Sunday Hiking & Superstore (Nov. 27)

I have finally convinced John that he doesn't need to feel guilty not going out on my little excursions with me. He has so little free time as it is. He chose to go to the gym & get a hair cut instead of hiking which was just fine with me. It is still pretty humid out there & just not comfortable, but I refuse to let the weather get in the way.

There has been a hike that I read about in one of my books that I've wanted to do for some time so I decided to venture out & do it yesterday. I didn't leave the house until 2:30, but on Sunday's there are so many people out walking that I knew it wouldn't be a safety issue. I got a bus down to Central (where the main bus terminal is) then another bus out to the start of the walk. I think I've said before that the only tough thing about the buses on the first time around is knowing where to get off. I brougt my book that has detailed maps of all HK & followed along in the book as the bus went along. I was very proud of myself as I got off at the right place.

When I got off the bus a woman told me that I could get a rebate on my bus ride if I swiped my card again. By that time the bus had already left, but good to note for next time. She asked where I was going (I was wearing hiking boots & had a backpack, so I think she knew where I was going). I told her the hike I'd planned & she said that is where she & her husband were going as well. They were locals & spoke excellent English. Both had lived in & visited the UK & US, so we had lots to talk about. She is a teacher. They were great. They were impressed that I'd discovered & enjoyed hiking. In HK on Sundays tons of people go hiking (walking), it is a national passtime. You see people of all ages out on the trails. Lots of really old people who put you to shame as they jog up the mountain or go past you using their cane to help them up.

The weather was great, although hot. When we came to a splitting of the trail I chose to divert from my original plan & join Kim & Alma (my new freinds) on up the tougher hike to the top of Parker Mt. It was a strenuous hike & I was soaked by the time we reached the top, but it felt good. They had a picnic planned for the top, so we parted ways. I got their email address & they said next time they go out they will contact me so we can hike together again.

Some interesting things I saw during my hike. I man wearing a St. Olaf's College t-shirt (my cousin Katherine works there). Of course I had to stop him & ask him if he knew her, he didn't. A man just standing completely still on one foot, the other raised up behind him with one arm stretched out hand up. He was obviously medicating/yoga/tai chi - something, but he didn't move at all. A woman hiking up the mountain backwards. A man on the side of the trail under an umbrella playing the violin. A man doing tai chi in a little park while another man ran laps around the small area. Of course lots of kids & couples & people just enjoying their Sunday out.

I went on down, this was much easier. The views were great & nice to hear birds chirping & see all of the greenery. The trail ended in a part of the city called Quarry Bay. This is a very busy area & not many Westerners here. John had called me to ask if I could get a printer cartridge on my way home. I wandered around. I love exploring new areas of the city, I always find something new & wonderful to come back to and this was not exception. I found a great market that was in a basement of a building. It had everything from fish (pets) stores to butchers, to fish (eating) stores, clothes, nick knacks, toys....it was fun just to wander. I found a place with printer supplies, but they didn't have the one I needed. Once outside again I headed for the MTR station. On the way I noticed a store across the street that looked like it might be worth checking out, maybe my printer supplies would be there. It is called Justco. Well I was not disappointed.

All the time I've lived here I've been amazed that there doesn't seem to be a Super Target/Wal-Mart/Super Kmart type of store here. I knew that there had to be one, these people are too sophisticated not to have a store like that. Well Justco was just that store. I walked in & the first floor was a grocery store. It was enormous! I didn't venture in because it was so crowded - looked just like Wal-mart.

I asked at the info desk if they had printing supplies. With some difficulty in understanding what I was looking for she told me the 3rd floor (which in the US would be the 4th floor). Each floor I pasted was chock full of stuff, everything from appliances to clothes to toys to bags. Nice to know you can go to one place instead of wandering the streets aimlessly looking through tiny stores for an item.

I finally located the printers & cartridges. I didn't see the one I wanted & asked for help. Nobody spoke English, so I wrote down the number. Of course the only one they didn't have. Oh well, it was fun just looking. I stopped at the handbag floor & found a backpack on sale. The one I have now is small & falling apart. As my son Jesse likes to tell me - you get what you pay for sometimes. So I got a proper backpack for my future hiking ventures (day pack really).

I found my way back to the MTR & noted the location of my new "find" & which MTR station it is near. I didn't look for light covers, but I'm sure they must have them. I might NEVER have to go back to Ikea again, well except to return the ones I just got. I will be SOOOO happy!!

I had fun showig John my photos & telling him about my new friends. I said that sometimes when you are alone, other people are more inclined to talk to you & you make new freinds. John had a productive day & had cleaned up all of his expenses & gotten a lot done that he needed to get done. So we were both happy campers.