Cheung Chau - My Island Peace
My last day or two in Hong Kong involved me traipsing from
place to place, trying to find the visa centre (signs nor direction were
forthcoming), upon getting to the visa centre having to go through security, my
backpack being taken and water bottle… then being told my profile photos
weren’t appropriate because I had earings in (not a problem expressed in ANY
documentation… so how was one to know), so within the centre I had these
retaken – for a fee - then started the
waiting process once more and paying and waiting some more and feeling nothing
but anxious and stressed, thinking up every possibility from being put in some
kind of immigrant jail to being sent back to Australia on a colonial ship (all
logical ofcourse). 
Upon leaving… I was unable to go back through security to
get my belongings, but needed to exit from one door, walk all the way AROUND
the building and enter again through the initial door which… was about five
steps from where I exited from… The guards looked amused, enjoying their little
bout of power… may they all get gout!
On top of that my accommodation payment ran out and I was on
my final HK dollars, with nothing in my bank account and all of my funds back
in cash in Tangshan, so I ended up having an inappropriate argument with the poor
hostel staff, handing over my final few dollars and ending up in hiccupping
tears (the first time I’ve cried since I moved to China!). I felt very silly
and immediately emailed the staff to apologise for my inappropriate display of
emotions! I was ready to get back home.
Lets just say my last couple of days were far from
entertaining and other than a brief overview, nothing that needs to be mulled
over.
Fortunately I got to go to Chueng Chau Island, which
potentially made the entire trip to Hong Kong, worth it… potentially… maybe…
I awoke early, stopped off at Starbucks for a quick tea (it’s
a simple pleasure to be able to order an English Breakfast Tea and then be
provided with an English Breakfast Tea… as opposed to exclamations of confusion
and then the word I most distaste in China, “Mayo” which means “Don’t Have”…
please have, PLEASE HAVE!), I then headed to the ferry wharf. Only 30 Hong Kong
dollars and I was off on a 45 minute trip to Chueng Chau.
Ahh I just love the ferry trip in itself, the water churning
behind you, watching the horizon change with the motion of distance, clouds
forming and dissipating, buildings shrinking until you’re looking at a Lego
display of modernity. The further we got from Hong Kong Island the clearer the
air, until I could literally see the cloud of fog hovering in the distance and
feel the natural pleasantness of the day unfold before my very lungs (I know, I
know… should be eyes, but months in Tangshan… its all about the lungs!)
Originally Chueng Chau was a fishing village and was
included in the 99 year lease to the UK, during which time, as you can imagine,
it became a nice spot to visit during the summer months. People tended to lived
on their boats rather than the island itself its still pristine horticulture
(in my EXCEPTIONALLY limited opinion… lets just say it was well nice).
Upon arrival, I completely forgot why I’d come… I was just
so taken aback by the peace and tranquillity of the place… oh AND hungry…
Departing the ferry I found a small restaurant on the waterfront and ordered
some Mongolian Chicken Noodles – the best noodles I’ve had since arriving in
China! And for an amount of money that doesn’t even quantify to 5 cents
Australian! – while enjoying my feast I interacted with an English couple told
me all about their post-children trip, having finally married them all off they
were now spending the kids inheritance travelling the world! Sounded like they
were having a grand time and I wished them well.
Post food consumption… I suddenly remembered my intent on
visiting this island… THERE WAS A PIRATE CAVE! A cave which must be found!
After trying to give my waitress a tip and being
unsuccessful (tipping is not a thing in China, even when you REALLY REALLY want
to show your extra appreciation… once Robyn and I left a fiver with our meal,
headed out the restaurant… only to be run down by a waiter and handed back the
money… I will give up eventually)I spent a moment to really take in my
surroundings…It was so quiet… do deliciously, delightfully… quiet – something I’ve
longed for since moving to China.
I wandered along the shore line, the boats and Sampans
ebbing and flowing and clacking against one anothers wooden exteriors. The soft
slapping of small waves against the wharfs sandstone base. Men, shirts off,
fishing from steps, bikes lining the entire promenade. There were no beeps..
not a horn for as far as the ear could hear! The soft light sparkled on the
tiny ripples of water as I continued toward where I hoped I’d find the pirate’s
den, and enjoyed observing the crisp and clean shops, restaurants and passers
by.
Even at this early stage, having yet to explore the little
island fully, I knew it would be hard to leave and wondered if they might have
a place for an English Teacher at the local school…
Chueng Chau is a very small island, shaped like a dumbbell,
so if you keep walking along the ocean, you’ll eventually end up where you
began. Theoretically… you cant get lost.
Eventually I departed the restaurant promenade and continued
my wander with what seemed an open park to my left, the open ocean with island
peaks popping out to my right.
I passed what can only be considered as the coolest man in
China reclining on a reclining chair adorned with all sorts of labels, beads
and baubells. He looked pretty swanky!
Finally I came to an arch, indicating that I’d arrived…
somewhere… well, somewhere else than the where I’d been and I hoped would be
the correct somewhere where I wanted to be.
