Follow me!

We ended up at this very nice bar at the beach from where we could enjoy the view to Hong Kong island and Kowloon with all its high rises way out there in the horizon. Sophi and I needed the rest room and looked around the big open terrace with a little hut that also was the bar and kitchen. A young chinese woman came out from behind the bar and I asked her the way to the washrooms. "Please follow me." Was her answer!
Of Hong Kongs more then 230 islands Cheung Chau is one of the smallest inhabited in the district. Even though more than 30.000 people live here, it is a Quite and relaxed community south east of Lantau Island, meanwhile on weekends and public holidays the island gets invaded by visitors by huge numbers from all over Hong Kong.

View Larger Map
They are attracted by the big lovely beaches, the relaxed atmosphere with no cars at all -except a mini ambulance, mini fire engine and police car- and the many and cheap seafood restaurants spread out in the rather lively town. Loads and loads Bikes rushes through the narrow alleyways through town and both visitors as the inhabitants moves forward on two wheels, and on them it is possible to get all around on the many combined walking and biking paths, which is spread out all over and gives access to every corner of the Island. To get to Cheung Chau and other of Hong Kongs outlaying islands, you have to go to the Central ferry piers on Hong Kong island and go to pier no. 5 where a ferry leaves for Cheung Chau every 30 minutes.
we met up with our french/ canadian friends Sophie and Craig to go there for a visit. They have been there a couple of times before and really like it a lot.
It is a nearly 1 hour long travel -which involves nearly every form of pubic transport what Hong Kong offers- to get from Sai Kung to Central, and on top of that the ferry to Cheun Chau was another 45 minutes, so when we finally arrived we just headed for the first and best of the many seafood restaurants just on the harbor front. And there is loads and by everyone of them, a friendly person has spotted you from the distance and both meet you and has already pulled out some chairs at a table in one and the same movement as you gets closer:
"Nice seafood, how many persons?" as you get a menu folded out just in front of your eyes.
The meal was great and cheaper as you can get it in Sai Kung, but now it was time to find some bikes to hire and get around this island, and as Craig and Sophie had been there before they should take the lead.
"you can not ride the bikes here at the harbor front!" The guy from the bicycle hire told us. "If you see police man, get of and push!"
And so we started our bike ride along with hundreds other bikes, criss crossing in and out between other bikes and thousands of pedestrians along the harbor and then in to the alley ways between the houses.
"There is this great bar just at one of the beaches, we could end up there for a beer after we've been around."
It was a splendid idea. But first the steep path way up to the peak of the island and then around on the north part along the shore and back to town.
Imagine a town of 30.000 citizens and no cars! All just moving on bikes or walking. A paradise for bikers and a nice break from main Hong Kong and even our own Sai Kung, where the traffic at the weekends makes everything stop because just to many wants to go there by car, and every body just end up in a kilometer long traffic jam in and out of town.
As we had ended our ride around he north shore of the island and came back to town, we got a bit lost in the labyrinth of alleyways trying to find a short cut to Craigs favorite bar at the main beach, but then again this allowed us a closer look behind the normal tourist routes in this special community. So we gave back the bikes and walked through town again to the beach and the bar, which was a nice open terrace with a view to the beaches and across the water to Hong Kong.
"I need the bathroom, if you order I just want a beer."
As I didn't see any sign showing the bathrooms I had to ask.
"Please follow me" the kind woman said and I waited for her to lead me the way, but she just kept standing where she was. I looked a her with an expression like: Yes -and what now?
Then she smiled as she expected my reaction and she just pointed down at the floor in front of me, and as I looked down I got the message. I really do like this place as it is very laid back and relaxed, and if someone reading this is planing to visit Hong Kong, I can only recommend to take time to visit -if not all- some of the outlaying islands.