In the worlds craziest long weekend plan I headed home for a speeeeedy catch up with family and friends. Flying overnight Thursday and landing Friday morning I jumped from friends to family all around town catching up with all my fave NZers and filling my soul up. It was soooo good to be home again, see everyone in person, go to the beach, eat some food I miss and enjoy the NZ summer goodness. Flying back to HK on Monday it was all over far too soon but totally worth it.

Less than a week later another set of awesome friends arrived from Switzerland to visit over Chinese New Year. It was a weird time to be touristing here as the Wuhan flu started to break out in China and HK battered down the hatches. The races were canceled, tourist attractions were closed and the streets were very very quiet and those that were out were often wearing masks. We didn’t let it stop us and found plenty to do regardless. After exploring the usual hits on HK island, we then spent a day on Lamma, walking all around the island and checking out this very different side of Hong Kong. We had lots of fun introducing our less-food-adventurous friend to delightful HK delicacies like Bao, Bubble-Tea and Bafang - to great success! One of the most epic adventures was out on the edge of New Territories, we did a well documented, standard hike from Wu Kau Tang to Lai Chi Wo village, This was a fairly flat and nicely varied hike, through old villages, forest, coast and estuary. Lunching and exploring Lai Chi Wo village was a nice end to that part, I think a lot of people either walk back the way they came or take a ferry at that point. However we had decided along the way that we wanted to get a bit of height to get some views and we found a path on google maps cutting over the mountain / hill back to our starting point (rather than around it like we had just walked).

So we started following the path, the first bit was awesome, through forests of tall trees with lots of great views as we ascended, then on to rice paddies alongside an abandoned, art-filled village. Not long after that we found ourselves needing to cut through private property protected by two barky-dogs and a stern looking owner. However he let us through and then we were basically at the edge of the forest that covered the rest of the ascent we were trying to make. There wasn’t a super clear path but there were occasional ribbons on trees (a common trail marker here) so we thought we were on the right track still. At some point though the track kind of ran out and we found ourselves bush bashing up the hill. According to google we were just slightly sideways from the correct path so we kept trying to find our way back while still heading upwards. After a while it started to feel like the path we were looking for probably didn’t exist, but by this point we felt like we must be nearer the top then the bottom, so we kept on going. It was pretty rugged and tough going but really fun, especially with the added adrenaline of not really knowing how on earth we would get out of there. We based onwards and upwards trying to keep each other positive and moving along. The moment when we broke out of the trees and stood on something like a path near the top of the hill was totally worth all the stress, the views were absolutely epic. Across to China, ocean and islands for days and when we reached the top-top we could see both HK and Shenzen skylines in the evening light. It was simply stunning. However starting to get dark by this point so we made a very rapid ascent (down an actual path) back to our starting point. Arriving in the dark it was no easy task to find transport back to civilisation but we managed to get ourselves a taxi, exhausted but stoking out with that “we survived” feeling!

Back to reality as I had to work the next day but after the tourists explored Kowloon we met up in the evening at the tallest building in Hong Kong to go for a cocktail with a serious view at Ozone. They have some pretty interesting cocktails, none more so than the “HK Skyline” which our friend ordered, 23 year old rum, absinth, oolong tea syrup, pink grapefruit, lime, Dom Perignon foam, chocolate stones and served in a bowl filled with lavender smoke. The preparation was extensive, the presentation theatrical and the chocolate stones moreish. Ridiculously priced but almost worth it for the entertainment value! Our next day’s post-work adventure was a dinner at the hidden Indian restaurant - Chaiwala, another round of OTT cocktails and a delicious meal, it is so much fun showing visitors all the tastes of this place!

For our final evening together we headed to K11 and explored the crazy architecture and art, as well as some gram-friendly ice-creams. We then headed to the peninsula bar for more views and cocktails, the bar was very empty and the barman was awesome, bringing us tasters and telling us stories about the various bits and pieces we were drinking. Their flight wasn’t until the evening on their last day so we snuck in one more hike, from our house down to Repulse Bay, we somehow managed to find ourselves off-course again (literally the last time I will trust “hiking paths” as shown on google) but nothing as bad as our adventures of a few days before. We made it to repulse, checked out the temples and the beach, and had a final meal together in the sun. Danke für die besuch FaMa <3

Less than a week later, with “WuFlu” in full panic mode here, and me being able to work from home indefinitely, it was starting to look rather tempting to escape back to NZ for a bit. We were really undecided if we should or shouldn’t go, when on Friday night at a bar in Central HK, at about 7pm, we decided yes let’s go tonight (as you do). So we boosted home, packed and headed for the airport and at midnight we were winging our way to Auckland. We didn’t tell anyone that we were coming so had a fun day rolling around town surprising people and enjoying summery weather with friends and family once again. Of course come Monday I had to work, after a week of working 1pm to 10pm I was over it, I am just too much of a morning person to work those hours. Although it was lovely sneaking in beach swims and lunches with people before work I couldn’t enjoy it with the workday hanging over me, so after enjoying the weekend in NZ I headed back to HK again.