Hong Kong - Ride of Silence

On 18 May about 1000 cyclist rode through the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui to commemorate the cyclists the world over who had been killed or injured when riding on the roads.  The event takes place each year and has now grown to over 300 locations across the globe.  Starting from the clock tower by the Star Ferry terminal in Tsim Sha tsui we rode past the Peninsula Hotel and up Nathan Road, (quite possibly one of the worst roads for traffic safety in Hong Kong)  So many cyclists participated that it took 45 minutes for the procession to cross the finsih line.

The long and winding road



Much to the sniggering of the boys many a weary hiker would wander along the footpath into Man Kok Tsui only to discover that the turn off to the path to Discovery Bay was now some distance and some hills behind them.  Welcome as the hikers are we decided it was only fair to put up some signs for them.  

Hong Kong in Bloom

It has to be said that Hong Kong really is full of surprises.  

Bees

The pictures are not too clear as they were taken with the iphone but a swarm of bees tried to set up residence in a tree outside the office today.  The third swarm this week (or possibly the same one, who knows?)  Just grateful that the neighbouring farmer was able to sort them out.  He basically appeared with a wicker hat that had a cloth bag sewn around it with a draw string.  He shinned up the tree, gently put the hat on the top of the swarm, lit a cigarette and then began to knock the bees with a small leafy twig so they crawled / flew up into the hat.  Ten minutes later the bees had all moved up into  the hat.   Ten minutes after that he took the hat down, pulled the draw string tight and carried the swarm away.  Amazingly, only one sting!   From what I could understand he takes the swarm into the forest and then releases it.  I strongly suspect however that a wok, some rice and hot oil is more of a likely outcome for them,
Just grateful

May Day Bank Holiday Weekend

Another sunny weekend.  Saturday I was out biking and came back after just shy of 90 kilometres with a very odd sun tan.  Sunday and Monday were spent digging and fettling about in the garden, interspersed with food and drink.  At the end of Monday my sun tan had expanded and turned me a deeper shade of red!

Planted or moved this weekend:

• Kafir lime trees
• Okra
• Winter melon
• Chili (if that is how you spell it)
• Lemon grass
• Rosemary

Dug up this weekend

• About a hay bale's worth of weeds
• Majority of the chili plants Nuch had planted last week - HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THEY WERE NOT WEEDS!

Built this weekend

• One very dodgy lean too shed to store all the garden tools in.  If it survives the summer I will be impressed
• A footpath sign pointing the way to Discovery Bay
• A footpath sign pointing the way to Man Kok Tsui

Hopefully now we will see fewer hikers who were hoping to walk to Discovery Bay and more hikers who actually wanted to come here.

Consumed this weekend

• Laarb Moo (Thai pork)
• Sticky rice
• Lettuce
• Mint
• Chicken
• Lasagne
• Sausages
• Eggy bread
• Carlseberg

Bust this weekend

• One well water pipe.

Oh and the telephone company came out to fix the telephone cable I repaired last weekend.  Pictures to follow of that classy repair.  Think trip wire or garotte and you are not far wrong.