The ugly and the beautiful - all from one hike (2)

The beautiful part of the trail is on the left, to the east, the Sai Kung side of the trail, and on the mountains.  Tranquil bays, small houses, surrounded by greenery.  Even the winding roads and vehicles looked cute from a great distance.  The sky was a bit hazy, but we could still see many green islands in the distance.  For a while, we could pretend we were not living in a city with 7 million other people. 

Further on, the dramatic view of Clear Water Bay.  The water revealed so many shades of green and blue.  The sands showed off subtle variations of white and yellow.  Even the people dotting the beach did not spoil the picture.  Nor did the boats mooring off the beach.  I am sure it would have been noisy on the beach.  But coming down from the height of Junk Peak, the noise barely reached us. 

All along the way, colorful flowers.  There was this perfectly rounded dandelion; a flower that looked like a bunch of tube worms from the bottom of the sea; wild azaleas high above Clear Water Bay; lots of unknown (to me) little flowers.  And all kinds of trees that make dramatic patterns with the light. 

On our right, the man-made ugliness of our destruction of the environment to build ostentatious “luxury” housing and to sustain boastful and wasteful consumption.   On our left, the natural beauty of mountains, oceans, sand and water, trees and flowers.   I think God was trying to remind us of what is truly desirable.