Disneyland Hotel

Check in is not until 3pm, but it’s possible to check in early and leave your luggage at the concierge so you can spend time at the park. Though the Disneyland experience is not just for kids, their young customers are never far from the designer’s mind. In the rooms, there are small touches that small kids will surely appreciate: tissue dispensers that can easily be reached by little hands, foot stool to aid in getting the kiddie-sized robe from the closet or to get the smallest room slippers from the shelf.

Disneyland Hotel Grand Salon

There’s a touch of whimsy in the room that’s distinctly Disney. Snow White’s seven dwarves adorn the boxes of toiletries, one for each item. Their faces are also etched on the mirror frame, while small towel creatures wait for you on the counter and on the bed.

Disneyland Hotel room

This is a hotel where you stay in — it’s not the kind of place you just drop your bags and go out sight seeing the whole day. Disneyland Hotel makes sure that you enjoy your stay with their comfortable beds, ample closet and drawer space so you can unpack and feel at home, cable TV with more than 5 Disney Channels (including a bedtime story-telling channel), and a balcony where you can hear faint Disney music from the park or listen to birds chirping. There’s plenty to do within the hotel. The Prince Eric Activities Room is the place for workshops for little kids, big kids, teens and the entire family. For more active pursuits, you can swim laps at the indoor pool or lounge and get a tan at the outdoor pool. You can also get lost in the Mickey Maze outside the Grand Salon or just walk or jog around the resort.

Disneyland Hotel outdoor pool

Food is not a problem at the hotel. There are three restaurants at the Disneyland Hotel (Enchanted Garden, Crystal Lotus and Grand Salon & Sorcerer’s Lounge) and one bar (Sea Breeze Bar). You can be sure to encounter more hidden Mickeys in your meals in all the restaurants, but the Crystal Lotus goes one step further with dimsum shaped into Disney character. At the Enchanted Garden, you can get up close and personal with the Disney characters as they join you for breakfast. Breakfast and dinner buffets at the Enchanted Garden are done in batches, to ensure that there’s ample space for guests and mascots.

Waiting for his turn with Mickey Mouse

Both the Disneyland Hotel and Disney Hollywood Hotel feature a gift shop with a wide range of exclusive Disney items that you can’t find anywhere else. With products ranging from toys to clothing to accessories to snacks, there’s sure to be something to catch your fancy. The Disneyland Resort provides a shuttle to take you from the two hotels to the public transport interchange located outside the Disneyland park. Buses arrive in 10 – 20 minute intervals and takes 5-7 minutes between the interchange and the hotel. The Disneyland Hotel is also a 18-minute walk from the hotel and a 15-minute walk from the Disney Hollywood Hotel.

This is the the last post of a four-part Hong Kong series. Read part 1 and part two to for our adventures in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and part 3 for our adventures in Hong
Kong Disneyland. For more pictures, head on over to my flickr.

This trip was made possible by Nuffnang.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Tohru excited to explore Disneyland

Located in Lantau island, the Disneyland Resort is a sprawling estate that covers the theme park, the Disneyland Hotel
and Disneyland Hollywood Hotel. The resort can be reached by the specially designed MTR train on the Disneyland Resort line that connects to the main MTR line through Sunny Bay on the Tung Chung Line. Public buses also serve the resort’s Public Transport Interchange, as well as taxis. Taxi from the Hong Kong International Airport costs approximately HK$120.

Disneyland Park station

Walking from the transport interchange, you’re welcomed by instrumental themes from Disney movies. Just before you go through the ticket booths (day tickets cost HK$350 for adults, HK$250 for kids aged 3-11 years and HK$170 for seniors. Tickets can be bought online.), there’s a musical fountain with Mickey surfing on the waters coming out of a whale (is that Monstro?). The full force of the Disney magic hits you when you go through the park’s entrance. Disneyland is exactly how you’d imagine it to be: grand, whimsical and full of small details that’s distinctly Disney.

