Hong Kong's landscape is as urban as it gets. Packed with people, cars, and high rise buildings, unless you are in Tsim Sha Tsui or Victoria Harbor, it's easy to forget that this dense metropolis is one of the over 200 islands that make up the territory.
Hong Kong is currently a battle zone for protesters and police. What started out as resistance to China's motion for extradition from Hong Kong has turned into a violent conflict that forces many people to stay in their homes and avoid certain areas. Because of the damage the protesters are inflicting on their own city, not all citizens agree with the protests. While I was in Hong Kong, they mostly occurred on the weekends, with the one exception being National Day of PRC. When it starts to get chaotic, the trains shut down, so I was advised to not go into the city at all if I wanted to stay safe and not get stranded there with no way back home. My time there was limited, so I didn't want to waste it staying in. If I couldn't go into the city, I would delve into Hong Kong's natural scenery by traveling to a few islands.
Sham Chung is the first stop on the Ma Liu Shui ferry. What used to be a village in the New Territories is now a rural area that mostly attracts hikers. From the pier, a trail leads past small beaches, through trees and to an open field with a view of the mountains in the distance. There is a restaurant, Sham Chung Manor, that allows you to sit back and soak up the peaceful scenery and immerse yourself in Hong Kong's greener and quieter landscape, away from all the crowds and noise.
While relaxing with my uncle, a man from the house next to us approached our table. Shirtless and tanned with skin like leather, he carried a long, sharp pole over his shoulder. He spoke rapid Cantonese to my uncle, which I couldn't understand no matter how hard I tried, gestured wildly, and disappeared into the woods. My uncle explained that the man was friends with the neighbor next door. A retired gangster and current snake hunter, he occasionally stops by and visits. When he returned half an hour later, he offered us a grilled fish and urged me to come back some time. I left with the feeling that I would, one day, but it wouldn't be for the 20 feet long snakes he had described once catching.
Tap Mun is a small island with fishing villages and beautiful seascape views. From the pier, you can see an array of docked fishing boats, as well as vendors selling hand-dried squid and other seafood. The villages themselves are small; just a few winding streets of colorful but sun bleached houses, a few restaurants selling the same food (seafood fried rice, ginger milk tea, and frozen pineapple slices), and paths to temples and trails to the rest of the island. Although there isn't much to do besides take a look around and snap a few pictures, it gives you a way to observe life at a slower pace.
The trail lead me along beaches with crystal clear water, to grassy knolls on steep cliffs where water buffalo roamed freely. Some stared at me, slowly chewing on grass, but most took no notice of my presence and chased each other through the fields or cooled themselves down in the shade.
For the most part, the path hugs the coastline so that all of the walking is made worth it by the constant sight of green peaks of nearby islands, the sparkling ocean water, and the natural vegetation. Although the protests made traveling more difficult, I'm glad I got to experience this side of Hong Kong.