You’ve Got Your Head in the Clouds (part 2 of 4)

I had to run back up to the apartment because we’d all forgotten our umbrellas which we needed because the second we stepped out of the parking garage, it started to rain. Also, we would need them later in the day, but for a different reason.

While waiting for the E-42 bus, Julie and I chatted with a young Hong Konger who was British by birth but had been living in Hong Kong since his middle school days. It was 8:30 on Saturday morning and he was just coming home from last night’s revelry. When we explained to him that we were meeting a friend to climb a peak on Lantau, he had trouble processing that information. (I’m sure his morning-after headache wasn’t helping any.) He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that we greenhorns –in Hong Kong for barely a month- were going to hike up a peak on Lantau. “I’ve lived her for fifteen years, and I have never climbed any of the peaks on Lantau. They’re steep.” I’m sure he was thinking “They have no idea what they’re getting themselves into.”

Which was pretty close the truth.

As planned, Colleen -who had brought along her nine year-old nephew, Ethan- was waiting for us at the bus depot. I knew it was supposed to be an arduous climb, but I figured if this kid could make it up, so could I.

Maybe.

Twenty minutes later, the six of us got off of our second bus of the morning in the middle of nowhere –or at least it seemed like it. But sure enough, there on the side of the road was the head of the trail. As we started our hike, Colleen told us that we would probably encounter some old Chinese guy running the trail.

I’ll believe it when we see it.

For the first half-hour, we hiked in the shade of trees. But as we got higher, the trees stopped and instead we were surrounded by tall mountain grass. Believe it or not, almost the entire path was made of large fieldstone steps placed there years ago by someone (more Japanese p.o.w.s?). While the steps were helpful, they certainly didn’t make the climb easy. We had to stop often to rest and drink water.

At least I was keeping pace with the nine-year-old.

As we climbed, we were at times actually hiking among the clouds. But when the hot sun broke through we were thankful we had our umbrellas to create our own portable shade. I see what party-dude guy from the bus was talking about. If we had any idea what we were getting ourselves into, we probably would have taken a pass. But ignorance is bliss. Sometimes it’s better to just say yes and figure out later on what it is you’ve committed yourself to.

-Jack