Wilderness Survival Guide for City Dwellers

There are certain stereotypes surrounding people living in metropolitan capitals. They’re either known as social-climbing parasites or ambitious go-getters who has what it takes to make it in the big city. The people from the countryside for example are usually known to be more down to earth and have an appreciation for communities. I’m the former and I have several extra features: I’m more at ease seeing rats and spiders than mosquitoes, I can walk in heels but I freeze at the sight of a makeshift bridge and up until this past weekend, the smallest boat I’ve been on was a 30-ft yacht.

It’s unusual to think that when people move to Hong Kong they become more attached to nature, but it’s actually a common phenomenon. In any direction away from Hong Kong Island, you can find many hiking trails and the prettiest beaches in the world. Our destination this past weekend was Tai Long Wan in the New Territories, supposedly one of the most scenic places in Hong Kong.

Naturally, our trip starts with a 40-minute taxi-ride out of the city, followed by a bus-ride up what seemed like the death road in Peru. I was initially quite confident of my physique and took it as a walk across the park, but now it seems like that I have the capabilities equivalent to a hung-over man carrying a guitar (actually that guy was ahead of me about 99% of the time). This event affected my confidence for the rest of the trip, I became a pathetic version of a damsel in distress. I am determined to earn the title of warrior princess by the end of my time here.

About two hours of whining later, we arrived at the beach. The view alone was worth the hike. Leaping around the fine white sand, I felt like newborn baby. Among the Christian fellowships and couples on marriage counseling, we could see the outlines of the mountain ranges and hear the waves hitting the beach, we were going to set up our tents here for the night.

We cheated a bit and ate dinner at the local fisherman’s shack. Our group was made of six different nationalities from North and South America, Southeast Asia and Europe. Our conversations about anything and everything carried on long after our meal. I’m very happy that I got to know everyone that came on this trip! They are all fantastically awesome! 

Starting the fire was a bit of hassle. Did you know that before you can use the firewood, you need kindling and before that you need something more flammable? I’m glad the boys were there, because I would’ve just spent hours trying to light up firewood with a lighter. Assembling the tent seemed easy. Sleeping in it was a different matter. We sat around our fire and enjoyed some good ol’ s’mores and cheesy guitar music. 

I forfeited my usual before-bed routine and just looked for a place to dig a hole. I used to have a romantic notion of sleeping in tents. After all, kids do it in their living room just for the hell of it. It was not as comfortable as I thought. I find it ironic that when I can’t sleep I listened to sounds of ocean waves, but that night I was wide awake. As soon as the sun came up, I changed into my swimsuit and went for a soak. The water was crystal clear. I sat in the water and let the salty water tend to my mosquito bites. Oh and think fast! Here comes the wave!

After all the sleepy heads woke up, we moved beaches and came across a surfing hotspot. After a challenging frolic in the waves, we were scolded by an Aussie lady. According to her we were bracing ourselves for death, we were swimming in a rip tide.

Before we know it, it was time for us to get back. I was shocked at seeing our boat ride back, it seemed like a refugee boat that you see in movies. To get into it we actually had to walk into the water. If I were religious I would’ve prayed. It was like a 45-minute rollercoaster.

Despite all my embarrassing moments, I had a great weekend! I’m really looking forward to the year coming up.