One of the many ways to go around the park

Though many of the rides are for kids, there’s a number of attractions that adults can enjoy. Give your competitive streak a treat as you blast through Zurg’s underlings at the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Tickle your senses as you ride in pitch darkness through Space Mountain (be sure to open your mouth wide and scream your hearts out throughout the whole ride). Sit back and enjoy reminiscing through Disney Favorites at the Golden Mickey Show and the Lion King Show.

The Lion King

There’s a lot of people flocking to Disneyland anytime of the year. If you have limited time in the park, invest on a Fastpass, that lets you in on an express lane on Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. If you have serious moolah to spend (about HK$3,200), consider a Supreme tour, wherein you get direct entrance for all attractions.

Buzz Lightyear giving instructions

You’re not allowed to bring food and drink into the park, but don’t worry as there are plenty of food options for all tastes and budget. You can enjoy Cantonese noodles, country fried chicken or a full vegetarian Indian meal in the restaurants around the park.

Main Street at night

Shopaholics who still haven’t gotten their fill from Hong Kong’s crazy shopping scene can still indulge at the many souvenir shops scattered around the park. It’s not uncommon for guests to be wearing shirts, hats and accessories bought from the shops, so don’t be shy and walk around wearing that Minnie Mouse headband you just bought.

The park is open daily from 10 am to 7pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and up to 8pm from Tursday to Saturday. The park’s closing is marked by the grand fireworks by Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Everybody gathers around for this, so if you want prime seats to enjoy the show, be sure to come at least 30 minutes to claim a spot. The park’s pyromusical extravaganza puts other fireworks display to shame. It’s a fitting end to a magical experience.

This is the third post of a four-part Hong Kong series. Read part 1 and part two to for our adventures in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. For more pictures, head on over to my flickr.

This trip was made possible by Nuffnang.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Happy Foodies Oggie and Ferdz at Tim Ho Wan

Tim Ho Wan is one of those hole in the wall dimsum place that is so small, it can only accommodate about 25 – 30 diners at the same time. Think Dong Bei, only a little bigger. It has no ambiance to speak off — walls are pretty bare, servers buzzing about in the small space, dumping baskets of dimsum unceremoniously unto each table. Drinks aren’t even served, apart from the usual tea found in all Chinese restaurant. You can bring your own drink though. So what makes this place special? It’s one of Hong Kong’s many Michelin Star restaurants. Owned by Pui Gor, former chef of Lung King Heen, a 3-star restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel. Unlike other Michelin Star restaurants that charges an arm and a leg (and for some, your unborn children) for a meal, Tim Ho Wan caters to the casual diner.

Dimsum tower

Tucked in a quiet neighborhood near Yau Ma Tei and Mongkok, the dim sum place is out of the way of any itinerary. It is, however, easy to spot: it’s the place where there’s always a huddle of people waiting outside. We arrived just after 2pm, we were told the wait would take 1 hour, due to the size of the restaurant and each dish are made to order. They had a queuing system: the receptionist would give you a sheet of paper and write down your number. This sheet of paper would also serve as your order form. There are two versions — ask for the English form so you can start figuring out what to order.

It was around 4pm when our number was called. You can opt to wait it out, outside the restaurant or walk around and check out the nearby shops. Don’t worry if you find out they’ve already called your number when you come back — they will put you in a separate queue so you can enter as soon as a group go out. We were famished and ticked off a lot of boxes in our form. Everything was good, but there were some that really stood out. The steamed pork dumpling with shrimp a.k.a. siomai was bursting with flavor. It was unlike any other siomai we’ve ever tried. The glutinous rice dumpling sated our rice cravings. Warm gooey rice envelop flavorful chicken stew that makes you think it’s a Chinese-style adobo.

Star of the day: crispy char siu bao

The star of the meal though, was the restaurant’s baked bun with BBQ pork or crispy char siu bao. Think siopao made with a different kind of bread, topped with a mix of pork lard and sugar, then baked to crispy goodness. One bite, and we forget all about the long queue. Dim sum and noodles cost between HK$10 – HK$18; quite reasonable by Hong Kong standards. Considering the quality of the food you’re getting, an average of HK$40 – HK$60 per meal is a steal.

