Going Shopping via the Beach.

Today is Easter Monday. It's a public holiday here so I don't need to do any Zoom teaching. It's very hot like yesterday. It's only really in the last couple of days that the temperature has started to shoot up here.

Today I needed to go shopping for food and also to find a birthday present for one of my friends. It's actually her birthday today but we will celebrate with her on Thursday.

The walk to the shops takes me about twenty minutes. The first part is along a road but there are mountains behind it. Actually our flat faces onto these mountains. Once years ago we all had to be evacuated in the middle of the night when a hill fire went out of control there. As with yesterday's walk there are plenty of plants. I stop to look at a banyan tree with its aerial roots and some brightly coloured leafy plants.

Banyan Tree.

I just found this plant pretty.

Mountain Scenery.

Mountain Scenery.

Mountain Scenery.

Callistemon Bottle Brush Plants.

Mountain Scenery.

Then I pass what is normally a busy playground but it's been surrounded by tape to keep people out and even the seating area is out of bounds.

Playgrounds and seating areas are taped off.

Playgrounds and seating areas are taped off.

Next I walk downhill through a small wood. I normally keep my eyes on the path so as not to trip on the rather irregular steps but today I'm busy looking around me and taking pictures. I think passersby think I'm a bit crazy.

Through the small wood.

Through the small wood.

Through the small wood.

Bamboo is plentiful here.

Once at the bottom of the hill I have reached the beach. I deliberately go the wrong way to the far end where the boats are moored to take some pictures. Three people are in swimming. I'm pleased to see that. If it's hot tomorrow again I will swim, too once I've done my Zoom teaching. I don't normally swim in the sea here as the water is actually pretty dirty. We are not far from the ferry terminal. I usually swim three or four times a week in the sports club swimming pool, but as that's shut the sea will have to do. I'll worry about getting the oil off later !!!

The beach, on the other hand, is well-maintained and clean. There are only a few people on it today. On a public holiday and in the sunshine it would normally be really really busy. Some kids are building a sand castle. They've all got their little masks on. One guy is out in a canoe and his friend is filming him. There are a lot of shells lying around.

Boats.

Beach.

Beach.

Beach.

Beach.

Beach.

Seashell.

Past the beach is one of our two plazas where all our shops and restaurants are. I stop to picture one of our rather odd murals. Instead of going straight to the supermarket I take a walk around the restaurants. Quite a lot of restaurants have closed here. Bars have been forced to close. If restaurants opt to stay open, they have to follow a new set of rules. The rules are actually quite vague and are being interpreted in different ways. Tables have to be at least 2m apart. Some places get round this by putting reserved signs on every second table as they've nowhere to move their tables to. Some turn every second table upside down and pile its chairs on top of it. There have been stories about policemen with measuring tapes raiding places and issuing fines if diners are too close together. A maximum of four people can occupy one table. We ate out last Thursday. We had to disinfectant ourselves with hand gel, pass a temperature check and fill in a health declaration form to get in. Then when we ordered we had to order food and drink at the same time as it's illegal now to just go out for a drink. I took pictures of the menus of some of the restaurants that are still open.

Mural.

Mural.

Chinese Restaurant.

Italian Restaurant.

Korean Barbecue Restaurant.

For more exercise I stroll down to the ferry. I normally use this to get to work, but not recently as I'm working online. Then I wander along the seafront and cut up some steps into one of the fancier residential places here. It's more expensive than where I live. I'm on the tenth floor of a nineteen story high rise. This area is meant to look Italian with little statues and fountains scattered around everywhere. I find more trees with aerial roots, more leafy plants that I like and some bauhinia trees that are still in flower. The bauhinia is Hong Kong's national flower. It's on money and on the flag. It's at its loveliest a little bit earlier than now.

Our Ferry.

Our Ferry.

Aerial Roots.

Swiss Cheese Plants.

Leafy Plants.

Fake Italian Look.

Fake Italian Look.

Fake Italian Look.

Fake Italian Look.

Bauhinia Tree.

Bauhinia Tree.

Finally, I go buy the birthday present, shop for food and take the bus home, not because it's far but because my shopping is heavy. As I near the centre of the plaza I put my mask on. Nearly everyone wears masks here. I put one on in shops and on public transport. People get a bit upset if you don't wear one. If you look at the people in my photos, most of them are wearing masks. The plaza looks so empty. It is normally a lot busier than this.

The Plaza.

The Plaza.