August 27th, 2006
Today was wonderful! Sunny changed his plans and couldn't join again. so I asked another friend of mine to join gifting in Lantau. Distances are approximates made on Google Earth.
Last tuesday I went from Tung Chung to just above Sha Lo Wan, as for today:
I had taken 120 TBs in my bag-pack, today. We took the ferry at Central at 9am.
- We started from Central ferry Pier (Victoria Island, known as well as Hong Kong Island) to Mui Wo ferry Pier. Distance 17 km (or 9.20 nautical miles)
We gifted all along the distance, more TBs were gifted near each pier. It was fun, the ferry was an open deck and we were alone at the back of the boat most of the time.
We then had to make a journey by bus from Mui Wo to Tai O which lasted about 45mn
Upon arrival in Tai O we noticed there was tours to see pink dolphins for about 25mn the cost was HK$20 per person (about US$2.57). We decided to take it and we were the only two of us + the tour guide and the boat captain. The captain sailed offshore for a while and I kept gifting the sea while we were on our way. At some stage he stopped and we saw them from afar. These were the first dolphins I ever saw in the wild
The Hong Kong dolphin is a Humpback dolphin, its scientific name is Sousa chinensis and its color is pink! Since I could not make pictures of them (I was far too slow and they were too far away), you can see the HK dolphins pictures at
Hong Kong Dolphinwatch Limited
https://www.hkdolphinwatch.com
I also gave about 6-10 TBs, and only one dolphin swam closer to us very briefly (about 20-30 metres) but I think they were scared of us since the captain was making his engine roar to speed up and get closer to them [Image Can Not Be Found]
He and the guide were also extremely noisy (HK people communicate by shouting, mostly. The more noise the better!) Anyway, it was great to see the dolphins swim and I’m sure I’ll go back some time with dolphin balls! That portion of trip was about 11 km (or 5.94 nautical miles).
After the very ugly bridge they’ve built 5 years ago that helps crossing the channel in Tai O, I was very unhappy to discover that the government has built a Typhoon shelter in Tai O bay against people’s will (HK$12 millions – US$1.55 millions). That harbour never needed a typhoon shelter, and now there is an ugly stone wall is there, people complain, they no longer can see the sunset which was undoubtedly wonderful. How to waste money and make people unhappy? Ask again who can do it best! On the satellite pictures you will not see the typhoon shelter since pictures were made prior to its construction.
Anyway … we went back to Tai O pier and decided to go to lunch before either walking to Sha Lo Wan either taking the ferry there. During lunch we decided the weather was far too hot to walk all the way up the island, so we would take the ferry instead and gift the sea on our way there.
After lunch we gifted Tai O Village (some parts of it) among which the Heliport and some (unknown) facilities attached to it and other places and I decided I’d go back to finish the place another time since our ferry was arriving. I noticed a weather facility above another mountain further south so I’ll have to go back for sure!
That part of gifting was about 5.6 km. We ran to make sure we’d get our ferry
We were again lucky on that ferry. We had a little bench at the back of the upper OPEN deck. So we sat and gifted our way to Sha Lo Wan pier : 9 km or 5 nautical miles.
Arrived at the pier which is just at the tip of the HK international airport. We got off and started our journey to Sham Wat Wan, hoping to take the bus back to Mui Wo for me and to the beach for my friend. When arriving there, the lady from the café told us there is not enough business around so there is NO bus! We had the option to get a taxi or her friend could also drive us up if we were paying him the same price as for the taxi (hello the crooks!) We nicely declined saying we would walk insteadup to just below Po Lin Monastery and take the bus from there.
From altitude 0 to about 345 meters. It was quite hard but it was great, we gifted along the way up.
Arrived on top I saw a kind of antenna so I went checking for it and sicne it is a GPS antenna I gifted it too. From the Sha Lo Wan pier to that bus stop it was about 7.8 km which makes the total walk a bit more than 13 km.
I arrived home exhausted but light hearted and discovered that out of 120 TBs, we gifted 112, today.
updated pix at:
https://web.mac.com/disundi/iWe…..0Seas.html
Pic 1 = satellite view of our ferry journey from Central ferry Pier to Mui Wo ferry Pier
Pic 2 = satellite view of our boat journey to the dolphins
Pic 3 = view of what the dolphins can see on one side of their playground (the other side is unfortunately the HK International airport)
Pic 4 = satellite view of our gifting in Tai O village
Pic 5 = view of traditional fishermen Tai O village (and its modern and ugly bridge)
Pic 6 = close up view of the ugly bridge that replaces the old boat-woman.
Pic 7 = view of Tai O village traditional houses.
Pic 8 = partly view of the ugly typhoon shelter breaking beautiful sea view and sunset.
Pic 9 = view of shrimp paste making at the port.
Pic 10 = view of Tai O from mountain
Pic 11 = view of mountain top + antennas in Tai O
Pic 12 = satellite view of our boat journey from Tai O to Sha Lo Wan pier
Pic 13 = satellite view of our gifting journey from Sha Lo Wan pier to Tai Fung Au
Pic 14 = view of the gifted GPS antenna at Tai Fung Au