Tim Ho Wan
Shop 8, 2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon
Phone: +852 2332 2896
Hours: 10am – 10pm
MTR: Yau Ma Tei station, take exit to Kwong Wah Hospital
On Google Maps: http://goo.gl/maps/G5wh (marker C)
Street View: http://goo.gl/maps/va4y (the place with people waiting in line)

This entry is one of a four-part Hong Kong Series. Read part 1 here. For more pictures, head on over to my flickr.

This trip was made possible by Nuffnang.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Buying a ticket for the A11

Since my roaming failed me again, I opted to buy a local sim to keep my roaming bills to a minimum. For HK$65, I got a PCCW sim card loaded with $65 worth of calls, texts and data. It proved to be a great decision as I had to make a number of texts that weekend. At Php 25 per international text while roaming, I was glad I had a local sim card before leaving the airport. The airport bus was a double decker, with a luggage rack on the lower deck. If you’re paranoid about your things but still want to sit on the upper deck, there are security cameras so you can keep an eye on your bags. You wouldn’t have to worry about getting off at the wrong stop either, as announcements are given in English over the speakers and on the sign at the front of the bus. Forty minutes went by in a breeze as we enjoyed the bus’ free wi-fi.

The hotel was easy enough to find, and we were elated that there are plenty of places to eat within the vicinity. From small hole-in-the-wall eateries to restaurants serving international cuisines, we were spoilt for choice in our neighborhood. There were even three 7-11 stores all not more than a kilometer from where we were staying for stocking up on junk food and cola.

View from The Peak

Ferdz, Oggie and I all had a busy week prior to the weekend, so we were all glad for this chance to relax and unwind before starting another hectic week (or in my case, a 10-day holiday). The only thing in our itinerary that evening (we opted to nap instead of exploring after checking in)
was Victoria Peak. Also known as The Peak, this view deck sits in the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island. For HK$25, you get to look in awe at the gorgeous sunset and look down on the towering skyscrapers. As darkness fall, we see each building light up until the scene before us start to resemble the postcards we always see of Hong Kong. If you go in autumn or winter you’ll get the extra thrill of experience strong gusts of northerly winds threatening to blow away any unsecured item and leaving you shivering in your raspberry (faux) fur lined boots.

Tohru at the Statue Square

While The Peak Tram is the popular (and novel) way of going up to the top, we opted for the cheaper alternative: the bus. For only HK$9.80 one way, we enjoyed the scenery as the driver skillfully navigated his bus up the winding road. Though taking the bus doesn’t have the same history as the tram, it also meant not having to deal with the long queues of passengers waiting to board. We started slow the following day, not really wanting to rush and see everything. After the taking the bus the previous day, we were eager to try out Hong Kong’s other forms of public transport. A ride on board the tram was in order, and at HK$2 per person, it’s a cheap way to go from one end of the island to the other. We got off at Central, supposedly to take pictures of the Legislative building. Upon seeing signs that exclaim there is free wi-fi in the area, we settled down and were soon lost in our online universe.

The Octopus card makes traveling on public transport easier and cheaper

I’m not too fond of taking city buses, as I get to paranoid about missing my stop. Hong Kong’s bus stops have route information for all the buses for that stop, so you can count how many stops the bus will make before you have to get off. But since Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city, you’ll probably end up sitting next to an English speaking resident who can point you to the right direction. Though the bus accept cash payments, the drivers cannot give you change. If you’re particular about only paying the amount you should pay, it’s a good idea to get an Octopus Pass. The Octopus Pass is a card that you can use to pay in buses, MTR, trams, Star Ferry, convenience stores, fast food, supermarkets, cinemas and
vending machines among others. It’s very convenient: you just tap in and you’re good to go. Reloading is easy as well — just head to the nearest 7-11 and hand the cashier the amount you want loaded unto your card. The card is valid for up to 1,000 days after last use. If you travel (or plan to travel) in Hong Kong often, consider getting an Octopus Card.

