Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Stormchasing Juno


BOSTON, MA: Monday afternoon students all around the Northeast rejoiced in a harmonious *ding* of an email with the subject "CLASSES CANCELLED DUE TO JUNO BLIZZARD".

And then the frenzy - Snapchat & shopping - began.
 
CVS - Wiped clean of EasyMac and Ramen, but fully stocked on substitutes.....
3:38PM - Some more interesting than others...
With every pocket, nook and cranny was stuffed with apocalyptic goods (i.e. Reeses Puffs, Cheetos & "ginger" beer) I waddled home to celebrate with the mates.

10:32AM - DAY OF THE STORM: We woke up this morning in a bliss of zero immediate responsibilities. The only thing beckoning for our attention was the deserted town, washed in white, begging for us to go and jump.











That spot was not that deep...
Aftermath: writhing in pain.
11:03AM: After getting to grips with the terrain, we ran back inside, tightened our boots, grabbed the GoPro & ventured on.







Long story short, my pants are only so thick and I can only take so much snow in between my toes. So after an hour of frolicking we called it a day...until later anyway. Can't keep a kid at heart down for long!

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Climbing the Dragon's Back

Yes, I know I can't technically blame anyone who hasn't been to Hong Kong but I can't help but blame them for never having been to Hong Kong. I know it's expensive to fly all the way out here knowing next to nothing about what it has to offer - because when people hear Hong Kong, they immediately think "China", "Communism" and "Umbrella movement" because they have no idea about the 1324563 other things that make HK a diamond embedded in a lump of coal which makes it my favorite place in the world.

Take Dragon's Back for instance. This hike goes along the spine of several hills on the south eastern end of the island and gives you a true bird's eye view of the beauty this island has. Beach spots Shek O and Big Wave Bay very deservingly steal the show on this hike.
Bird's eye view indeed...
After a 20 minute sprint up the stairs & power walk down a few paths, you get the most rewarding view for all the calories expended. 





The whole shebang takes about an hour and a half to complete - a very fair trade for the mountain of endorphins it releases during & post hike. There's not enough time in a day to truly digest the magnificence you just experience and it's enough to keep you on a high for the rest of your week, guaranteed.

Once you're on your health & fitness roll post hike, you can venture into Shau Kei Wan and grab some fresh apples & pears from the local farmers' market.


 Or other goodies....whatever floats your boat....
But when in Asia, we do like the Asians! So the fam and I got dim sum snacks instead. 
Beef balls & siu mai are healthy, right?
No matter which food group you decide to pursue, you can go back home feeling full in your stomach, sore in your legs, and buzzing with happiness in your head. 

This hike is one of said 1324563 things I love about this place. So if you're looking for even the smallest of reasons to fly out, here it is.