Up to this day, Hong Kong remains to be my most favored destination. Maybe because it is an easy escape away from home, an easy one and a half hour fix should I need a quick getaway. Maybe because I've made so much memories in this city which at times I am uncertain if it's a good thing, maybe because it gives me a vibe that I couldn't find somewhere else.
Hong Kong is a tourist haven, the city is incredibly easy to navigate and everything else is convenient albeit pricey. I have always considered myself to be a city type of person rather than laid back, but being in Hong Kong for the third time, I felt like I have already known much of what has been told.
I drifted away from the normal routes I would usually take in this city. Tourists doesn't fancy the off beaten track but I wasn't like any other tourist. I was a traveler who have found home in this busy metropolis. I wanted to know more than the usual and little did I know that there was more to Hong Kong than just being a world city.
Cheung Chau Island is a forty minute-ferry ride away from Central Pier 5. The skies were pouring rough rains but it didn't bother me. Temperature dropped sixteen degrees and coming from a tropical country, this was already too much for me to bear. Nevertheless, I had little information about the island and although the weather wasn't very friendly to accommodate me, I was ready for anything, even getting lost.
Walking down the ferry, the island had a totally bizarre feeling, it almost didn't occur to me that I was still in Hong Kong - it was just different. Bikes were on an alley and boats were parked everywhere, Cheung Chau is known for being a fisherman's district and for the bun festival which unfortunately wasn't happening until the next month.
Produces from the sea were plenty along the streets of Cheung Chau but apparently, dining seafood was a bit expensive. Wandered through the rugged alleys of the island and found a couple more cafes and dining shops which came to me as a surprise. Interestingly, I stumbled into a lot of teenage kids strolling and I wonder if they were locals or explorers from mainland,
Went through the restaurants until finally finding a spot in front of the pier for an alfresco seafood dining. I assume what they serve here are fresh being the seafood center of Hong Kong though I still wonder why the food up the normal scale.
I also get to have a bite of the famous mango mochi which Cheung Chau is famous for, although coming from a Mango-rich country, this was a tad of a let down to my taste.
Just when I have expensively refueled some energy, my path led me to the Reclining Rock. It wasn't a stroll on the park though, it was a long walk, a hill climb and a trek inside a cave. But nothing worth having comes easy they say.
The view was breathtaking and the breeze was soothing. It was a spot perfect to just gaze endlessly towards the end of the horizon and feel the air brushing through your cheeks. It's a candid, lazy and laid back - the very opposite of what we know of Hong Kong.
Take the path less traveled isn't something every tourist fancies but after a while of traveling, I realized that there was so much to see where it is off beaten, and being a traveler rather than a tourist makes the adventure worthwhile.
Instagram: @thewanderdan
Instagram: @thewanderdan
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