Fall has arrived!

On Saturday night, there was a hint of it, when we were seated outside for dinner and got cold in the night breeze. But Sunday was the first day that the air was crisp, the skies clear and blue without a hint of haze, and the island seemed actually habitable.

For the first hour and a half of the day, I kinda wanted to die.

The hangover started out harmless enough. A slight headache, a slightly nervous stomach -- nothing that in my experience wouldn't succumb to water, toast and ibuprofen.

However, I was not counting on the 10-minute taxi ride to the ferry.

Or the 30-minute ferry ride over wind-ruffled waters.

Or the 20-minute taxi ride that followed. Over windy, curving mountain roads.

I had to get out the taxi halfway to the trailhead. I didn't end up hurling, but only because my distaste for puking slightly trumps my distaste for being nauseated. Just barely.

Once I got on the trail, however, everything just melted away. It was a beautiful day to be outside, cooled by the breezes coming off the water, warmed by the autumn sun. The lack of haze revealed inspiring vistas. We even came upon a few moody beaches.


Oh, and also the random feral cow.


Yes, feral cows do roam the outer islands of Hong Kong.

The wind rattling the bamboo sounded like a hundred children knocking hollow sticks together. A melancholy, meditative sound.


Two hours of hiking on Lantau wasn't enough, so I came back to Hong Kong Island and set off for Victoria Peak with another coworker. The view, at last, lived up to its potential.


I hope it stays like this until I leave. Unlikely, but hopefully for a few months, it'll continue to be cool and crisp.