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| A monkey stands guard over his own territory as hikers invade.By George Manalansan |
A group of 29 migrant workers trekked through the Shing Mun Country Park and its Pineapple Dam Nature Trail on Feb. 11, for their second “Friendship Hike with a Cause” for underprivileged children in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras Island.
The group that simply calls itself “Hong Kong Friends” to the Children’s Ministry of the Guiwanon Baptist Church, raised money for their beneficiaries’ classroom supplies for the coming school year.
Their walk that took them through the Shing Mun reservoir and the Pineapple Dam Trail covered about six kilometers both ways, and took them four hours to complete. The Dam is so named because it used to be one huge pineapple plantation.
The trail is easy, with concrete pavement all the way. There are 14 scenic spots along the way, including the reservoir, catchwater, small waterfalls, rocky formations and interesting trees, including Chinese banyans, hog plum and sweet gum.
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| On of the 14 scenic spots along the way: the dam. |
Come lunch time, they all stopped and gathered for a feast prepared for the January and February birthday celebrants. The spread included Filipino dishes, pasta and noodles, as well as cakes and fruits. Everyone had a good time eating, drinking, dancing, and swapping stories.
The only thing they had to be wary of were the hungry and aggressive monkeys around, one of which snatched grapes from trekker Cecil Eduarte. There were signs saying the monkeys were not to be fed, as they have their own food in the forest. The penalty for violators is a fine of up to $10,000.
At the end of the walk, all the participants said they felt energized and grateful that their healthy undertaking also raised money for a good cause.
How to get there?
Take the MTR from Central to Tsuen Wan, then take Exit A1 to Shiu Wo Street. From there, take mini bus No. 82M all the way to its final stop which is the Shing Mun Reservoir.
