We made it to a lookout point and then we were trying to figure out where the trail continued. We found a map and were able to identify the trail but it said that it was not kept or maintained. We started down it about 20 yards but it was so thick and bushy we decided to turn back. We didn't want to get lost and it seemed like if we kept going it was a very real possibility! We decided instead of going back the way we came that we would take a different trail down. It made the trip a little bit shorter! About half way down we ran into a pack of monkeys! I happened to look ahead of myself a little bit and I saw the back of a monkey disappearing around the corner. I wasn't sure what it was so we hurried along to get a better look! Sure enough, it was a great big monkey! He had a nice pink bum and was hanging on one of the trees right off the path. We saw a few more in the nearby trees and then I looked to my right and there were 15 or so monkeys running a long a railing straight at us! They scattered into the trees around us! It was so crazy! It reminded me of Costa Rica! There were a few momma monkeys with little babies. At one point the monkeys started throwing berries at us. It was really cool! We stayed with the monkeys for about 30 minutes or so before heading the rest of the way back!
We went home and showered because we were NASTY after hiking for something like 5 hours through the jungle. Then we took the train down to Central and rode a 45 minute and $2 ferry to Cheung Chau Island! Mom lived there for a couple of months when she went back to Hong Kong with her MBA program! Cheung Chau is a tiny little island with beautiful beaches and lots of people who fish! There were so many boats in the harbor! There are no cars allowed on Cheung Chau island except for emergency vehicles so everyone rides bikes! The main road is covered in restaurants, markets, and convenience stores!
It was late-ish afternoon by the time we got there. We went straight for what they call the "Mini Great Wall" hike. It was pretty cool. Supposedly it goes around the whole island but we weren't going that far! We ran into a nice foreign lady who I guess lives there as we were trying to find the trail. She told us which way to go and then warned us to use lots of mosquito repellent and not to go a certain way because they had two cases of dengue fever in the last month stemming from that part of the island. Needless to say we stayed clear of the area she warned us about and headed the opposite way while spraying ourselves heavily with our small bottle of OFF!.
After about 20 minutes we came to the end of the trail. It was a little outlook right on the shore looking down at the ocean. Like the good Americans that we are, we climbed over the little wall and out onto the rocks. The view was breathtaking! We stayed there for probably close to an hour sitting, talking, and enjoying the view! The sun had gone down so it was nice and cool. It was Spencer's favorite part of the whole trip!
We headed back to the ferry because it was getting dark and there wasn't much else we could do. We walked along the pier and into some of the little shops while we waited for the ferry. We headed back to Hong Kong Island!
What a fun day!!