Nightmare or Living Hell?

Sometimes you (or some people) do things only because it feels so good when you stop. Bashing your head against a wall is one of those things. Moon Trekker (running around or across or round and round on Lantau Island, overnight) is another.

For some inexplicable reason I said yes to being a … an usher? A pointer? In today’s Moonie Trekkie. I stood on corners pointing first in the direction of the finishing point near Pui O beach, and then in the direction of the mini bus that was to take the runners to Tung Chung after some mild celebration (beer, champagne) at – tsk tsk! 6AM!

It was fun! Great! And exhilarating! The people coming in at 6 o’clock were fairly trotting ahead, all full of beans and very gung-ho. The stragglers who staggered across the finishing line closer to 10 were a different story. Talk about knackered! I congratulated myself many times on my good fortune. To bed at midnight the night before after cooking a, I have to say, very good Sichuan meal for eight people, up at 4.30 to clean up after said meal before sauntering leisurely down to the beach with the dogs and then signing up for duty – it certainly beat milling around on mountain tops all night in the dark inelegantly dressed and probably emanating body odour.

I don’t know what this geezer was doing there but I suspect he wasn’t running:

I actually liked the stragglers the best, because they were the happiest to see me, and to hear me say: only four minutes left! The condition they were in it would probably be more like ten minutes, but hey. I wanted to give them hope. And did! Some even managed a weak “thank you” and a half-hearted wave in my general direction. No, actually, they were all surprisingly cheerful and positive considering what they had been through. Some had run (walked) 42 kilometres, others “only” 34. I salute them from the heart.

Nightmare or living hell? Not for me, that’s for sure. I’m happy. And blister-less! 1,300 runners, lots and lots of money for charity, (environmental) – I’m in next year too! From 6 o’clock and as an observer. For the sandwiches are excellent.

行山 (han san – walk mountain)
跑步 (pau bou – run)
大嶼山 (Daai Yu San – Lantau Island)