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| 南丫岛 |
Read from Internet that it was the hometown of 发哥. Interestingly, there are boats going to two different points of the island. People usually travel from Ying Shue Wan to Sok Kwu Wan. According to guidebook, there is a very famous seafood restaurant known as Rainbow Restaurant at Sok Kwu Wan. Due to ferry schedule and super long queue for Ying Shue Wan, we did the other way - Going to Sok Kwu Wan first.
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| Rainbow Restaurant |
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| 碗仔糕 |
We got some instant noodles and chicken wings at 茶餐厅, and also tried the granny's 碗仔糕。We like to eat such HK's version of chee kueh - though it is sweet. Our first try was at Chang Cheau Island, and this kueh is usually made of red beans - sweet taste. Very traditional way of enjoying HK's sweet goodies.
It was quite a hot day and we wondered if we were going to trek. It supposed to be an hour trek up and down. Thinking that since we were here already, we did our trek anyway.
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| Open-Air Seating |
The trek started along the street with many vendors sending local goodies and souvenirs. A stall selling sauce caught my dear's attention - we bought one bottle and not sure when we would be using it. I rem we got one dry fish sauce in Venice, and we didn't use it. I actually thought the sauce quite strange-looking but we bought it as my dear seemed to like it. This time, the sauce dun have "dried fish" in it - more presentable and not sure if we are going to use it. First souvenir at Lamma Island.
Walking straight past the stall landed us around a parade square facing a temple. Many island visitors make it their second stop, I supposed. It seems to be very historical building and not forgetting it was "Tomb Sweep" festival, many would go temple I suppose. People living on island like Chang Cheau Island and even Macau have these temples for sea-faring villagers.
We took some photos at the parade square as it has a good background view of the sea and mountains. The temperature seemed to be rising as it was around late morning and noon. As not well prepared, we still have a bottle of water for the trek. We wondered why no boats from one point to the other point?
There were some houses along the trek up - looked like typical old houses but still clean. We chanced upon a tree known to be the perfect habitat for silkworm. Initially, we didn't know and we heard from visitors that the leaves were 桑叶 . What interests us were the "blue-berry" looking fruits - purple coloured ones and my dear wanted to put one into her mouth. Did a quick check and realised they were 桑果 and the english name is "mulberry". My dear said it is good to have me around so that I can stop her from trying "risky" stuff - we weren't sure if the fruit was edible. Not one visitors put them into their mouths - so better to play safe. Didn't know the fruit is known as mulberry! Did we chance upon them in Germany Berlin too?
Moving further up - we passed by a cave and a small beach. The cave should have bats so we didn't venture in. Some foreigners were swimming and playing at the small beach and here was where my dear was "splashed" with water by a wet doggy. My dear said the owner still joked that she was afraid of doggy.
A elderly farmer was doing some serious farming. There was a series of colourful eggs tied to a rope - some visitors assumed that they were easter eggs (It was Easter LWE as well). I thought the eggs were "scarecrows" effect instead? It is quite refreshing to eat the crops that you grow. Really organic like what my dear say. We were already quite overjoyed when we ate our homegrown limes. Haha. We thought the auntie would say something to us as we stood there observing her for a while - we would be friendly and more sociable when we were overseas. Or at least for me as I am usually quite quiet.
My dear told me that there would be a very famous bead curd stall operating along the trail. Definitely must try try then - so whenever we spotted some stalls - we would double check if it was the stall. However, they were either selling drinks or pineapples (cold one which they put in freezer). Still no sign of the bead curd when we reached somewhere like a resting point - a pavilion. From the pavilion, you could also see three tall chimneys which some trekkers said "三柱香”。 The path from the pavilion was easier and downslope. It took about another 30 mins and we finally reached ground "floor" and a very very busy beach.
We were greeted by a bean curd stall and we tried the hot bean curd though we were sweating and hot. The seller said his bean curd 不冷不热。 Nothing special. After the short rest, we slowly strolled out to the pier and OOPS! A queue for "Ah Por" 豆腐花！ The queue was besides a drain and okay, got to try. Besides the smell, there were big mozzies and my only miserable insect repellent patch seemed to be ineffective. My dear however was waiting for me at another corner seat and I was worried if she was "attacked" by the commando mozzies or not. Bought two bowls after about 20mins queue - already gotten more than two big bites. It was nice and the taste was difficult to describe. Grumpy me due to the bites, I didn't take pics of the bean curd.
On the way to the pier to find makan, my dear was very lovely and bought some "special oil" from a street vendor for me to apply. Sensing my impatience, she quickly ran over to me and apply the oil on the big bites. Soothing on the skin, warming in the heart.