A right angled grin adorned my face… yeah, I didn’t need
GPS, map or google… I could navigate this island… I am an island pro…
I wandered along the path and came across a temple that was
apparently initially established in the 1700’s destroyed, and rebuilt in the
1980’s. I took a moment, breathing in the incense and inclining my head to the
monk who sat shaded under the temples awnings.
The further I walked the deeper I entered the jungle, with
rubber trees and a canvas of branches shading the pathway. But just as I
thought I was getting to the centre of the island I almost tripped and fell
into the ocean… a cliff appeared before me and a small hand written arrow
indicated that if I wandered down through the rocks, I would come to the
pirates cave!
After collecting myself from my potential end, having envisaged
a quick drop in the ocean, a hard rock and my head intersecting before being
devoured by sharks (I have an active imagination…) I groped my way through,
between and across rocks to eventually come to the pirates cave.
Folk law has it that this cave was once entertained by the
prolific 19th Century pirate, Po Tsai… he was apparently kidnapped
as a child by pirates and rose to become one of the most notorious, having a
fleet of 600 ships! Not sure why he needed to hide in a tiny cave given this,
but folk lore is folk lore and who am I to judge to actions of a notorious
pirate.
The cave was just that, a cave… with some writings which I
wondered whether were original, or placed there for the benefit of pirates.
Either way, the walk was worth the walk in itself.
I turned on my heel and returned to another inlet I’d seen
during my travels, a good thirty dirt steps, a sneaky shrinky snakey movement between
some rocks, and suddenly… an inlet, an ocean, a piece of paradise was at my
very feet. I took a breath… what a vision was before me, a hidden place of
peace.
I’ve no idea of whether there is any history to this
particular inlet, all I know is that walking along the space, with the sun
still high in the sky, I felt like myself for the first time in a long time…
and I wished I WISHED Willow the dog were here! She would have had a ball!
I must have spent a good while enjoying the lapping waters
and lonely ocean because the sun was waning by the time I returned to the
promenade, making my way back to the ferry. I wasn’t ready to go back to my
hotel room yet. I wasn’t ready to go back to Hong Kong island… I’d finally
found… I’d finally found a slice of home with home so far away.
I checked out the ferry’s schedule… the last one didn’t leave for another few hours… I had some time… some time for further walking and wandering and admiring, and above all… just breathing.
I found a sign indicating “Mini Great Wall” which apparently would also lead me to an ancient rock carving and some other historically relevant places…
I found myself traipsing along grainy sand, stopping at a closed fishing spot, then walking up some stairs to a VERY recent re-construction of the Great Wall in miniature… regardless, it was a nice wander through jungle trees, some streams and more flora and fauna than I’d experienced in some time.
I headed left to see “Leaning Mountain Monkey” (not the actual name) only to find a rock leaning over the ocean, next I came to “Forever Dancing Foot” (not the actual name) again, only to find a foot looking rock… a pattern started to appear… “Leaping Gorge” was… a rock that was neither leaping, nor gorging…
So, after about 20 minutes into the walk I decided to remove any expectations of seeing intriguing structures, man-made or otherwise, and simply just enjoy being on an island, in a jungle on an island, being in a jungle, on an island, in Hong Kong… How my life has changed… what gratitude I have.
All well and good having this lovely moment of self reflection… I suddenly realised I was in the jungle… on an island… an island off Hong Kong… without ANY CLUE as to how to get back to the ferry! What’s more, the light was fading quickly and there wasn’t a human in sight!
Ummm… ok… so… we are on an island, lets look for the water… then just follow it around? Yeah?
No… which way is the water?
You are not good at directions.
Suddenly I was back on the farm infront of the house, my father… exasperated, using a stick in the sand to try, for the 100th time to explain North, East, South and West to me… and me… trying but ending up looking at him like a lamb trying to understand algebra.
Hrmmm… its amazing how there is a waning light and then… complete darkness… as was the case with me and the island. I spent some time with my mind contemplating which way to go… my mind said left, and based on my inability to grasp directions, I decided to disagree with my mind and go right… and walk, and wander… and hope…
There was nothing but branches, no lights, though the bugs did keep me company. I stepped aside to allow a lone runner pass me by, after which I wished I’d have stopped him and asked the way to the ferry!
I continued along, wondering if the phrase “fake it til you make it” worked in situations of physical lostness as well as the corporate world…
O! HELLO! O! NEEHOW!
There was a man, he looked as though, if her were an axe murderer or serial killer, I could probably take him… I’m rather confident in the strength of my jazz ballet kick!
Strangely, luckily… he spoke a bit of English and directed me back to the “tourist” area where I’d be able to board a late ferry…
Following his directions I wandered peacefully back, wandering along the ocean and enjoying the night sky, something I’d not seen for many a month.
While I wandered I passed a school and houses and had the stomach lurch of longing… here would be good, I could make a life on an island like this… but the time is not now, there’s much more to see… but this, I think… is the kind of place I’d be happy to end up in.
So that was it… my last Hong Kong experience, the part that I loved the most… two days later I was on a plane, then a bus, and then home… for the moment, in Tanghan.
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