From Central, we took Bus number 26 to the Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road. It’s a bit disconcerting to see such a small temple amidst all the buildings that surround it. Inside the temple, the air was hazy with smoke coming from dozens
of spiral incense that hang from the roof.

Man Mo temple

We took the MTR to cross over to the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. We were there for three things: dim sum, shopping and the Symphony of Lights. To save on time, we split up after our late dim sum lunch: Ferdz and Oggie to scope out the bargains on gadgets and lenses, me to look for the toy shops friends have recommended. I was overwhelmed with the
throngs of people out in the street and the wide array of choices Mongkok’s shops give me. Despite the temptation, I managed to resist the urge to whip out my credit card and contented myself with a couple of Lego Starwars mini figure to replace the ones I lost last February. I suppose it was lucky that I was pressed for time and wasn’t able to check out the other stores, or I would have totally killed my cards.

I take a bus down to the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade for the Symphony of Lights and to meet up with the guys. The light show starts at 8pm every night, with narration alternating between English, Putonghua and Cantonese on specific days. There’s a viewing deck on the waterfront, but seats quickly fill up as the show time draws near. In the autumn or winter, better bundle up (but don’t worry, it’s not as cold as The Peak). The light show features building lights “dancing” to music,
and is a popular cheap thrill for tourists and locals alike. To complete the Hong Kong public transport experience, we took the Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai. Costing HK$3 (HK$2.50 on weekdays), this a lovely relaxing way to cap a day of exploring Hong Kong.

This trip was made possible by Nuffnang.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Along with Ferdz and Oggie, we’ll be meeting the other Nuffnangers from Malaysia and Singapore to discover, explore and experience the magic of Hong Kong Disneyland.

We’re lucky enough to get one and a half days to explore Hong Kong on our own. Since Friday afternoon, we’ve been familiarizing ourselves with Hong Kong’s neighborhoods, trying out the transport system and eating great Cantonese meals.

Autumn in Hong Kong is wonderful. The sun is out and shining against a brilliant blue sky, yet the temperature remains in the 20′s with an occasional chilly breeze. Perfect weather for boots and other wintery outfits Filipinos seems all too fond of, but can’t wear without looking like a complete idiot in the Philippines.

Going around the city was also easier than I initially thought. Last time I was here, I was reliant on my host and just followed him. By nature, I’m dependent on trains to get around, but so far, I’ve only ridden the MTR once. Armed with a city map (free from the airport and hotels) an Octopus card, and advise from guidebooks, we were able to go around Hong Kong island and cross to the shopping areas in Mongkok.

Hong Kong is by no means a cheap destination, but traveling on a budget is still possible. As with all trips, you have to manage your expectations. Land is very expensive in Hong Kong, so expect rooms to be miniscule compared to rooms you’d get for the same price in Southeast Asia. However, if it’s good food you’re after, you can get your money’s worth in Hong Kong, and you don’t even have to spend too much. One of our cheapest, best value meals are from this roast place near our hotel. For HK$16, you can get a heaping serving of rice and two kinds of roasts, served with a side of chopped greens. We were even able to eat at two Michellin restaurants for an average of HK$50 per person.

Sightseeing can also be cheap. The Symphony of Lights, a light show featuring Hong Kong’s iconic skyscrapers “performing” to music is free. Visit to temples are likewise free, while museums are also free admission every Wednesday. The only trouble you’ll probably come across would be the shopping. Hong Kong is all about shopping and it’s hard to find a street wherein nothing was being sold. There are great deals to made made though; electronics and lenses can sometimes be half the price from Manila’s.

Hong Kong may seem small, but it’s actually bigger than you’d think. One and a half days (on a very leisurely pace) is not enough to see everything this small country has to offer.

This post was posted while on the Airport Bus. Yay for free wi-fi!

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Back at my Couchsurfing host’s flat, we spent hours chatting about a lot of things, looking at our photos taken during the trip and drinking Belgian beer (well, them at least). We finally ended at 1am, and since I plan on leaving the flat early to explore Hong Kong Island on my own, I bade them goodbye.

Sayuri and her new friends. The small plush toys were the Belgian’s travel gnome. The bear has a backpack that a friend of theirs hand made for them, which has the logo of Antwerp, their home city.

