Day 1 Part 3 The New Territories of Hong Kong

 After leaving the market we headed towards the area of Hong Kong Known as the new territories. Hong Kong I have learned is very compact, and very efficient . We passed though one of the universities If i hadn't known it was a university I would of thought it was a shopping mall. A train station even runs into part of the university giving easy access for students

Students from all different backgrounds flooded the halls. Here classes are offered in Cantonese, Chinese and even English. When I passed through I was envious wishing that I could of had the opportunity to study abroad in such a diverse environment.

We continued to walk the buildings gradually shrunk givings a fantastic view of the mountainous 

region.The view was breathtaking the mountains and towering buildings almost matching in size.

This rock is supposed to look like a mother holding a baby

Horse Racing is very famous in Hong Kong. In fact during my
stay the first race of the season occurred

 These were almost like little villages set aside from the vast metropolis of Hong Kong.

These "towns" are regulated by the government. The owners own the land and the building but are strictly forbidden from building above 3 stories.I liked this part of town, it was very quaint. I remember feeling very relaxed here. Even though I had no idea where I was or even how to get back to my room, I still felt safe. 

Perfect for Barbecuing 

Each little Village even comes equipped with
their own shire.

From the village it was only a short walk to a convince store. Convenience stores in Hong Kong and everywhere I went in Asia (Taiwan, and Japan) were much more than a place to simply buy a soda and a snake. Many times there are whole tables set up to have a meal and  just relax.

Enjoying a coke out of a Glass bottle. Perhaps my only
Soft drink of the trip

Eventually we came to near where my friend lived. Next to it stood large parking garage gated. Everywhere I looked I saw "Luxary" Cars not a single one was a so called "junker" which you see all too often here in america. Getting in the left side of the car was strange to me being a passenger.

 We headed deep into the new territories. North east to a place called "High Island Reservoir"

This is my favorite memory from Hong Kong. Never could I have imagined how gorgeous the natural environment of Hong Kong Really was was. The mountain hid the bustling metropolis behind us , but ahead of us tumbled more and more mountains each surrounded by several different bodies of water giving the appearance that I was in an archipelago.

Soon, we came to a parking lot at the entrance to what appeared to be a small park. After exiting the vehicle he informed me that we would walk along a trail for about an hour to get to our destination.
I looked around, trail what trail? There was no trail we walked along the side of the road to reach our destination.

I was amazed at the endurance of my companion.I had only seen him drink a glass of tea earlier in the day walking in flip flops all day. Meanwhile I had been drinking water all day long wearing appropriate walking shoes. At this point the extreme heat of Hong Kong started to take a toll on me.
He moved at a quick pace down the path while I followed at a meager pace.

We passed by many paces such as these
October and November are the months when people typically
barbecue the summer months are too hot,

  Moving through down the path we saw few hikers. However there was almost a constant flow of taxi cabs coming to and from our destination moving faster than was comfortable. The trees and mountains slowly opened up giving us a gorgeous view. With each turn the view became more and more beautiful.

We turned one corner and everything opened up awestruck I had take it all in it was so... peaceful watching the boats sail along the lake below. I still couldn't believe where I was I had never dreamed I would ever see someplace so tranquil so close to a city such as Hong Kong.

This is perhaps my favorite picture of Hong Kong

I found myself standing there watching the boats cruise along the lake,only to find my friend still walking far from where I stood. After what seemed like two hours we made it to our destination. A large damn. Nearby there was a small shaded picnic area and the end of the road. Everyone who came here was waiting for a taxi cab to return to the city. From what I was told just over the next hill was a popular beach front only accessible by foot.

My water was all but gone and I was starving. My friend called for a cab and we waited and waited until our cab arrived.When we made it back to the car we made our way to the boarder to the mainland. My friend had to do some quick business over  over in Shen Zhen. Since I had no Visa I had to wait patiently at the station.

It killed me to stand there so close to China I wanted to cross so badly. Next time I told myself... Next time I will cross. While I stood there droves of people came filled with suitcases filled with god knows what. I had to press myself against the wall to keep from getting pushed by the crowd.

ShenZhen

After A delightful dinner with him and his wife. It was time to return to my hostel. I was exhausted my feet ached my head began to hurt a little.. but i was happy and ready for a new adventure tomorrow