Solo Day at Peng Chau

Now that you've read about Mui Wo, yesterday I hopped on the ~right~ ferry to Peng Chau island for another adventure with me, myself, and I!

"it is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection."

In the movie Eat Pray Love, the main character travels to three different countries by herself, and there are so many montages of her enjoying it perfectly: the food, the views, people watching, etc. Each time I have one of these solo days, I'm doing just that!!

The morning started off great: a workout, reading Nicholas Sparks on the MTR, and having my arm out the window on the ferry to catch the wind on the way to Mui Wo. Anddddd the rest of the day followed that great feeling! As soon as I got off the ferry, I started walking along the waterfront and enjoying the sunshine. I love how I saw this little workout station, what a pretty view to do cardio to!

This day was for me to explore, relax, and recharge, so I brought along my watercolors and my journal. I walked on one of the paths that lead to a beach, so I climbed down on some rocks to sit right by the waves. Emily got me a really nice watercolor set for my birthday and some blank postcards, so I spent an hour or so painting the mountains and the ocean, occasionally getting splashed by the waves below me.

After painting, I got up and kept walking along the trail. It loops around the north side of the island (and the island isn't that large), so I ended up exploring a good bit in the first few hours. Fishermen's Rock:

One part had rocks shaped in little hearts, super cute!

After the beach and trail exploring, I figured I'd start walking through the streets. You could already tell I was getting close to the famous cafes and shops by the amount of people with their selfie sticks and cameras.

I waited in line for a good bit to get a seat in HoHo Kitchen, a famous cafe that serves pineapple buns with ice cream inside!! I debated whether I should dine-in since I was by myself and thought it would be a little awkward, but then I was like who cares! I'm in HK, might as well get the whole experience. I couldn't be more right!! I loved sitting there and enjoying the food! I also ordered an iconic hot milk tea, a HK specialty.

And of course, I got my Nicholas Sparks book:)

Next I walked through a place that has a sign that says the Leather Factory, and it's FILLED with art! Everywhere you look: up, down, left, right--all artwork. Kinda reminds me of something I could find in downtown Winston or another hipster-y area.

I spent so much time exploring every little thing in this area! I'm surprised how easy it is to get someone to take my picture even when I'm by myself. I'd pass by a couple and ask if they wanted their picture taken, not even planning on having them offer to take mine!

Next I explored some of the temples in the area and marveled at all the colors.

A couple took my picture as I walked the steps up Finger Hill before the start of golden hour.

Like I said previously, it's so chill being by yourself because there's no one there to complain about the steps, and you take breaks to admire the view when YOU want to! It's a great practice for someone (aka me haha) who is indecisive because it forces you to trust your gut instincts.

I grabbed a couple snacks from a local bakery and decided the view for the sunset would best be seen closer to the water and not at this view, so I walked to a new spot.

I journaled next to the shore while the sun went down and marveled at this moment: I'm living my dream life! The next ferry was leaving at 6:50, otherwise I'd have to wait until 7:45, so I sped-walked to the station as I saw the ferry pass by me. I jogged to catch it at the last minute and felt a sense of accomplishment when I walked aboard. Since I just bought groceries and cooked a nice, fresh, brunch, I decided to do the same for dinner and just eat when I got back home. The ferry ride back might have been one of the best parts of my day, or at least the perfect way to end my day!! I had my face right in the wind and the air was refreshingly cool against my skin. I felt a rush of nostalgia on the way back: all things eventually come to an end, and I'm not gonna be in Hong Kong forever. I wish I could bottle up the feeling of riding the ferry at night. You're zooming through the ocean, you can put your head or arm out the window and just catch the wind! The view is incredible, and you pass by so many other boats while you approach the twinkling lights of the skyscrapers in the city. I know I'll look back on this day as one of growth, self reflection, and discovery! :)

xoxo