Despite the exhaustion I felt from not having enough sleep and hiking the Wilson Trail, I still had a hard time falling asleep. I watched one episode of Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge on my laptop before finally dozing off at 2am. My alarm woke me up at 6am, and after a couple of snooze, I dragged myself out of bed to get ready. Dressed and packed, I tidied up my bed, as courtesy to my hose and made my way out of the apartment.

It was a Monday, the start of the work and school week. However, since it’s still pretty early, the streets are pretty empty. The trains were a different story though. The trains were frequent in Hong Kong, and if you miss one, another one will come along within minutes. The trains were full, but not jam packed as the MRT in Manila during rush hour. Inside the station, there’s a sea of people as each train arrive to deliver a fresh batch of students and employees making their way up to the street level or to the other train line.

I was baffled by so many Pocky flavors!

I plodded along, weighted down by my backpack, laptop bag and my sleep deprivation. I was sometimes forced to walk fast because everybody around me was hurrying, but as soon as it cleared, I just took a pleasant stroll around the station. I was looking for breakfast places, but at 7am, there aren’t many open save for convenience stores like 7-11 and Circle K. I mentally kicked myself for not going to the roast place I saw near my host’s house the previous day, because I found myself wandering aimlessly at Causeway Bay.

There’s plenty of maps in Hong Kong. You can get them for free at the airport, and there are maps inside the MTR station. Though I made it out the correct exit, I was still unable to get my bearings once I was on the street level. I walked and walked and walked, until I saw this Chinese dimsum place that’s almost full with patrons. It was a pretty good sign that the place serves good food, but I hesitated. All the signs were in Cantonese, and I’m rather apprehensive about ordering something I know nothing about. I’m all for being adventurous, but I didn’t think I was in the right state of mind for anything exotic.

My only photo of Causeway Bay. Sad.

I continued walking and realizing that I’m running out of time, I resignedly walked back to the McDonald’s I snootily passed before. In the spirit of being adventurous, I passed on my favorite Sausage Mcmuffin for a bowl of noodle soup. It was… okay. Not exactly something I’d order again. I hurried back to the MTR station to catch the train back to the airport. From Causeway Bay, I took the train to Central station, attempted to find the train on the Tung Chung line. There’s no shortage of signs inside the HK MTR stations, but in my disorganized state, I missed the stairs going down to the trains and ended up going OUT the station *facepalm* I ended up using up the last credit on my Octopus card and had to buy a single ride ticket from the vending machine. I told myself to be more alert, and got on the correct train… only to go down one-stop short of Tsing Yi. Moral of the story: be sure to get enough sleep when you’re going to wander about with your backpack, specially if you have a plane to catch!

Soon enough I was once again inside the Airport Express, making my way to HKIA. I was sitting on the other side of the LCD screen, and was barely paying attention to what was showing in the screen. I was just barely able to catch the listing of airlines for each terminal. At the airport, the train doors open on both sides, one going to Terminal 1, the other to Terminal 2. I went out to Terminal 1, and upon entering, I saw that Philippine Airlines is at Terminal 2. Meh.

Inside the HKIA passenger terminal

Going to the other terminal was easy enough. Like the MTR stations, there are lots of signs inside the airport, so it’s pretty hard to get lost inside the massive buildings. There were hardly any lines at the check-in counter and I was able to get my boarding pass in less than five minutes. It was rather disconcerting when I saw T1 scrawled right next to my gate number on the boarding pass.

I checked out some shops, looking for souvenirs to take home to my family, since I hardly bought anything when I was still in the city. What I liked about HKIA is that there’s plenty of seats so you can rest while exploring the huge airport. I followed the signs to the gate, and to my surprise, it took me to another train, which would take me back to Terminal 1, where all the planes are.

