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Tag Archives: hiking

Orient Express

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by lcmacdonald in Traveling

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

buddha, Central Hong Kong, hiking, Hong Kong, Library, Ngong Ping, running, temple, Victoria Park

James had a conference in Hong Kong at the end of September for a few days.

The Library

The Library

We had known for quite a while that he was going, and debated the same length of time as to whether I should go with him.  He just couldn’t see how it would work with the kids starting school and me getting a job…-crick, crick-.  Thank goodness for such totally awesome, wonderful, accommodating friends that stepped up and drove my kids to and from school for that whole week in September so I could go to Hong Kong – THANKS SO MUCH!  I also have to thank his colleague and ‘End-of-the-hallway’ buddy for convincing him to take me along.

James purchased a ticket so I could meet him in Hong Kong.  Meet him.  I’ve never in my life flown on my own before.  James flew direct on Emirates.  I flew a connector through Mumbai on a cheaper flight.  As if I wasn’t already nervous enough about making my connection on the way to Hong Kong through a foreign airport in India, but surprise, there was also a Tsunami headed towards Hong Kong.  I watched the news.  I diligently checked my flight status and everything was still on time.  I went to the airport, checked in and boarded my flight without any problems.  I had chosen my seat well, I ended up in my 3 seat row with one other person, and they were nice.  We chatted on and off until we reached Mumbai.  The Mumbai Airport…what can I say.  I’m surprised the structure hasn’t collapsed under negligence and disrepair.  The people are friendly and helpful, but as we rode the rusted, creaky bus from the plane to the airport I felt like my seat was about to come unhinged with every brake or swerve from the driver.  Once we reached the terminal I had no idea where to go, and knowing I had just over an hour to get there my face may have had a look of obvious panic.  A staff member quickly rushed to my side and asked if I was flying to Hong Kong and pointed me in the right direction, “just follow this hallway until you see another person dressed like me” and off I ran.  When I reached the next guy, all smiles and matter of factly he announces to me “There is a Tsunami headed for Hong Kong.  Your flight may not take off.  If it does not take off we are not responsible nor will you be reimbursed for your flight.  Enjoy your day.” ….Awesome.

I rush to my gate.  Which by the way is not obvious.  I see a sign that has my gate number on it, but it points to a room with no windows, full of seated coughing, sleeping, sweaty people.  It looked more like a doctors office then an airline gate.  I found a seat and took another look around.  This isn’t right.  It was then that I noticed that there must be a gap between the row of seats across from me and the wall above them.  On closer inspection I noticed stairs leading down.  They lead down to my gate – whew.  I had arrived just when we should have begun boarding.  No one was moving.  No one was even standing.  So I parked myself within earshot of the call desk and waited.  So glad I ran here….  Waiting.  I do NOT want to spend the night in this filthy airport.  I start to wonder where the toilet is.  I look around and see I sign on the wall in front of me.  I hear a flush, and the wall slides away in front of me.  Directly behind the thin, sliding door, is a toilet.  Curiosity cured.  I no longer need to use the toilet.  Commotion at the call desk I stand just in case, I hear them whisper to another to announce boarding, I am first in line – YES.

Central Hong Kong from our room at the Rosedale

Central Hong Kong from our room at the Rosedale

We eventually land in Hong Kong without so much as a hiccup.  Well maybe a few bumps, but I’ve been in way worse.  Navigating the Hong Kong Airport is a bit easier.  I know exactly where I need to go to get a bus and there are many helpful signs reassuring me I am headed in the right direction.  The guy at the bus desk is helpful and funny.  He happily takes my money and carries my bag to the bus.  There are 5 other people on the greyhound size bus.  I get a sticker with the name of my hotel on it and put it on my sweater so the driver knows (and I know) where to get off.  Everything is so green, and it looking around gives me the impression that it has rained recently.  I wonder if I have missed all the excitement of the Tsunami.  We reach a light and the bus stops.  The driver indicates to me that this is my stop.  I grab my bag and look out the window, where am I?  He points to an alley way and indicates to me that my hotel is down there.  Okay, off I go.  Sketchy at first and walk slowly.  Once I see it, and my confidence returns I take off towards the Rosedale Hotel.

Our room in the Rosedale.

Our room in the Rosedale.