Special Entry by Dear: We didn't do enough research and we went to a seafood restaurant which supposed to be very famous at Ying Shue Wan. We had sought to know something was not quite right when they refused to show us the menu and instead, forced us to pick the live seafood. They also separated us (wife to sit at table and husband to pick the live seafood). Turned out the husband didn't get to pick the live seafood at all. They merely asked him to pick the type of seafood and asked him to go back to sit. Thereafter they asked us to confirm if we were okay with the prices. We "picked" urine prawns and they chose 2 sets of pairs of the urine prawns for me. One pair was the jumbo size and the other pair was the "normal" size. Again, they only allowed one (the wife) of us to go and see what they chose for us. Shocked at the exorbitant prices, we settled on the "normal" size. This pair of urine prawns, one small bunch of bamboo clams and one plate of normal stir-fry vegetables cost us around SGD$170! Luckily we didn't order "big fish big meat". Else goodness know how much. Subsequently we read some reviews and realised this place had v bad reviews, even among locals.
Guess my wife and I still prefer small and cozy version of seafood. Simple and easy to order menu. Not sure if we would go back Lamma to try other stalls. But this experience taught us not to order by "fish tank" and by "weight".
Walking straight past the stall landed us around a parade square facing a temple. Many island visitors make it their second stop, I supposed. It seems to be very historical building and not forgetting it was "Tomb Sweep" festival, many would go temple I suppose. People living on island like Chang Cheau Island and even Macau have these temples for sea-faring villagers.
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| Chinese Temple |
There were some houses along the trek up - looked like typical old houses but still clean. We chanced upon a tree known to be the perfect habitat for silkworm. Initially, we didn't know and we heard from visitors that the leaves were 桑叶 . What interests us were the "blue-berry" looking fruits - purple coloured ones and my dear wanted to put one into her mouth. Did a quick check and realised they were 桑果 and the english name is "mulberry". My dear said it is good to have me around so that I can stop her from trying "risky" stuff - we weren't sure if the fruit was edible. Not one visitors put them into their mouths - so better to play safe. Didn't know the fruit is known as mulberry! Did we chance upon them in Germany Berlin too?
 |
| 农妇 |
Moving further up - we passed by a cave and a small beach. The cave should have bats so we didn't venture in. Some foreigners were swimming and playing at the small beach and here was where my dear was "splashed" with water by a wet doggy. My dear said the owner still joked that she was afraid of doggy.
A elderly farmer was doing some serious farming. There was a series of colourful eggs tied to a rope - some visitors assumed that they were easter eggs (It was Easter LWE as well). I thought the eggs were "scarecrows" effect instead? It is quite refreshing to eat the crops that you grow. Really organic like what my dear say. We were already quite overjoyed when we ate our homegrown limes. Haha. We thought the auntie would say something to us as we stood there observing her for a while - we would be friendly and more sociable when we were overseas. Or at least for me as I am usually quite quiet.
My dear told me that there would be a very famous bead curd stall operating along the trail. Definitely must try try then - so whenever we spotted some stalls - we would double check if it was the stall. However, they were either selling drinks or pineapples (cold one which they put in freezer). Still no sign of the bead curd when we reached somewhere like a resting point - a pavilion. From the pavilion, you could also see three tall chimneys which some trekkers said "三柱香”。 The path from the pavilion was easier and downslope. It took about another 30 mins and we finally reached ground "floor" and a very very busy beach.
We were greeted by a bean curd stall and we tried the hot bean curd though we were sweating and hot. The seller said his bean curd 不冷不热。 Nothing special. After the short rest, we slowly strolled out to the pier and OOPS! A queue for "Ah Por" 豆腐花！ The queue was besides a drain and okay, got to try. Besides the smell, there were big mozzies and my only miserable insect repellent patch seemed to be ineffective. My dear however was waiting for me at another corner seat and I was worried if she was "attacked" by the commando mozzies or not. Bought two bowls after about 20mins queue - already gotten more than two big bites. It was nice and the taste was difficult to describe. Grumpy me due to the bites, I didn't take pics of the bean curd.
On the way to the pier to find makan, my dear was very lovely and bought some "special oil" from a street vendor for me to apply. Sensing my impatience, she quickly ran over to me and apply the oil on the big bites. Soothing on the skin, warming in the heart.
Special Entry by Dear: We didn't do enough research and we went to a seafood restaurant which supposed to be very famous at Ying Shue Wan. We had sought to know something was not quite right when they refused to show us the menu and instead, forced us to pick the live seafood. They also separated us (wife to sit at table and husband to pick the live seafood). Turned out the husband didn't get to pick the live seafood at all. They merely asked him to pick the type of seafood and asked him to go back to sit. Thereafter they asked us to confirm if we were okay with the prices. We "picked" urine prawns and they chose 2 sets of pairs of the urine prawns for me. One pair was the jumbo size and the other pair was the "normal" size. Again, they only allowed one (the wife) of us to go and see what they chose for us. Shocked at the exorbitant prices, we settled on the "normal" size. This pair of urine prawns, one small bunch of bamboo clams and one plate of normal stir-fry vegetables cost us around SGD$170! Luckily we didn't order "big fish big meat". Else goodness know how much. Subsequently we read some reviews and realised this place had v bad reviews, even among locals.
Guess my wife and I still prefer small and cozy version of seafood. Simple and easy to order menu. Not sure if we would go back Lamma to try other stalls. But this experience taught us not to order by "fish tank" and by "weight".