As I was meandering along the walkway leading to Gate 80, I kept looking around, wondering if I’ll see another passenger throwing a hissy fit because she wasn’t able to make it to her plane on time. There was none. Pfft. The waiting area was big, and I heard from friends that there’s free wifi in the airport. Though there were already plenty of passengers waiting for the plane to allow us to board, I was still able to find a seat and hurriedly took out my laptop. Ironically, as soon as I logged in to XP, the gate opened. I shut down my computer and sent of a quick text to my mother that I’m boarding the plane already.

Philippine Airlines inflight meal

It was another Boeing 747-400, but sadly, it wasn’t one of the newly refurbished ones. Boarding was fast — like the flight to Hong Kong, it wasn’t even half full. Though all the passengers were all boarded in the aircraft, we still had to wait for our set departure time to get the permission for air traffic control. In no time, we were up in the air. I didn’t like the show on the video screens, so I contented myself with reading the newspaper and the Mabuhay inflight magazine. Since I don’t really read the newspaper and I find reading magazines a bit of a bore, I was left with nothing to do in no time. It was a good thing the flight was nearly empty, so I was able to stretch out in my row and doze all the way to Manila.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Mmm, roast. Never did get to try these though

Vincent told me about this festival that they were having that Sunday. It was an old tradition of celebrating the safe journey and return of the fishermen from the sea. Luckily, it was being held nearby. Just on the other side of the Tai Kok Tsui Municipal Services Building, locals and tourist alike are out in the streets, looking at the various contingents waiting for the opening ceremony.

Enter the dragon

We ogled the fancy costumes and took pictures of the participants, much like what we would usually do when we go to festivals in the Philippines. There were several stalls as well, selling locally made products. What took my fancy was this stall selling “handly flour doll” — handmade cellphone charms made in the likeness of the twelve Chinese zodiac and anime characters. As much as I was charmed by the goods and the costumes, my tummy was rumbling. We didn’t have any dinner, and I don’t think Vincent has any plans of having breakfast. I asked Vincent if there are any places where we can get anything to eat. He seemed incredulous that I wanted to eat, since we were going on a buffet for lunch. I said I wanted to have something to tide me over until then. We went inside the municipal building, where there’s a food court. Unfortunately, the stalls are still setting up, and nobody was serving anything yet. We went back down and he pointed to a newspaper stall selling chips and candies. Uh, no.

Why hello there, cutie.

Finally, he guided me to the other entrance where there was a Mc Donald’s across the street. He gave me instructions to just meet him back at the library inside the municipal building. I crossed the street and went the opposite direction of McDonald’s. I’m in Hong Kong! I’m not going to McDonald’s for a breakfast muffin! I ended up in a local convenience store, and bought a beef ball. It was so good. It felt great to have something in my stomach. I made my way back to the municipal building, and as I was entering the library, I ran into Mandy, who was going to McDonald’s for some coffee. I went back down with her, and after my initial reaction at the prospect of eating at Mc Donald’s I ended up with a Sausage McMuffin (I actually got ham, but I didn’t see the sandwich until we were back at the building).

Whee~~

When we went back to the street where the festival was taking place, the program has started, and the contingents were already parading. It was rather short, as they had to dismantle the stage before the contingents can perform their dances. We didn’t want to wait, so Vincent and I went off to the Japanese restaurant where we were having lunch. Mandy and Tim wanted to explore on their own, so we agreed to just meet after lunch.

It’d be hard to order from this restaurant if you don’t know Cantonese

Yes, you read that right, we were having lunch at a Japanese restaurant. Vincent was so gung-ho about this restaurant when I arrived the night before. Eager to make a positive impression on my host (and because I am a weakling), I relented and agreed to go to a Japanese restaurant and eat Japanese food while in Hong Kong. The Roda Japanese restaurant is very popular among the locals. I was probably the only tourist there — and it was easy to see why. The menu is in Cantonese, and the menu card, where you have to place your orders are all in Cantonese. The restaurants has an all you can eat buffet, and you can just order anything you want in the order slips. The day before I left Manila, I was supposed to meet with some friends for a sushi dinner at (in our opinion) the best sushi restaurant in Manila: Seryna. Unfortunately, I overslept and wasn’t able to make it for lunch. That’s why when Vincent proposed a Japanese all-you-can eat lunch, I was easily persuaded. Sorry to say that the quality of the sushi and the other dishes served at Roda Japanese Restaurant wasn’t at par with the food you can eat at Little Tokyo in Makati. I just consoled myself with several helpings of salmon sashimi, crab cakes and shrimp tempura. For HK$200 (the amount Vincent said I have to shell out), it was a sub par lunch.