In the room, I get my bearings, take a few photos and decide to wait to hear from James before wondering off.  It’s not too long before James appears and recounts what he has learned from his first day of pre-conference meetings.  The Tsunami warning has caused several airlines to cancel all flights to the area until further notice (so glad my cheap airline had my safety in mind).  What this means for the conference is that many of the speakers are unable to make it and the schedule would need to be adjusted.  The result was James only having conference meetings and presentations from 8-12-ish leaving the afternoons completely open for us to explore together!  However, the Tsunami was expected to hit full force that first afternoon and so the majority of business were boarded up for the night and all of the next morning.  We joined several other couples from the conference in the restaurant at the top of the hotel for dinner.  It was eerily quite on the street as not a car could be seen on the road.  The only really indication that anything was happening outside was a few trees that were swaying violently in the wind far below us.

Putting our name on a card at The Peak.

Putting our name on a card at The Peak.

 

Top of Ngong Ping after James' run.

Top of Ngong Ping after James’ run.

 

Hong Kong Temple

Hong Kong Temple

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a rough idea of places to go see in Hong Kong but wasn’t entirely organized.  So our days turned into a schedule of going to the Apple Store (iPhone 5s was just released in Hong Kong), walking away disappointed to the subway, picking a stop on the line, and getting off.  In the end, we saw the Walk of Stars, the Hong Kong temple (my first foreign temple experience requiring a translator), Ngong Ping (twice, cause James wanted to run to the top and I didn’t), The Peak and Central (cause that’s where our hotel was).  I was also able to have a special lunch with an old friend from high school and see her studio.  The weather was humid, and warm.  Not entirely different from Dubai except that it actually rained several times.

Pretty much sums up our visit.

Pretty much sums up our visit.

My return trip brought similar feelings of anxiety as when I had flown over.  My return would involve returning to Mumbai and actually leaving the airport to spend the night in hotel.  To do this required me to get a 6 month Visa into India.  When I look back at that transaction I think I got ripped off in more than one way in that transaction, but whatever.  A car came included with the hotel purchase so I thankfully did not need to wait in a long line, and then hike to a taxi waiting somewhere out on the road into the airport (we drove past people carrying their luggage nearly all the way to the main road.  Although my heart did have a little palpitation when I wasn’t on their list of pickups for the night.  Good thing I had printed out the confirmation…and it was so late at night.  Back to the main road.  Anyone who has driven in the UAE, or Europe will have some inkling into the fear I experienced for the 10 minutes I was on the ‘main road’.  I arrived into India after dark.  In fact by this time it was nearly 12:00 midnight.  It was dark.  There are no lights on the road except the multiple lanes of headlights coming in your direction.  I don’t give a specific number because I can’t be sure how many lanes there was actually meant to be.  There were no lines on the road.  The drivers didn’t seem to have any sense of order as to where they should be in relation to the other cars on the road.  We apparently needed to cross this road.  So my driver crept…starting…stopping…making progress, cars swerving around us, lights coming towards us, and then we stopped at a gate.  Then my driver explains, “they will search the car” – what?  Flashlights in my face, I hear the trunk pop open.  All of a sudden we are moving again, through the gate.  We drive up to the front doors.  My driver grabs my luggage out of the trunk and carries it to the security waiting on the front step.  They scan my bag.  They scan me.  I’m thinking this is crazy.  I just did this 3 times to get out of the airport.  I’m clear so they let me go.

The staff was so friendly, no really they were.  After all the searches, and the short, scary drive over, and just being really tired on top of it all, the lady behind the counter was really nice.  Really it doesn’t take much people just smile.

My hotel room in Mumbai

My hotel room in Mumbai

Okay back to this hotel, which was really awesome.  It was so fancy I can’t believe I was staying there all by myself.  Then of course compared to the Rosedale in Hong Kong (which is pretty dang swanky) this place was pretty fancy.  The room though…it was hands down the nicest room I have ever been in.  In Hong Kong, I could sit against the seat in the window and comfortably rest my feet on the bed.  Mumbai, I could have done a workout with 10 other people in that room and we would have been good (maybe not 10, but still lots of room).

