The domestic adventure

Put in a work shift on Sunday to keep the task implosion at bay, and took a day's leave on Monday to avoid the weekend crowds - up at 4.15am, out the door at 4.55am - adventure time.  It was lovely.  I think the HK gov is perhaps being generous to itself (and why not?) referring to this as "a cycle track" - it's not really - its a collection of cycle track's with some significant missing pieces.  The problem with the misrepresentation, is that it creates an unhelpful expectation - and probably a measure of dissatisfaction - which is SUCH a pity, because its an absolutely DIVINE experience, with some astonishing  infrastructure.  If I had to sell this, I would be calling it a cycling treasure hunt, or a perhaps a bicycle rally with 20 special stages.  I had such a jol - and would have been spared the learning with a more accurate version.  It's simple, when the special stage ends, put on your google maps and enter the next village or landmark and head off on the regular road.  After 5 odd minutes, another "special stage" will appear.  Until you worked that out, a lot of time will be spent arsing about looking for bike tracks that don't exist.  At one point I rode a track for a good 40 minutes, to come out where I started.  WTF?!?  So excluding those loops, the route is below - 107kms - but, improbably, 7+ hours in the saddle.  Such is the extent of stop start, look for the track, oh there isn't one - well I'm not stopping now so lets just ride to the next.... oh look a track!

Given the early start, it was dark until Ma On Shan where the "track"(s) started, so no pics of that.

The first thing to get used to is that where there was track, it was weirdly urban and rural - like this

with many gems for the inquiring mind - the un-signposted subway for example - left or right at the end, you decide; ha!

And some pretty substantial barriers, with limited crossing options - miss it - 4km penalty.

But at the same time, pieces of astonishing infrastructure...

...including tree-lined avenues with endless views of high-rises across water.

Had to stop for this, people after my own heart ... morning swimmers.

Breakfast in a deserted BBQ park (for a want of a better name).

Very cool monastery in the distance, amazing 76m high Goddess of Mercy statue...

I really hate MAMIL pics, they are weird shit, but I rode up the bloody hill to the monastery, only to have a very un-zen bloke refuse to let me in, and refuse to let me take a pic... so I acted un-offended "of course" extra over-friendly and then asked him to take a pic of me and tried to get the monastery and the statue in the background.  So MAMIL pic it is.

Loved this old village house - its balcony running right round.

On the subject of infrastructure - so you need to cross a railway line.  You know this because the track ends at a ramp which appears to be modified steps that you can ride up and down (carefully, mind you).  But for those who don't feel like it, there is also a lift!  No jokes.

Between Sheng Shui and Sam Tin - farms and cycle perfection, and with the high-rise buildings of the PRC across the border.

Looking for lunch in Fook Yat Path in Yeun Long.  No sign of track anywhere.

Tsuen Mun Ferry Pier, the end goal - though I had to go to Butterfly Beach (a ridiculous name, neither butterflies nor beach) to get picked up by Wing Yu, the GoGoVan maestro.

You do have to wonder what you've been inhaling, when your legs 
look like this.  Ate a pretty fierce headwind for the last 40 odd which 
no doubt didn't help :-).  What a jol the whole thing was.

Planning domestic adventures, back in the sea, the boys and some pain to celebrate

 I've spent the past two weeks out on the bike most mornings, until maybe Wednesday, when I decided that it was warm enough to get back in the sea.  What a treat!  The water has been crystal clear - literally bonkers visibility - saw a beautiful ray on Saturday morning - it's been terrific.  The forest is full of jasmine at the moment too, so it smells fantastic.

The forest path / stairs down to the beach - just love it.

The road team, super hard working, in classic hats.

The immediate goal (apart from staying sane and effective at work) is to take a day off an go and ride the Northern New Territories cycle trail that opened recently.  From what I've read, it was designed by well meaning people who don't also ride bikes - but who cares?  I cant wait.  It goes through some iconic New Territories areas, and should be cool.  Only small problem is that its a 25km ride from our house to the start - making the whole around 85 kms - which is fine - but a there and back of 170 would be a bit taxing I suspect.  Because I want to take swimming gear and a change of clothes, and some food, and a spare tube and pump, and flip flops and a towel, but I really don't want all that on my back, pounding my butt into the saddle, I decided to use just the front panniers.  So loaded those up today and took them for a nice ride - one forgets the difference, certainly in the neighbourhood hills.

Blue, ready for a training ride at 5 something this morning

The route itself was difficult to show, the gov map doesn't include our area or house however, but I superimposed it on a google map to give you and idea.  Should be really cool:

The route - but one has to ride from the red dot to the start first.

The real excitement at the moment is this: never thought I'd be so excited to get an injection; not that it is going to make a huge short term difference, but to borrow from Winston C - "it is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning" (or something like that):

Mostly I'm so happy to have spent so much time at home in the last 15 months - though I regret the circumstances, I don't think I would have been able to do this in any other way, and it's been wonderful, really wonderful, for me, for my relationship with Ange, Aiden and Ev.  Aiden appeared a couple of hours ago and asked Ev and I if we wanted to go for a walk!?  So lovely.  Ange was having a kip, so off we went.  Of course a walk has to include a bit of med martial arts and general fooling around.  He's relentless.

Chuck Norris doll Aiden... aiyaaa

Hong Kong Spring, when total humidity collides with cool air

 Hong Kong Spring is the time of mist, and the turning of everything green, the road, signs, the foliage, everything.  Covid insists that I scrutinize it closely.  The exercise ban post op (one month and four days left of that...) has me walking walking walking.  Its the thing about exercise, if you're only allowed to walk, you have to do hours of it daily to get the dose.  Swimming is allowed too - but spring has another thing - phenomenal red tide - that sea killing nasty.  I suspect the massive dose we are experiencing at the moment comes more from the weeks of blazing sunshine before the moisture arrived - either way, I won't be able to swim until it has tapered off a bit.  So walking it is.

The mist rolling in, chopping off the mountain, and through the trick of photography, our cluster of village houses on the right, seemingly surrounded by jungle alone.

Shelter Island - directly in front of Sheung Sze Wan, but from the other side of the bay.

A mist shrouded Po Toi O, the jetty on the left in the middle.

The temple in the village square.

Looking back up to the road from the end of the jetty.

Contemplating it all from in bed... the beard continues!