to the east of both of those that's not as easy as the former but also no where as difficult as the latter.  There were a couple of uphill sections on this trail -- which also appears to be far less of a beaten track than the others -- that I found on the challenging side (and one where I worried that I had gotten stuck because the next step was just so high up!)  But all ended up being well; with some stupendous views to be had and also an interesting sight involving a fishing folk using an interesting fishing method to get quite the haul near the Trappist Monastery pier that ended up being the hike's end destination (rather than Discovery Bay)!

 

View from the far end of Silver Mine Bay Beach

 

View from an unnamed beach looking back at Silver Mine 

Bay Beach, Mui Wo and the mountains behind them

 

As we ascended up the hills, a view unfolded that 

included the significantly more populated -- but still 

greener than is often realized -- Hong Kong Island

 

I know people who don't like seeing urban scapes when

they are out hiking but for me, this can be a charm

of hiking in Hong Kong! :)

 

Of course, if one wants to focus on greenery,

one can indeed do so when out hiking in Hong Kong :)

 

On this hike, one also could do some boat viewing 

if one's so inclined -- as was the case with me :b

 

Quite the view, especially on a super bright and blue

sky afternoon like today's was!

 

Fishing vessels with people hard at work (and, from 

what I could see, pretty productive work at that!)

Hong Kong heatwave, hiker deaths and evidence of common sense being sadly too uncommon

One of Hong Kong's "treacherous peaks" which I really

haven't had a strong inclination to hike up (and, worse, down!)

Like in a good number of other parts of the northern hemisphere, Hong Kong's been having a really hot summer this year.  With the current heatwave showing no signs for several days still, I figure I'm going to be racking up quite the electricity bill this month since, unlike former Hong Kong Observatory chief Lam Chiu-ying (who's famously a no air-con advocate and still has been just using a fan!), I've been blasting the air con for much of the day and night in my apartment.  And I certainly don't think that I'll be out on any hiking trail any time soon, never mind the more challenging ones that Hong Kong has to offer.   

A part of me has been in awe of those who've still gone hiking in the heatwave, including at least a couple friends of mine (one of whom regularly hikes in the evenings; another of whom only hikes in the day).  But I have to admit that I've wondered whether they're foolhardy as well as just plain hardy.  And this especially after learning that there have been two hiker deaths in Hong Kong this weekend by way of an RTHK article whose headline is HK bakes under the the third hottest day on record!  

(For a measure of how hot it was today, a member of the Hong Kong Twitterverse was moved to observe that: "As at 3pm, HKO has recorded a maximum temperature of 36.1C, the highest ever in July. Sheung Shui has also recorded a maximum of 38.7C, which is the highest ever recorded in July among all automatic weather stations in HK’s territory.")

 

Returning to hiker deaths relayed in the RTHK article: "a 60-year-old man died after falling unconscious during a hike at Lantau island's West Dog's Teeth" today.  Note that the trail in question has been "billed as the hardest hike in Hong Kong", involving "850m of incline and requir[ing] a basic level of bouldering and scrambling to reach the end of the ridge" which connects to Lantau Peak.  "It follows the death on Saturday [i.e., yesterday] of a man during a hike at Sharp's Peak in Sai Kung. He's thought to have suffered heatstroke and was declared dead after being airlifted to hospital."

 

It may stand at just 468 meters (1,535 feet) above sea level but even though I've gone up many higher peaks in Hong Kong than Sharp Peak, I've never been up Hong Kong's 65th highest peak.  The reason is that people who've been hiking in Hong Kong longer than I am have told me that they've yet to find a way to go down it without having to "butt it" part of the way on account of it being so steep.  (Another reason is that it's so popular that that, reportedly, its trails are not in great condition and have become on the gravelly, and thus slippery, side.)

 

Something else worth noting about both Wed Dog's Teeth and Sharp Peak: the trails up and down them don't have much tree cover.  So it would seem particularly nuts to attempt to hike them in ultra sunny, hot weather.  So... I don't want to speak ill of the dead but I think people really need to exercise more common sense even while seeking to exercise during a heatwave.

 

And while we're on the subject of common sense: Yesterday's RTHK article about the hot weather (entitled Hong Kong swelters on hottest "Great Heat" day ever) had the following lines which, frankly, got me wanting to roll my eyes: "Dr Lam Wing-wo who practises in family medicine... said recently some people went to the doctor thinking they had caught the coronavirus because they had a low-grade fever and headache. In fact these were mild or preliminary symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, he said."  

 

Said doctor also "called on people to take a break under the shade every 30 minutes after working outdoors."  You'd think that would be common sense but, sadly, common sense can be all too uncommon -- in Hong Kong, at least!  And while I can sometimes too be lacking in common sense, at least I know that the following is good advice, especially in the current clime: i.e., stay hydrated, drink water, and be careful out there, people!  This especially for those folks striving to endure and outlive their enemies.

Hiking on the Peak and in Pok Fu Lam Country Park before a possible typhoon visit (Photo-essay)

After weeks of rain and high humidity, Hong Kong's been treated to bright sunshine (which has been welcomed) and high heat (which has not) over the past week.  For some days now, I've told myself I should head out for a hike -- but it's taken the threat of more rain and even a typhoon to get me out communing with nature once more.          

 

And, of course, as I knew would be the case, once I got hiking, I felt so happy to be doing so.  Adding to the pleasure this afternoon was: it actually being hot but no way as humid as I had expected; the visibility being better than I had expected; and my not encountering any ugly red flags and 25th anniversary banners along my hike from Victoria Gap down to Pok Fu Lam Road (along a different route from the previous hike I went on in the area a few weeks ago)!  Oh, and Typhoon Signal 1 has indeed been raised this evening.  So I don't think it'll be as ideal hiking weather as it was this afternoon for the next few days!

 

View from the bus heading up to the Peak!

 

See the reservoir down below?  That's more or less 

where today's hike ended ;b

 

The famous view from the Peak is hard to beat

on a high visibility day :)

 

Walking and looking westwards along the 

northern section of the Peak Circuit

 

It's impossible to cast your eyes on a view like this

and not think that Hong Kong is really beautiful

 

A dreamy looking view of Tai Mo Shan (aka 

Big Hat Mountain) and the land to the south of it 

 

I don't actually recall being able to see Cheung Chau

so clearly from Hong Kong Island before!

 

After going down these steps, I was treated to fewer and less 

grand views but, as compensation, I got to do more "forest 

bathing" before conveniently ending the hike at a bus stop! :)