This weekend's family outing veered away from hiking and we moved to two wheels. We decided to take the MTR to Sha Tin, hire bikes and then ride along the Shing Mun River to Tai Po. The MTR to Sha Tin is very easy from our home, and door-to-door it is under an hour with easy public transport. After arriving in Sha Tin and having two boys fighting already, it was time to get outside and use some of that energy up.
I was a bit worried about the heat - we have had 33 degrees consistently every day for the last 4 weeks, so maybe a pool visit was a better option. We went early with the hope that we could get halfway to Tai Po before the real hit kicked in...... In hindsight I should have realised that with the temps ranging from 28-33 every day, the lowest temp is still incredibly hot !! Oh well.
After wandering down to the river from the MTR, there are bike kiosks along the promenade hiring bikes of all sizes and types. We hadn't even reached the first kiosk, and we had 3 people very keen to get our business. With the language barrier, I decided it was all about price - one guy was $80 one way, the next was $50. (AUD 8.50 per bike) I really didn't want to have to ride back to Sha Tin - we only wanted to ride one way and then catch the MTR back home- so $50 per bike it was. We tried out our bikes (I had read that you needed to make sure the bikes were 'working'), all was ok, and off we went.
The ride is very flat and is a dedicated bike path all the way. There were lots of people out riding (we were the only 'tourists' that we saw) and lots of joggers. We managed to stay out of trouble most of the time, and didn't collide with anyone on our trip - which is a miracle really ! We tried to go single file when required, and then rode as a group so we could chat and take in all that was around us.
The morning rowers were a popular sight for the boys - if only the competitors knew how much money was riding on them winning with the boys betting each other 'sheep stations' on who was going to win the training session. The selection criteria for a winner was very 'professional' - the colour of the training shirt or boat was the main decider.
We didn't realise it at the start but we rode straight beside the Sha Tin Racecourse and even managed to see a few horses at the stables which are located right on the waters edge. It was a lovely surprise, and we are looking forward to going back and actually seeing the horses run later in the year.
The view along the river was lovely and we had a great time chatting about all the new sights we are getting to see in Hong Kong. The ride is 12km long, and at the other end you can get on the MTR and travel back home. I really think we will do that one again - a fun Sunday morning.
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| We started at the bottom oval and finished at the top. The Rectangle to the right is the boys school. |
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| and off we go. |
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| spectacular view back towards Sha Tin Racecourse |
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| the boys checking the rowing technique out |
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| a little cantonese pop art. |
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| bamboo, bamboo everywhere |
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| a spot of dragon boating in the morning |
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| not sure how I did this without falling off !!?? |
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| a quick sugar fix to finish the ride off |
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| nearly at the end. |
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| These are the stable at Sha Tin Racecourse - nice view for the horses |
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| the subway crossings were the 'best for speed' (Max) |
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| Buddha in the distance |
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| And a spot of kite flying in Tai Po |
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