黄竹洋

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A few days ago I travelled to my mum’s old home town, where there is only one villager left residing with his three dogs. Back in its hey-day, Wong Chuk Yeung had a population of under 100 people, all of whom left the village to pursue bigger dreams in the city, leaving the village to decay.

The trip started with a two hour trek up a mountain (a feat in itself as I’m not the sportiest of people) following the MacLehose Trail. We had decided to leave at 11am on a relatively sunny day and this made the initial start very difficult, but with perseverance and many breaks, we finally made it over the mountain and to the other side where we were greeted by the village.

I was astonished by it, I knew it had been abandoned for many years but I really wasn't expecting what I saw. All the buildings were decaying, with broken glass littering the ground and massive weeds and leaves growing out of buildings. There were many houses with trees growing out of them! It was simply amazing. I was with my parents, brother and cousin and my cousin was a little freaked out. I think she found the village scary I guess it was, but I found it mesmerizing and fascinating. 

It seemed that the previous residents had just left in the dead of the night without taking any of their belongings. Some houses even had crockery set out on the tables, ready for dinner. Despite the derelict and decaying surroundings, I still found the place breathtaking. Later on I found out that a little after the nativve villagers left, Wong Chuk Yeung was inhabited by squatters from China. When we got to my mum's old house I imagined how it might have looked when the village was still alive, and I have to say, it would be pretty impressive! I thought that it would suit a beach setting, the upstairs was pretty cool and the kitchen featured cute little baby pink and blue tiles. Super sweet.

The whole journey was just amazing: although it might not be a big deal for others, being able to trek up that mountain and see my mum’s home town for the second time (I was 2 the first time I went) was an accomplishment for me. I’ve never been sporty in any way (apart from hula-hooping, I swear I could enter a competition for that) so the whole day was a pretty good achievement. The journey made me want to travel even more; it reminded me of how much I love rambling in forests and nature.

I can't wait for summer, I'm hoping to get an internship here in Hong Kong, but failing that I think I'll travel around with the boyf and possibly find work along the way. It'd be perfect if i got an internship but even if I don't, I reckon that summer's gonna be pretty awesome anyway. 

M.