New Year 07

What a way to start a new year. Hiking.

It's a far cry from the old days when I would have woken up on someone's porch, or risen to see the aftermath of a backyard in the daylight. Ushering in a new year with a physical challenge is what this year will be all about for me. I'm setting a personal training regime for myself (as so many other NYE pledges are made!) and hopefully it will be what helps me power through.

My sister, April, and I went up Mount Parker on Hong Kong Island, approx. 500m above sea level. It was a great day, a winters' 23deg C, and there were plenty of people out on the public holiday. After only 10 mins of the initial climb (a country park track with reinforced earth stairs) I was completely out of breath and the coffee I'd sculled for breakfast earlier on was requesting an immediate evac. Felt much better in the shade and with a few buttons undone on my shirt it was easier to push on, now concreting in my mind that I am not Superman.

It was cool to see what they've done to dismantle the old HK airport at Chep Lap Kok (seen behind in photo of me about to die). Man, it brought back some memories seeing that ol beauty, the way the planes used to come in between the buildings and the one time a China airlines plane didn't make it... It sat in the harbour for ages and they were thinking of making a kitsch restaurant out of it; the semi-submerged fear factor dining area.

The view over the other side gave some sort of scope as to the more natural surrounds. Imagine this area untouched by mass civilisation. Weather worn junks sweeping into the deep harbour. Would have been an amazing sight.

Another point of interest re: the old airport. During the Japanese occupation during World War 2, stones were removed from the old wall surround the Walled City to extend the runway.

A solid start to the year I must say. My legs are completely pummeled though. I was willing each knee to work just to get up some steps in a shopping centre. Watch this Norm Be In It.