My stellar bathroom

My stellar bathroom

Before my flight the next morning I had another opportunity to meet some old friends that we had met when we lived in Edmonton.  I was afraid the conversation would be quiet after spending so much time away from each other but it was truly wonderful to catch up with them.  I don’t recall much of the trip back to the Mumbai airport, though I did get lost  it was relatively uneventful and less traumatising than the night before.  The only thing left to endure was the long line up through customs in the Dubai airport.

Hong Kong through the Rosedale window 15 floors up.
Dinner out.
Select your order number.

Busy street
James photobomb
Double decker buses

The entrance to the mall…no doors 😉
Apple isn’t open yet.
Bamboo scaffolding

So you know where to look (they drive on the wrong side here).
Painted stairs on an overpass.
Restaurant menu

Hong Kong Dollars
Old apartment building across from the Apple Genius counter.
Avenue of Stars

Avenue of Stars

Bruce Lee
There was a huge line for Jackie Chan…
Chow Yun Fat

I couldn’t convince him to strike a pose.
Fake, picturesque Hong Kong skyline.
Real Hong Kong skyline

High five Pig!
Olympic torch
Famous clock tower

Waiting for the lightshow.

WOW! That’s it folks. So glad we stuck around… 😛
Riding back to Central Hong Kong on a passenger ferry

We were watching the light show from a platform in front of the ‘ski slope’ looking building (Hong Kong Performing Arts)
Welcome to Victoria Park

Hong Kong library

Map of Victoria Park

Foot massage pathway

Cool trails around Victoria Park

Remote control speed boat.

Running path
Hong Kong Library from Victoria Park
Statue of Queen Victoria

Riding the ‘DingDing’ with Lena
At Lena’s studio.

The Tram ‘DingDing’
Hong Kong Temple
Hong Kong Temple

‘Stop’ wait behind this line.
Riding the subway in Hong Kong. He makes the best faces.
Yummy lunch. I loved this place!

The floor in the Crystal Pod
The trail James ran.

Village of Ngong Ping

Altar at the bottom of the stairs.
Hello Buddha
More altars

Hoped to make it around to the fishing village…but didn’t.
Bodhi Wishing Shrine

Random back alley market

Tickets to The Peak
How do I get to The Peak?
Waiting for the Trolley

On the Trolley to The Peak
It’s a bit of a steep climb.

View of Hong Kong from the look out point

Our names at The Peak.

Bubba Gump restaurant at The Peak

Sorry Kirsten…pork ribs.

View of the ocean from The Peak
The Peak

Getting out of the rain

Hot date with my hubby. Tickets to Elysium
Pretty much sums up our visit.
Awesome swinging gate??

Path leading up to Ngong Ping
Ngong Ping map

Awesomely steep stairs.
Two trails with the same name your only choice, up or down?
…you pick.

To get to the hiking trail up Ngong Ping get off at this stop.
Head left towards this exit.
Stay to the left of the trees.

Enter the bike path.
This way to the walking trail up Ngong Ping.
Follow the arrows.

Follow the arrow.
Follow the signs to the Hau Wong Temple.
Stay left and go over the overpass.

Somebodies laundry hanging next to the road.
Stay right to the right of these stairs.
At this sign…

…head down the stairs.
At the ‘T’, go left.
Look for the Hau Wong Temple sign (go to the right).

Past the toilets and a playground (on the left)
Before the gate, turn left.
So you walk along this court.

Over the bridge.
Stay on the path.
Up these stairs…

…until you see this marker, then keep on going 🙂
Last look before getting on the plane.
My hotel room in Mumbai

My stellar bathroom
View out my window.

Northern Musandam: Wadi Khasab

09 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by lcmacdonald in Oman, People, Traveling, wadi

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

arabian gulf, Bassa Beach, bluff, Camping, cliff jumping, hiking, khasab, Musandam, Oman, sea shells, snorkeling, steep mountain, swimming

Days of rest are many here in the UAE.  June 6th is as of now (May 20th of this year) a national holiday here in the UAE called Al Isra’a Wal Miraj in Arabic, الإسراء والمعراج.  It is taught in the Quran to be the day that the Prophet Muhammed traveled to Jerusalem from Mecca in one night and ascended to heaven to speak with God.  So with yet another holiday suddenly upon us we quickly packed our camping gear together and headed for the mountains of Oman for our last possible chance to sleep comfortably under the stars.

