From Tai Long Wan : Epilogue

Sadly all we had to comfort ourselves with on our return, were an unopened bottle of Carlo Rossi, the makings of at least two Dry Martinis and blow me down not another Sri Lankan (birriyani) curry to ease our by now very weary bones. "Ah well I wonder what tomorrow will bring asked Tigger?" Pooh's reply and observations on a possible repeat are not permissible on a public blog like this.

From Tai Long Wan: Nae Ferry!

"Sorry Babe but the ferry appears to have left on time at 4.45pm ( now 5.15) You know how unreliable these Chinese are, keeping to timetables and such" chortled our amused leader.

"I know, lets try your iPhone and one of its new apps to call up a water taxi". Aye right! thinks the unamused 'she who must be obeyed'. "I'm not walking another inch tonight..." as the dying embers of the eastern sun going down in the west(that's enough peotic mince! ed.)brought a rapidly advancing darkness.

Hey Presto! (or Apple if you will), within about 7 minutes the comforting roar of twin 150bhp Evinrudes brought joy and comfort all round and less than 10 Minutes later hair blowing in the slipstream, the whole expidition was arriving at Wong Shek pier to pick up the number 94 bus back to Oi Gin (Outward Bound) as if we had never been away.

From Tai Wan Long: Are We There Yet?

"Are you there yet?" squawks an interested observer. "halfway again" confirms our Che capped leader.

Sadly his optimism was misplaced as when we arrived at Chek Keng, Gess Whit? Nae ferry!

Look closely at the bottom picture here and you'll see a pier with no ferry...worse than a bar with no toilet(depends upon your point of view and whether you are male or female)
The last had sailed 30 minutes before we got there. Worse than a windy night at McInroy's Point with no "going round by road" option as there wis none. Road, that is.

From Tai Long Wan: The Trek Back

A well, what's another 3.5 Kilometers rising to over 160meters between friends.

Here we are leaving the outskirts of Ham Tin Wai en rout for Check Keng with a delightful view of Tai Mun Shan ( actually its Sharps Peak standing in, as as the cameraman forgot to take the required photie)

At Tai Long Wan: Here Be Sand Part 2

Her are some of the younger members of our expidition losing all control and disporting themselves with abandon. Those of us not shown here bemoaned the lack of forethought that had left the neccessary (for us at least) cossies behind! A paddle would have to do.

We forced ourselves to remain at this outpost since there were essential supplies to inventory and run quality checks on, until about 1530hrs. All the while being assured by our youthful leader that that would allow us time to catch the last ferry out of Check Keng.

"When exactly is that?" asked some of the party. Hrrmph, Hrrumphty tum was the reply. Anyway we had confidence in our indian scout.

At Tai Long Wan: Here Be Sand

And this was why afterall we had braved the perils of the McLehose trail, well 3 kilometers of it anyway, the beach.

Easily comparable with the West of Scotland but with certain endearing elements missing. Wind, Rain, comfortable temperatures of 5deg C, so it wasn't quite perfect, but it'd do in a pinch.

At Tai Long Wan: The Beach

Now we are here with the kindly mine host opening the Tsingtao as we stubled with cracked lips into, and nearly out of, his humble er, car port.

Nevertheless the hospitality was cold (the beer) and hot (the chillies) and we had a marvelous mix of anglo chinese grub, with dumplings of unknown content, sweet and sour fish, noodles, spring rolls (up to this point the best I have ever tasted) and quite definitely the best chips in the world. Hot, dry, salted and floury, themselves requiring further applications of the wonder potion that cures all discomfort out here whether its mosquitos, canisiums, bad knees etc. Of course there were noodles , this is a noolde (sic) bar!