Red tide

Such a waste that the beach has to be closed at a time of maximum visitors.

Lights on at Silvermine Beach Resort

I must say Silvermine Beach Resort is looking much better under new management. This Cinderella coach (which is inexplicably towing a sleigh) is really pretty.

Not sure about the decorated paddle boat, though. But at least they're making an effort.

Silvermine Bay Music Festival 2013

Love seeing Mui Wo come alive!

 If only this could be a monthly flea market.

Dragonboat festival 2013

This year's dragonboat race took place during a Very Hot weather warning. So don't expect too many photos from me.

 I was too busy taking cover under the shade.

And munching on burgers from Silvermine Beach Hotel. I always look forward to events on the beach now because the hotel sets up a kiosk outside with very basic but very yummy burgers (HK$30 each).

Happy Mid-Autumn!

We took a walk at night to check out the beach activities and it was great fun. Lots of children – and some adults – parading with lanterns, plenty of glowstick jewellery, and everyone having a good time. 

My cheap cameraphone is crap at capturing night pictures but I think you get the idea.

Sail away...

Pellet police

You gotta love Hongkongers. They could have been relaxing on the beach listening to the music during the Silverminebay Music Festival but instead they are picking out the plastic pellets that washed up on the beach during Typhoon Vicente. 

Hongkongers really do care about their environment – it's not just lip service. Are the Environmental Protection Department people seeing this?

The pellets are thrown into this bin for disposal.

Resort tea

Silvermine Beach Resort is looking better under new management so we decided to give the restaurant a second try. The prices are slightly higher than cha chaan teng prices in the village. 

But the atmosphere and view is definitely nicer. 

The food was okay, better than when we were first here two years ago. But still, a word of caution. Go for the local stuff because the chefs are obviously local.

Don't bother with the more exotic Southeast Asian food because they simply can't get it right here. This is supposed to be char kway teow, a Malaysian specialty. Instead, it was just rice noodles fried with curry powder, the way they do the spurious "Singapore noodles" everywhere in Hong Kong. It tastes weird, to say the least. 

 Their black pepper beef hor fun, a local specialty, tasted so much better.

Service still leaves a lot to be desired. We had to go and call our waiter and when he turned up eventually, he gave us only one menu to be shared between us. The food took half an hour to arrive.

I must say though, they were consistently slow throughout - the bill took forever to come and we could have walked off for all the staff cared.

Setting up stalls

The stalls beside Silvermine Beach Resort appear to have all been taken up. They have some pretty stuff there, from jewellery to wooden boxes handpainted with cute cats.

 I think they'll be making a roaring business at the Dragonboat Festival tomorrow.

Silvermine Hotel's new lease of life

I must admit I was pretty sceptical about the rebranding of Silvermine Beach Resort, especially since people who've stayed there tell me the rooms are just the same, just more expensive.

But they are trying. And I like the idea of refreshment kiosks. 

The kiosks are open only on weekends and are only about a month old so it's too early to gauge the response yet. But I think they'll do a roaring business during the upcoming dragonboat races.

I tried the lime slush for HK$10 and it really hit the spot on a hot day.

Even better, the hotel is also offering free space outdoors for people wanting to set up their own stalls... a great idea for summer.

Buffalo Wilbur and I are wondering what we can sell to take advantage of the free space. Any suggestions?

Camping weather

After months of seeing a deserted Pui O beach, it was a pleasant surprise to see the tents sprouting up again.

Life's a bi...errr, beach

Secret beach

I know it isn't peak tourist season yet but the Silvermine Bay beach is beginning to fill up already. So we decided to take a walk to the quiet "secret" beach along the road to Man Kok Tsui.

It takes a bit of walking to get there but it is so worth it. Even when the main beach is crowded, there are hardly more than two or three couples here.

I wanted to live in this building – until Buffalo Wilbur pointed out that it probably used to be a pig sty.

The beach is surprisingly clean, considering there are no armies of cleaners sweeping it every morning.

Can anyone tell me what fruit this is and whether it's edible?