A piece of the past

It's a long time since I went to a remote village in the New Territories. I was last there some 17 years ago. I helped the village get a proper road which would not flood during the summer rains. I learned from the driver of the village van that the village representative with whom I dealt had died a few years ago. He used to run the village store in a run down house at the head of the village. He was a good man. Memories flooded back, like the torrents which went under the Waterworks Department catchwater channel whenever there was a flash flood: an emaciated old man with a suntanned face lined by deep grooves carved out by the ravages of time who spoke with a slightly husky voice and who always appeared to be deep in thought. All I met now were new faces none of which knew me. When I left the van, I made a mistake about the van fare. The lady driver returned the entire overpaid fare to me, a full 50% of what I paid. My heart felt warm. It was a good feeling. I went to Yung Shue O in the Saikung area.

My only company on the initial leg of the journey was this family of cows, free to roam and lie down on the road as no young men nowadays are prepared to engage in the hard work of tilling the soil.

I don't give a damn about others looking at me!

I enjoyed the sunlight, basking upon the leaves, like the leisurely cows.

The road was full of these crape myrtles which have never stopped blooming since summer.

Not far from the village, the sea was full of mangroves. Hardly anyone go there nowadays. At one time, the village representative discussed with me ambitious  plans to turn the village into a holiday resort with a pier of its own to take out tourists on boats with glass bottoms to look at the famous corals under the shallow sea there and for fishing. Nothing came of it. All I found at the village now was a shed store for aficianados of "mock field battles"  with some some tables for  food and drinks.



The quiet stream which runs from the village to the sea

There used to be some fishermen who reared fishes on rafts. I was told that the old men who used to service the rafts have all retired.

A grit beach not far from the village.

The path to the beach were overgrown with creepers

A deserted house close to the ex village representative's home

Behind the village, there were lots and lots of moths and butterflies.

A butterfly

More butterflies

Creepers were everywhere

And some unknown little flowers

A flood control hole for the catchwater a little higher up the hill behind the village

A pool supplying water to the entire village

A mountain stream on my way from Deer Pool to Yung Shue O.

The path was well covered.

Some rock climbing creepers.

A withered flower



and berries

I never get tired of looking at sunlight performing its magic upon the most ordinary looking leaves.

or lighting up the undergrowth

An unusually dark morning glory

Guess what are these which I found on my way there?

But you don't get that kind of "organic" sesame candy all the time !

Back to the bus stop !