Following the coastline.

Following the coastline.

We departed University City around 3:00pm, and arrived at the border crossing by about 4:30pm.  No trouble there and we were on the road.  The road past the border winds closely along the coast with the Arabian Gulf stretching out on one side, and steep mountain cliffs on the other.  With no clear road signs (or signs with familiar names) we missed the turn off to the Sayh Plateau and stopped instead at the Acacia Forest.

Acacia Forest near Sall Ala

Acacia Forest near Sall Ala

At 7:30, it was still +43C so we decided to pass up the temptation to set up camp here and head to the mountains where the temperature would likely drop to a more tolerable level.  We drove back along the road to a small village that was located where we had expected the turnoff to be.  Our trusty arab speaking ‘cousin’ made quick work of getting us on the right path after flagging over some local men and asking for directions.

IMG_0884

Sunset approach up Wadi Khasab

The road up the mountain was unpaved, and steep but not nearly as soft and sandy as the mountain road we attempted the last time we were in Oman.  The view was beautiful as we watched the sun disappear behind the mountains…I wish I could better portray in photographs the beauty we witnessed.  It took approximately 25-30 minutes to reach the camping site confirmed to us only by the presence of other tents visible in our headlights.  We searched among the rubble of an old settlement to find relatively flat ground free of rocks for pitching our tents.  James and Jeremy set to building a fire from the dead branch of a near by Acacia tree, while us ladies set out to assemble our shelters.  Dinner was quick and conversations short as we were all off to slumberland by 10:30.

My kids were focused on their devices most of the drive out, missing all the beautiful scenery, and when night fell that did not change.  They quickly ate their dinner and hurried off to watch movies and play games on the iPad in their tent.  Jaron must have been watching an action movie, as the sound of rattling guns and people yelling kept me awake late into the night.

I couldn’t have been happier with our chosen camping spot (unless I had gotten more sleep) when morning came and I had a perfect view of the sun rising up over Jebel as Sayh at 5:30 in the morning.  I quickly dressed and emerged from my tent to go about taking care of the morning business.  A few shots of the campsite in daylight, and then a trek up the trail to take in the view.

View of camp and Jabal as Sayh from the hiking path.

View of camp and Jabal as Sayh from the hiking path.

The temperature was perfect, and the hike was a little treacherous to be climbing in my flip-flops.  I was soon joined by our two little “cousins” Miriam and Megd, and we explored the area for cool rocks while we waited for their Mom to join us.  As we saw tents collapse we headed back down the mountain for a quick breakfast.  We were off by 8:00am, back down the mountainside to find our way to Khawr an Najd.

Mountain path to Khawr an Najd

Mountain path to Khawr an Najd

Khawr an Najd is the only beach bay accessible in the fjords by car.  To get there you must drive up a road cut into the side of the mountain, much like what we drove up Wadi Khasab to the camp site on Jebel as Sayh.  The view was spectacular, and  the beach…less impressive.  The amount of garbage on the beach and floating in the water was enough to convince us to start home and find a suitable beach along the coast.

Just past Khasab we pulled into a large gravel/sand lot next to a bluff named Bassa Beach.  By this time the outside temperature was back to +40, and the water was just cool enough to give relief.  We had pulled up on the beach near a group of young teenage boys who were jumping off the bluff into the ocean.

James and Jeremy jumped off the cliff with some Omani boys.

James and Jeremy jumped off the cliff with some Omani boys.

No surprise then when James and Jeremy disappeared to investigate did we see them a top the bluff with this group of boys.  One by one they flung themselves from the top.  Bridget guessed it was at least 40 feet to the water.  James claimed a ‘lost’ t-shirt he found lying on a rock near the bottom of the bluff, and both received injuries from grazing the sharp rocks on their way back to beach.  The younger kids were quite happy to just look for shells on the ocean floor in the clear blue water.  2 hours here and then we were ready to move on.

Crossing the border on the way back was as quick as one could expect, though the lineup for those traveling into Oman must have been quite a wait.  We made a good decision traveling the day before the holiday instead of on the holiday instead.

Enjoy some more photos from the trip.  I apologize for them seeming out of order.  The photos are from multiple cameras…

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