Danger Lurking In The Hills

I've always felt pretty safe hiking in Hong Kong's country parks. Apart from the occasional snake and a few aggressive macaques, there didn't seem too much to worry about.

But I learn today there is something more sinister lurking in the hills around the Shing Mun reservoir. A policeman approaches me near the end of Wilson Trail section 6 and reports that there have been five or six holdups recently on the section of trail I've just finished. "He's wearing a black leather jacket and carrying a big knife; we think he might be from the mainland" the friendly cop tells me.

From the mainland, huh? I wonder how I'd go trying to talk my way out of a holdup with my very basic Mandarin? Peggy didn't teach us how to deal with bandits on her very useful Youtube Mandarin lessons.

Why would a wayward mainland bandit rob hikers, I'm thinking to myself? Surely there'd be much better pickings in town? Then I realise I'm listening to pod casts on an iPhone 4; wearing a solid gold Omega watch and have a (genuine) Louis Vuitton wallet stuffed full of cash in my back pocket. Maybe the bandit isn't so dumb after all. Thank god I left my diamond encrusted Cartier walking stick back in the vault at home.

Might be time to fish out the old Casio watch and a cheapie Nokia phone. Probably smart to leave the wallet at home as well. Be careful out there people.



Caught the number 81 bus on Nathan Road. Got off at the Kowloon Reservoir bus stop on Taipo Road (Start of Wilson Trail section 6).
Walked section 6 and most of section 7.  Left the trail between markers W078 and W079 and followed the Pineapple Dam Nature Trail back to the Shing Mun Visitor Centre.
Caught the number 82 minibus back to Tsuen Wan MTR station.
Using the Countryside Series North East & Central NT map (Edition 4, 2009)