Lions, & Monkeys, & Dragons, Oh My!

Despite being nicknamed the "concrete jungle," Hong Kong sure has a plethora of great hikes!

"The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step."

Hope y'all are doing well! I've sure been busy exploring and adjusting to a new place. I guess it's great that I've been too busy to write because that means I'm having a good time?!?

It's wild how I haven't even been here as long as the 21-day quarantine and I've already done so much! I'll share with you a few hikes in particular that I've enjoyed:)

We decided to a UNC-girls-only hike to Dragon's Back, one of the most iconic hikes in Hong Kong. The ride over was beautiful, and we passed mountain after mountain overlooking a beach below. I realized the lack of sleep on this particular hike, but we still had an amazing time! We got on the MTR and took a bus to the hiking trail, realizing halfway through that our bus was taking us in the wrong direction...so we took a taxi to the trailhead. It was a pretty steep climb to the start of the trail, but it was amazing. The trail itself was full of rolling hills, and the terrain resembled, well, the back of a dragon (rocky and winding).

We passed several overlooks and enjoyed the sunshine, noting that there were breathtaking sights 360 degrees around us. After 4ish hours of hiking we ended up at a small beach village known as Big Wave Bay. We all got some hotdogs for a nice snack and took in the crashing waves and blowing breeze.

We even saw some people surfing!

Of course I went in the water 😂

After a long hike, it sure was relaxing to stand by the chilly water and to feel the rocks beneath my bare feet.

This day taught me the importance of taking a step back to breathe and stand still. It doesn't always have to be go-go-go. The next couple of days I took chill days on campus and explored the different parks and canteens for food. We also cooked a bunch (I ate sooo much quinoa haha).

The next big hike we went on was to Lion's Rock, which might actually be even more famous than Dragon's Back. We saw monkeys along the way!! You know me:) When I was little my fave animal was monkeys!

I ordered some fish balls before we started the hike for a nice snack/boost in energy. Since there were no trash cans I literally held this dish the rest of the way😂😂 Rob drank the rest of his chili sauce and put the bowl in his bag but it was a lil spicy for me hahaha.

My whole lower body sure got a great workout in!

There was a lot to explore at the base of the hike as well.

Oh, another random thing: there are a lot of cats in Hong Kong. Like a loooooottttt.

This hike had sooo many steps to it and it sure got us winded, which is my kind of hike. Here's a pic of Rob jumping for joy😂

Not only were the stairs breathtaking, however--the view at the top was iconic. Pictures can't capture the feeling of awe and wonder I felt!

I love love love the view. We stayed for golden hour and sunset, so you already know it got even prettier!

Girls only in the above picture!:)

Emily and I had to flex our plank skills haha:

A great sunset to cap a great day:)

After we left the hike, we went to Sha Tin for some food before heading back to campus. My new favorite go-to spot is Tong Kee Bao---they're super cheap and delicious! My favorite bun is the creamy custard flavor (more of a dessert than a meal haha).

I alsoooo tried chicken feet, a classic delicacy. Here's a close up of Emily holding it:

hmm. To be honest, I'm not a fan! Glad I tried it, but nope not for me. The sauce was amazing, don't get me wrong (lowkey I'd eat anything with that sauce it's so good!!), but it basically was bones and cartilage. I'm glad the boys ordered KFC so I could have a little bit more protein haha. Always down to try new things, doesn't mean you're gonna like them all!

Overall, amazing hikes!! Can't wait for more:)

xoxo