After my very relaxing layover in Hong Kong three weeks ago, I want to be a bit more active this time.

After arriving, even though we are very tired, a colleague and I go to a small sushi restaurant around the corner for dinner. The long line surprises us at first, but then we realise that it is Saturday evening. So we take a number and go to the supermarket first. I need to buy provisions for my hike tomorrow. It takes us a while before we get a seat, but that does not matter, since we are having a good time catching up on each other’s lives. We enjoy our meal, and later I fall into bed, full and tired.

McLehose Trail Section I & II

Three weeks ago, one of my regional colleagues told me about the second section of the MacLehose Trail. The trail runs through Hong Kong in 10 sections, and I have already hiked other parts of it. She loves hiking in Hong Kong, especially since it is by the sea. I cannot agree more and am always in awe at the combination of skyscrapers, green hills and the wide sea.

So this morning I set off on my “journey” to the High Island East Reservoir. It takes an hour and a half and requires the metro and three buses to get there. Since it is Sunday, I am obviously not the only one. However, this also means the bus goes all the way to the reservoir, and I do not have to take a taxi for the last leg.

I walk along a paved path between dense green bushes up the hill. After just a few meters, I have left the hustle and bustle of the dam behind me. The birds are chirping, and many colorful butterflies flutter by. And then, around the corner, the first beach appears. It is still a bit hazy, yet the white sand and the emerald-green water are gleaming. It looks absolutely beautiful. I am so happy I chose this hike today.

A few tents are pitched on the beach. The small campground was used over the weekend. I only take a short break and continue walking. Next up is the big climb of the day to the 314-meter-high Sai Wan. It is quite hot, and I am sweating a lot. I overtake a few hikers and, halfway up, I sit down in a shady pavilion for a short drink break. There is another one at the summit. Asian hikers look so different from Western ones. Long sleeves, long trousers, wide-brimmed hats, and the women often wear a kind of mask on their faces so that not a single centimeter of skin comes into contact with the sun.

A Well Deserved Swim

After the biggest climb and descent of the day, the Sai Wan beach awaits me as a reward. The colors are magnificent. I find a shady spot and change my clothes. The sea is wonderfully refreshing. I could easily spend the rest of the day here. And maybe even rent a surfboard, since there are four surfers in the water. The waves are quite small, though. But I will keep that in mind. Perhaps I will come back here on another layover when the waves are bigger.

The next beach is not far. Here, too, I can understand why Ham Tin Beach is considered “one of Hong Kong’s most beautiful beaches.” It is gorgeous. The white sand, the greenish-turquoise water. Simply stunning. I have to go back in the water… Good thing I am still wearing my bikini. There are a few more people on this beach, but it is still very manageable. The cowpats on the path already indicated that the path is sometimes used by cows. And lo and behold, two of them come down the steps and continue along the beach into the mangrove forest.

With a heavy heart, I leave the coast behind and walk through the greenery to the road near Pak Tam Au. First, the path leads across sand, then alongside a pond. Frogs croak loudly, and bizarre butterflies with delicate, transparent upper wings and dense underwings look almost like bats.

The path leads through a small cluster of houses. A few cold drinks are available for purchase. Otherwise, most of the houses are dilapidated and reclaimed by the forest. A few beautifully painted signs made from old surfboards mark the way.

The last few kilometers lead gently uphill and downhill through a light, green forest. It was such a beautiful hike. I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Being able to break up the 15km with two swims was a wonderful change of pace and I loved it. Finally, I take the double-decker bus back to the metro and even get the premium seat upstairs at the front.

At the hotel, I take a shower. The mixture of sunscreen, sweat, and salt water has to come off. In the evening, I meet up with my colleague again for dinner, and afterward, my tired bones simply collapse into bed. What a wonderful day!!

Hong Kong’s Waterfront

I start my departure day leisurely with tea and breakfast in bed, and reading the newspaper. It feels great to take it easy this morning and relax. At midday, we meet for a walk along the waterfront to Tsim Sha Tsui. The view of all the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island is always impressive. Day or night, I never get tired of this view. However, my legs are still a bit tired from yesterday and I am happy that we are taking the bus back.

A little more rest, and then it is back home in the evening. 13 hours of flight time. That is quite a long time. However, time passes quickly.

And then I am looking forward to a few days at home…

What a lovely layover again. Hong Kong is always great. City or nature, there is always something to discover.

In 2018 I went hiking to the Lion Rock.

Though it was not a hiking layover in 2023, I spent very active days on Lantau Island, in Stanley and the city. And let us not forget about Christmas 2023 spent in Hong Kong. 

Der Beitrag Hiking to the Most Beautiful Beaches in Hong Kong erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.

The flight through the night is quite long and after our morning arrival I lie down for a bit before walking along Copacabana Beach at midday. It is quite hot and humid. 32° Celsius. I walk in the shade of the houses for a while and then sit down in a café. An iced coffee helps with jet lag and fatigue. Ahh… it feels so good. What a gift to be here and to get such a nice flight from my standby duty. By the time I walk back, the sun has disappeared behind some clouds, and I can walk on the beach in the surf. What a wonderful start into this Rio layover. 

A Catamaran Tour

The next day, nine of us meet up and drive to the marina for a tour on a catamaran. However, we stay in Rio’s bay because the wind and waves are too strong further out. Corcovado Mountain with its Christ the Redeemer statue is shrouded in clouds. Sugarloaf Mountain, on the other hand, lies directly in front of us. The city always looks completely different from the water. Gannets fly by and frigatebirds glide high in the sky. There are a few boats out, but it is quite peaceful.

