Cheung Po Tsai

Saturday was bright and sunny so I decided to visit Cheung Chau for a quiet getaway. Normally it gets quite crowded but since this was a long weekend and also Ching Ming festival, most people were either away on trips or paying their respects at cemetaries.

The US Navy is in town so I got a few good glimpses at their ships.

Too bad the USS Nimitz was docked far away and in the fog. It would have been nice to see this supercarrier more clearly


The main objective of this trip was to see Cheung Po Tsai Cave. I've been to Cheung Chau many times but I never got around to venturing to that part of the island. FYI, Cheung Po Tsai was a famous 19th century pirate who eventually became a captain in the imperial navy. The Cave is supposedly one of the places where he hid his loot.

The cove where the cave is located:


A quick history lesson:



This is the entrance to the cave. Really just a gap in the rocks; definitely impossible to find without the all signs and maps.


Once (or if) you manage to squeeze through the small entrance, there's a small ladder that leads down into the cave. Word of advice: bring a strong flashlight with you, because it's pitch black inside. There's a guy who rents flashlights for $5 or $15 for a guided tour. If it's your first time visiting, it's best to go for the tour since it's pretty dark and cramped in there and it's really helpful to have someone point out where all the steps and ladders are.


Here's a photo to show how dark it is even with the flashlight on. Always be mindful of bumping your head against the low ceiling.


Just to give you an idea of how narrow some of the passages are:



Finally, the Exit.

A wider shot of the exit. As you can see from the person exiting, it's quite a small opening.


BTW, you can either walk to the caves from the main ferry dock (takes about 35~40 minutes) or you can take a small ferry called a "kai to":





I'd recommend taking the kai to. It's only $3 and for a 7 minute ride to the cave docks (10 minutes from the cave). Might as well save your strength for all the climbing and squatting needed for visiting the caves.

Afterwards, just walked around to kill time before dinner. Doesn't this look like the head and snout of a pig?


A local fisherman with his crop of kelp


A view from one of the many rock formations:


Don't see many sunsets like this in the city anymore