Springtime in Hong Kong

I may be wrong, but I think spring has arrived in Hong Kong. The temperature spiked, and so did the humidity. Gone are the jackets and scarfs--the shorts and sandals have arrived.

I have started exploring the outer islands of Hong Kong. In an effort to break out of the concrete and claustrophobia of the downtown core, I have boarded a ferry two weekend in a row to explore what else Hong Kong has to offer. Last weekend I made a trip to Discovery Bay, a half hour ferry ride from Hong Kong. Discovery Bay is on Lantau island and is owned by a resort developer. The main square is full of restaurants and shops, townhouses line the beautiful beach and apartments pepper the periphery. It is not dense, and I was actually able to see green. I took a deep breath when I got off the ferry--even though the air quality is probably the same as in Hong Kong, it just seems fresh. After a walk along the beach, we sat down for a long, champagne filled lunch. I knew that this was my new favourite escape in Hong Kong.

Yesterday, I boarded a ferry again in the hopes of finding a beach. The weather is very unpredictable in Hong Kong. In fact, I have yet to see an accurate weather forecast. As I headed to Cheung Chau island, a fog settled over the city and the clouds rolled in. There would be no beach for me, but I was all set to Cheung Chau. The island has been inhabited by fishermen for at least 2500 years. The island still supports a small fishing industry and from what I saw, the industry was still alive and well. Cheung Chau is also home to the Bun Festival. A festival where giant towers of buns are created (over 50ft tall) and somehow children are suspended by cables and float up to the top of the tower. I'm still not clear on the bun festival, but I am looking into attending this. It sounds too unusual to pass up. Yesterday, the community was getting ready for a Lantern Festival - thousands of lanterns were strung up throughout the main square and the streets. I gather from what I saw it is part of Chinese new Year celebrations.

I also visited the amazing Pak Tai Temple. A fortune teller sat in the entrance, and my donation to the temple is supposed to bring me health. Sitting under the Banyan tree next to the temple is supposed to bring me fertility. I didn't sit under the tree because an old man had made what looked to be a permanent seat under the tree. When he saw me taking pictures of the tree, he started to pose. It made for some pretty funny pictures. The temple was built in 1783 and is dedicated to the "Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven". I saw a statue of the emperor, and believe me, he sure embodied Dark Heaven. No pictures were allowed inside, but he was a pretty scary dude. The temple also houses an iron sword measuring 5 ft that was found by local fisherman and is said to be over 1000 years old. So much history here in Hong Kong.

Last night, I headed to Stanley, a small, expat heavy seaside community in Hong Kong. I sat out on the patio eating mussels with friends and then took in a football (not the American kind) ball game and then headed to an Irish pub to watch Rugby. I don't know a think about football, but I instantly loved it. I can't wait to watch my next game and a Toronto FC game is definitely on the agenda when I come home.

It's spring in Hong Kong. I can hear the birds chirping somewhere outside. I don't know where they live among the concrete, but I can hear them. The palm trees look more alive and green. I expect cherry blossoms will bloom soon too. Yep - it's spring.