December
4 December
Winter has come to Lantau, it’s cold and the trails seem empty and
quiet after the bustle of summer and autumn.
15 December
Today Joel and I went for a winter afternoon walk. It's chilly but the
sun is shining. We walk along the path where there used to be a
restaurant for hikers who walked from Tung Chung to catch the ferry from Mui Wo. All that is left is some pillars where the gate used to be and the jungle is reclaiming the land. It is somehow restful to see the roots and branches embracing the concrete pillars.
16 December
It is a sparkling day after a cold snap. Back to lovely warm sunshine
with a crispness to the air. A flamboyant Cocoa tussock caterpillar,
Orgyia postica, crawls over the path.
The long grass near the cemetery in the hills above Mui Wo catches the sun and the sea is shining with gold. I can see every fold and rock on Lin Fa Shan which is framed by a deep blue sky.
The sea reflects the sky and one lone buffalo bull enjoys munching on some patches of green grass on the beach. It's peaceful and still on the beach with only the sound of the gentle swell rushing onto the sand.
It’s days like these that stop me in my tracks to take in and enjoy the larger than life colours of Lantau life around me.
17 December
There’s one Little egret at the waterfall pools. He looks like he’s very
pleased with himself to find such a nice quiet fishing place with no
one else to compete with.
Clio and I settle ourselves on a rock and he scuttles away, peeping out from behind the rocks before deciding that we are safe and he ventures back into his pool. It’s hard not to laugh watching him fish. He walks with a stately air and then makes a wild, mad lunge when he sees a fish, all clumsy white feathers and spindly legs, splashing in the water.
24 December
Today we missed the ferry by less than a minute. It meant a forty five minute wait and then catching the next ferry which would be the slow ferry which took twice as long, nearly an hour instead of thirty five minutes. I was frustrated.
But one of the lovely things about the slow ferry is that the boat is open and you can sit outside and watch the wake of the boat and enjoy the islands passing by.
As the ferry turned to leave the dock and start our journey to Hong
Kong Island, we were suddenly so glad that we had missed the fast
ferry. A number of pure white egrets soared into view, just meters
away from us. They followed the boat for a while, such a beautiful
sight.
Lantau life is full of moments like these. Moments of pure wonder
and delight in the incredibly special and amazing place that Lantau
is.
