Wedged between the Hong Kong Island and the South China Sea, somewhere along the coastline, a mountainous formation runs like the waves of a dragon’s body. Upon these waves, a hiking trail traces the mountain tip reaching its highest point.
I walked this Dragon’s Back.
Letting a double-decker bus to transport me to the boondocks, driving on beautiful mountain roads, I eventually got off the ten-wheeler at the starting point of the trail. Standing before a wall of maps, safety and precautions, I soon realized that the task at hand was no joke.
The hike was so dynamic and versatile that it can be divided into chapters.
Chapter – Stones and Stairs!!!
Stepping over stones, walking through the woods, peeping through bushes, climbing the stairs, sheltering from the sun yet shivering out of the cold, the hike had only just begun and I was already flabbergasted.
Then as I forced myself vertically a few more steps, almost distracted by the ordeal, I raised my head. At a particular vantage point now, I peered into one of the best views I had ever seen.
Cant wait to reach one of those beaches for a dip!
Chapter – Dragon and Heights!!!
Now I was on the top of the mountain edge. The trail ran along the tip of the ridge that snaked and waved to look like a dragon’s back. Leaving the stones and stairs behind, now I treaded on a muddy trail. It may look beautiful but a small slip or a fall to the side could send you tumbling down the mountain.
Finally, I made it to the peak, the highest point of the trail. Climbing the cement block on the pinnacle and looking down at my shoes, I was the highest person on the mountain. It may not be a great ascent compared to my Himalayan Adventure, but it still is one of the best hikes I have done. With the dragon smiling at me, I was convinced that I had tamed it.
Chapter – Forests and Shade!!!
The journey didn’t end here though. Now, I continued hiking through thickly grown mountain forests, under a canopy of foliage that changed the ambience of the hike from sunny to shade. Making friends along the route, I remember two European hike buddies who were sure of a wild animal lurking in the bushes when I dramatically scared them that I heard the grunt of a wild boar.
She eventually realized that I was messing with her imaginations, and we quickly became good friends. With some socializing at random picnic spots, the girl in the orange top went from “good friend” to “I will now call you funny names” type of friend.
One of the things I have noticed through my travels to other countries is that when I hike mountains near an urbanized city, it almost always consists of a water header tank or a water reservoir. And as it seemed, I did eventually reach one.
Chapter – Boulevard and Village!!!
And I walk ahead. The journey continued and now I was on a mountain boulevard. This boulevard looked perfect for cycling or motorbiking. But not to be distracted because there were places where signboards were important. Miss a turn and you may walk for hours, wasting time, before finding the right path.
I was keen on finishing the hike as soon as possible as I was upbeat to reach the small village at the end of the trail. I would rather spend that time at the beach.
With the name of a village straight out of the Kung Fu Panda movie, I crisscrossed through some serious mountain forests. So isolated that at times I thought I was the only one hiking in the mountains.
But after nearly four hours of trekking through the wilderness, between the openings of the thick foliage of the trees like a curtain, I finally saw the village at the end of the trail.
Walking through the closely compacted jumble of houses of this village, I was reminded of the hills in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Hearing loud hip-hop music blasting from random houses, finding my way towards the coastline, I eventually found the Big Wave Bay Beach.
Finally!
Chapter – Beach and Surfing!!!
There is a reason it is called the Big Wave Bay. Due to its location and the vast sea that brings extremely strong tides, the waves that hit the shores are unusually ‘big’. This is also the reason why I saw so many professional surfboarders riding the waves. It’s a great place to surfboard. This place seemed like a mix between a Japanese village, a Californian coast side, an Australia surf beach and a Mediterranean escape.
Standing at the entrance of the beach, suntanned and sweaty after a day’s hike, I couldn’t wait to strip and run into the waters for a dip. I was only planning to take a few dips, but I ended up spending hours in the water. It was so refreshing. This is what I would call a perfect reward for my perfect hike.
I was on that mountain lip a few hours ago!
Relishing some hotdogs and some drinks by the beachside eatery, I enjoyed the view as I sat there till a few minutes before sunset.
But eventually, I left the village from the other side as I found my way back to the city. There were a lot of bicycles in this village, but so were Mini Coopers.
A short video showing where I was on the mountains!
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