so here we go - as promised, I am writing more often - and last time was yesterday!! Today I went hiking, what I wanted to do basically all the time since I got here... but first it was too hot... then we were away... then we were too busy... like it is, it took us 2 months to go hiking for the first time... and then it was a day full of so much trouble and yet so much fun and just great!!

Mandy (Asian-British), Ahong (Asian-Dutch guy), Zhung Nan (Chinese girl) and I met quite early at the hall.. then met Verena (German) at the Sha Tin station.. no problem so far... but it just took - like everything in Hong Kong - ages... and while we waited for Ahong's buddy Wanice (Hong Kong local girl) we tried to figure out where we were going to hike, cuz actually we were not quite prepared - that meaning we didnt have a clue of where to go, how to get there, how long we wanted to go, how hard it would be, we also didnt really consider bringing enough water and stuff... but anyways... finally... around 12 (!) we arrived in Kei Ling Ha Lo Wai (eastern New Territories) where we entered the MacLehose trail. Having *organisation-experts-combine-their-talents* taken a good look at the map there we decided to hike towards the East to end either in Pak Tam Au or in Long Ke. The beginning was nice, not too easy not to hard... and we made our way throug this gorgeous area... noticing ( after about 2 hrs. ) that we were kind of running out of water... and just had like about 6 hrs. ahead of us. so, any problem? :S
and the hike got harder and harder... I'm telling you, this was like torture for some parts, not joking here! we basically hiked from somewhat like sea-level all the way up to the 702m high 'Ma On Shan' mountain through the rainforest-like forest in the heat of the afternoon (now it is 8:45pm and it is still 26°C) puhhhhh... no water... and then we were kind of a little exhausted... and considered for the first time, where we would actually be able to leave this trail... which seemed to be endless. It was somewhere around that point were I figured out that we were walking in the other direction than planned... since only like 3 hrs then - and the next exit was another long way ahead. but what could we do? just keep on walkin' right?
We made it to the peak about half an hour later and had the most gorgeous view (so far) over Sai Kung bay to the south and to the north to Kei Ling Ha Hoei bay. wow that was so great. From there on it was a little easier.. rather going down than up and being a little cooler up there as well made it just so much nicer. We enjoyed the walk and watching the paragliders, getting jealous at everything they might see...
then we walked around Pyramid hill and walked on the rim of a few more hills. I had seriously always thought a trail like this existed only on TV - well obviously not.
Walking on adoring the landscape and taking too many pics again we came across a bunch of people who were doing paragliding on that grassy Slope there... and - people might call it nosy - I call it curious - I went up to them to ask whether it was possible to book a flight like this or if they did it privatly. Answer was totally unexpected and surprising: "no ui do ite priiivatli, du iuu want a ride?" French people asking me whether I want a ride on a parachute? uhhh... I am speachless! no wait, I am not - YESSSSS!!! if it is no problem! of course!!
So there I was - five minutes later, with some gear on my back, a helmet atop of me and wondering how much experience these guys might have with this stuff... but anyways who cares right?
Damn it that was SO COOL! Unbelievable undescribable... just wow! after some starting problems - this is not as easy as it looks - we took off. We being Thomas from Paris and me on the same parachute. I dont find words for the view, just look yourself - even though it doesnt work to put the movie into this blog, here is the youTube link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzmwChzZUyc

anyways, it was only a 15 minute flight but it was definately one of the best things I have done so far in Hong Kong!

and as I just heard, some people dont know that the old picture page is full... so some pics are on a new page. the old one was: www.claudia-schmitz.medion-fotoalbum.com, the new one www.claudia-schmitz1.medion-fotoalbum.com. since this is also full now... the latest page is www.claudia-schmitz2.medion-fotoalbum.com!!