Sushi~~~

At 3 o’clock, we met up with the Belgians at the Olympic Mall. We arrived almost at the same time and we went out to the bus terminal right beside the mall. We got on bus 16, and got the front seats on the double decker bus. I love riding double decker buses. Well, I like riding buses in other countries. It lets you see different aspects of the city that you wouldn’t see when you’re walking or when you’re inside a car or a train. It was interesting to see how many people were out on the streets. We were soon out of the commercial center and was headed east. Though the are is now mostly residential, there was still plenty of sky scrapers all around. After riding for almost an hour, we got off at the entrance of Pleasure Garden. There were skyscrapers to our right and to our left, a hill looms. It turns out we were climbing this hill. Luckily, I was wearing my trainers and my comfortable clothes, else it’d be hell. It was as if I was back in Coron, climbing Mount Tapyas. There were stairs going up, and it seemed to go on forever. before we reached the top though, we veered off and followed a trail that run along the hillside.

Walking up to the Pleasure Garden

It was rather surreal. There were foliage all around and you can hear birds chirping — sights and sounds you wouldn’t associate with HK. Hiking the Wilson Trail was actually fairly easy. Apart from the climbing, it was generally pleasant, as the trail is paved and there were benches where you can rest and catch your breath while you enjoy the view. We walked and walked and walked. During one of our particular stop, I overhear Vincent telling Tim that we were going down. I instantly perked up. Tim asked me how I was doing, as I was trailing behind them all the time. I said I was okay, and was invigorated after hearing the magic words. He laughingly told me that we were going down, but we’d have to go up another peak first, and he pointed to this mountain in the distance.

See that mountain in the distance? That’s where we’re going.

We continued walking, and soon we were on a trail where there aren’t any side rails. It was just a paved path on the side of the mountain that was rather terrifying because if you missed a step, there’s a huge possibility that you will roll down the side of the hill and into the road. We went up again and as I crested the peak, I was surprised to see a badminton court. That’s one hell of a warm up going to that court. The trail was all downhill from there, and I was looking forward to going back to ground level. We reached the street and Vincent kept on walking. I thought we were walking to the bus stop, but it turns out, he was just walking to the continuation of the Wilson Trail.

Mountains on the right, skyscrapers on the left.

It was all uphill again, this time it was higher than the climb at Pleasure Garden. The path evened out, and it was another pleasant walk high up the side of a mountain. We soon came upon some shrine. We took pictures and we walked out to the ledge to look at the view of the harbour. We were surprised that it was part of a HUGE cemetery. There were shrines all over the side of the mountain with this gorgeous view of the Hong Kong Harbour. After taking photos, we went back to the trail, still amazed with the huge cemetery. Then Vincent went off the trail and started climbing up this unpaved path up the mountain. Climbing stairs was fine with me, but climbing up a path without any distinct markers was rather unsettling, specially if my companions are all way ahead of me. I soon found myself alone, and came upon a fork on the path. Nobody was in sight, and I’ve no idea which fork to take. I decided to take the one that looked easier, and after several steps, I still couldn’t see Vincent, Mandy or Tim. I contemplated what to do. Do I continue? What if I can’t find them?

Rows upon rows of shrine

Luckily, another hiker came up then and took the path that I didn’t take. It turns out that both path meet up at the same point, so I was still on the right trail. I heaved a sigh of relief and continued climbing. Soon enough, I saw this fort at the peak of the mountain, and Tim and Mandy waiting for me. Ironically, there was a sign welcoming me at the end of the path. No entry, it said. Awesome. You’d have to clamber up to the fort from the path, and Tim and Mandy was waiting there so they can help me up. I was able to climb up on my own, but I appreciated their gesture of waiting for me there, unlike our host who was relaxing somewhere in the fort. It was called Devil’s Peak, and the fort has a great vantage point of the harbour’s entrance. The view was spectacular, but with the thick fog, it was pretty hard to appreciate it.

