My exercise for the year..

The other day we took an epic hike from  Mui Wo (Lantau Island, Hong Kong) to Discovery Bay. I'm pretty positive there were over a thousand steps to climb, which might not sound like a lot, but man was I sore the next day.. I would definitely recommend it if you're interested in seeing some beautiful sights, but if you aren't in shape (like us) it takes about 3 hours. We trekked up the mountain and first saw a 180 degree view of Mui Wo Pier: 

It was cloudy and overcast but made it really nice weather to hike in

My brother and I after the first flight of stairs.. unaware of the hundreds more to come

And of course I had to photograph the lovely flowers along the way... 

I love the bright and natural beauty of these local flowers (no editing done)

Stairs... after stairs... after stairs... after stairs. 

We walked through a couple villages:

It was interesting to see the disparity between these villages and Discovery Bay (below). The people who live in Discovery Bay are mostly expats (people from Western countries that come to work & live abroad) and live in nice apartments or house boats. It felt like we were invading these peoples' homes as we walked through their villages because the path went straight through their houses. 

Two hours later....

And we could see our destination! 

After a whole 3 hours of walking, we came to the pier at Discovery Bay, tired and ready to eat and rest: 

Whats the longest hike you've ever gone on??

xoxo,

Kirsten

Kung Hai Fat Choi– Happy Chinese New Year! Hong Kong Travels

Last week my brother and I set out for the distant land of... Hong Kong, China, and by distant, I mean 15-hours-away-distant, a.k.a. LONG flight. But it was well worth it. My dad lives on Lantau, an island where people mostly ride bikes, cows roam the streets (see below), and local life is a slower pace and chill. My brother and I have spent our days riding bikes 5 minutes to the grocery store, where we discovered a local fav of Brazilian chicken feet (toe nails included), and some of our favorite items: Milano cookies, popcorn, and Tim Tams (not all the food choices are as exotic as the first). 

The Chinese New Year is here (10th of February, I believe), and everyone has decorated with beautiful red paper lanterns and lovely trees with small oranges filling their branches. Most people get between 4 and 8 days off of work, school, etc., to be with their families. There is also usually a huge fireworks display at Victoria Park, as this is the most celebrated holiday here. This year is the year of the Snake. 

Hong Kong Island (View from the ferry)

Hong Kong Ferry

Mui Wo local beach

Hong Kong Island at night

A decorated orange tree (for New Years) and pretty flowers

Flowers at the Pui O local garden shop

My brother and I spotted this lovely herd of cows wandering up and down the streets of Mui Wo on our bike ride and I couldn't help but notice how cute the calves were! So, being the picture taking guru that I am, I dismounted my bike to capture some photos of the baby calves. The little ones immediately came over to me and started licking my jeans as well as the red fire hydrant. Loving the local wildlife!

What is your favorite place you've traveled to & why??


Happy New Year (Kung Hai Fat Choi)
XOXO,
Kirsten