This day at Lamma Island did not end how I had expected it to end. The morning after fireworks, I got up early and met some exchange friends at the train station. We then took the train down to Central and got on a ferry to Lamma Island. This was during the week-long CNY break so we took advantage of the free time.
Lamma Island is the third largest island (after Lantau and Hong Kong island) and has a very different environment from Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Pristine and tranquil, Lamma provides an escape from the hectic crowds in the city. After being surrounded by big crowds for several days, I needed a break from all the noise and commotion. Lamma was the perfect break. Buildings are prohibited from being higher than three stories and there are no automobiles on the island, save for a few fire trucks and ambulances.
Several of the exchange students who I came to Lamma with were in their second semester at CUHK. A couple of them had been to Lamma before and had advertised it as a “walk,” but by the end of the day, we all agreed that we could say we “hiked” 10 miles. There were quite a few bits of incline here and there as we ascended further up the sides of the mountains. After grabbing an early dinner at one of the many seafood restaurants near the pier, we decided to venture further along the coast of the island to Shek Pai Wan Beach. After 45 minutes of walking and getting bitten by mosquitoes, we were rewarded with a picturesque, deserted beach. It was beautiful. We took a moment to collect some seashells (I found a couple urchin shells!) and took photos against the backdrop of lush mountains, the setting sun, and the peaceful scattered rock formations on the soft sand beach.
After the sun had set, we made our way back through the forest to the ferry dock. On our way, we encountered more mosquitoes, ominous ruins from WWII, and growling dogs. Everything was a lot more intimidating in the dark. Luckily, we made it back to the dock safely and got to enjoy the night view of the city skyline from the ferry. It had been a much longer day than we had all expected, but that beautiful beach made everything worth it – even the mosquito bites.
ABC in HK 