We swim in a small bay. The current is very strong, and you really have to swim hard to avoid being swept far from the boat. The water is refreshing but also pitch black due to the sediments in the bay.

We stay here until it gets dark. A few other boats arrive, but they all head back early. It is really lovely. We have music playing, we sing along a little, and we enjoy the view and the fact that it is slowly getting dark. By the time we get back to the harbour, the first drops of rain are falling. Perfect timing. Considering that much more rain was forecast for today, we were really lucky with the weather.

A Sunrise SUP Tour

On Saturday morning, the alarm goes off at 3:30 am. I found a sunrise SUP tour via GetYourGuide. One of my colleagues is coming along, and we meet up with the rest of the group at the other end of Copacabana shortly after 4:00 am. As we get into the water, it is still pitch black. Only the lights on the beach are visible. Slowly, it gets light… Sugarloaf Mountain stands out against the sky, a brightly lit cruise ship sails into the harbour… The current is strong; we have to paddle constantly to maintain our position and avoid being swept against the rocks. It is so beautiful.

Slowly, it gets lighter. Now we can see that hundreds of other people have also come out here on stand-up paddleboards. I had thought there might be fewer people because of Carnival. But no, it is packed. Despite the clouds, the sunrise is beautiful. We spend a total of two hours on the ocean, and we would have loved to stay longer. We always try to keep a bit to the side of our group and enjoy the calm of the sea. The colours are magnificent, the gentle waves moving our boards. It is so wonderful… We both love it so much.

Afterwards, we walk along the beach in Ipanema. It is drizzling lightly, but we do not care much. Since we have some time before our café opens for breakfast, we sit on the beach, look out at the ocean, and are completely happy. Later, refreshed after breakfast, we stroll a bit through the leafy streets of Ipanema… Life is good…

A Little Carnival

In Rio, Carnival is celebrated until Sunday. Ash Wednesday is not taken too seriously here. Besides the large parades in the Sambadrome, there are also smaller block parties in the various neighborhoods. There is one near us in the afternoon, so we decide to check it out. A brass band is playing, people are in costume and dancing, and drinks are being sold all around. We mingle with the crowd, but then a sudden thunderstorm sends us all running. Everyone seeks shelter under balconies and continues dancing. We get a taste of Carnival in Rio that way, too.

On our departure day, we have a leisurely breakfast, and I take one last walk along the beach. Then we head back home at midday.

Read more about my Rio adventures…

Der Beitrag A Surprise Return to Rio de Janeiro erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.

I am off to Bogotá again. Over the last six months I have been here quite a lot, but there are worse places. Especially if you are flying on to colourful Cartagena. The tropical city at the Caribbean coast has quickly become my happy place. I love the heat, the colours, the fruit juices and ceviche, the leisurely pace…

Colourful Getsemaní

During the briefing, a colleague already asked if anyone else wanted to go to Cartagena. In the end, there are three of us. One night in the hotel, and then the next morning we meet in the lobby at 8.00am. The trip is so wonderfully easy. By 11.30am, we are in the old town of Cartagena. I can leave my bag at the hostel and even change from my long dress to a short one. Cartagena is always tropically humid and hot.

I walk to Getsemaní for lunch, and my colleagues soon join me. We sit together comfortably for quite a while before taking a stroll through the colorful, graffiti-covered neighborhood. There is so much to see. I especially love the house with Gabriel Garcia Márquez reading from “cien años de soledad” and yellow butterflies flying from the book. 

Colourful Sunset

In the afternoon, we meet again at the city wall to watch the sunset with cocktails. We are not the only ones there; it is crowded, but that means there is more to see than just the sun. The wind is blowing quite hard, but that does not matter. In the Bocagrande district, one skyscraper follows another. It reminds me of Miami, and the sun reflects off the facades along the promenade. Frigate birds and pelicans glide by. We stay until it gets dark.

Then we walk to the Old Town for dinner. We find a steakhouse, and the Super Bowl is on the big screens. None of the three of us are American football fans, but at halftime, we watch Bad Bunny’s halftime show, sung entirely in Spanish, with wild cheers from the Colombians. Considering I did not know the singer until last week, when he won his Grammy, I really enjoy the show. The Colombians are really into it, cheering and swaying their hips to the rhythm.

Colourful Old Town

The next morning, the sun shines from a clear blue sky, and it is even hotter than yesterday. The power goes out briefly twice while I am in the shower, but since the water is still running, I ignore it for the time being. Luckily, the power outage does not last long.

I have breakfast with my book in a small café. One of the reasons I love Cartagena so much is that I spend quite some time in cute cafés or restaurants with my book. It is always such a relaxing stay in the city.

Later I meet up with the other two by chance. I step into the cool cathedral to hide a bit from the sun and sit down on one of the benches in the back. The other two had the same idea. After a little while, we continue to stroll through the Old Town and have ceviche for lunch. We drink limonada de coco with it. What a wonderful day, even though we are sweating buckets.

In the afternoon, we head back to the airport. At the airport, we change in the restroom and are thus ready for the cooler weather in Bogotá.

Our departure day begins with the excellent hotel breakfast. We sit together until noon. Afterward, I walk to the supermarket, rest for a while, and am ready for the flight back in the evening.

Der Beitrag Colourful Cartagena erschien zuerst auf Where in the world is... Susanne?.