View from the top

We made our way down a paved path and it was all downhill from there. We were back at the Wilson Trial, and soon, we were on the private road that leads up to the Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery. We emerged on a main road, and there was a bus terminal and a MTR station. We took the train at Yau Tong to Mongkok, where we transferred to a train going to the Tsim Tsa Tsui station.

Going down, finally

We made our way to the Victoria Harbour waterfront near the Star Ferry terminal where we will watch the Symphony of Lights. The show starts at 8pm, and we arrived around 7:30pm. There were already plenty of people milling around, and we were able to get good seats before the place filled up. The Symphony of Lights is a nightly show, with narrations alternating between English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Basically, it’s a light show, featuring the buildings on Hong Kong Island. The show was only 10 minutes long, and after the show, we went back to the apartment for more beer and conversation.

HK Symphony of lights

We were all exhausted, but we were still able to talk and share photos until 2 in the morning. I bid them goodbye before we turned off the lights. I was leaving early the following morning.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

First foggy view of HK

We filed out the 747, and the fact that I’m in another country hits me. The signs and the advertisements were in Chinese and English. All around me, people are speaking several different languages. Hong Kong International Airport is HUGE. It’s easy to get lost inside, but there are plenty of signs to point you the way to the rest rooms, the immigration booths, the trains, etc. Also, there’s a tourist booth with plenty of information and maps for Hong Kong first timers.

I change my sole US$100 at the first foreign exchange counter I see. I know I can get better rates in the city, but I don’t have any smaller currency that I can exchange. As I made my way to the immigration counters, I notice a sign listing items that isn’t allowed to be brought into Hong Kong. The last item on the list made me laugh inwardly: counterfeit and pirated goods.

It’s hard to get lost inside the HK Airport

After breezing through immigration, I spy the Octopus Card booth. Kaoko lent me her MTR card, so I didn’t have to buy a card. I just topped it up with HK$100 to be used on trains, busses and convenience stores. I also bought a round trip Airport Express ticket to Tsing Yi. Kowloon is station is closer to Olympic (where I’m getting off), but upon my CS host’s instructions, I opted for Tsing Yi because it’s cheaper by HK$40. The MTR card can only be paid by cash, but you can use your credit card for buying the Airport Express tickets.

I went out the airport and followed the signs to the trains to the city. There was a sign counting down the minutes until the next train, and I get to the platform just as the train was pulling in. The Hong Kong airport express train was big and roomy. Maybe I’m just traveling in the off season, but the train wasn’t packed and there was plenty of empty rows. Within minutes, the train was pulling out of the station and we were on our way to the city.

Inside the HK Airport Express Train

Hong Kong looked dark and dreary. The whole time I was in the train, I kept hoping that it wouldn’t rain — the clouds looked ominous and it seemed it would pour any minute. It turns out that the weather’s just like that. It’s overcast and misty the entire day, but it doesn’t really rain. In about twenty minutes, the train pulls into the Tsing Yi station. I get off the train and into the station, once again following the signs to the exit. I emerge from the train platform to a lobby that was simply astounding. The interior of the station was not lavish or posh, but it looked classy. There’s no shortage of signs in any of Hong Kong’s train stations. I look at the station’s map to figure out how to go to the platform of the trains going to the city. I ended up even more confused. Good thing there’s an information booth and I was told to go down again to a certain level for the trains.

Another twenty minutes and I was at the Olympic station. I call Vincent, my Couch Surfing host in Hong Kong from a pay phone at the station (his instruction was to ask to use the phone at the customer service booth, but I was gruffly told by the man behind the counter to use the pay phone). He told me to make my way to his apartment, since he can’t leave the apartment, as he’s waiting for the other couple he’s hosting. Thanks to Google Maps, I was able to print a map to his place even before I left Manila.

Foggy view of the Kowloon Skyline

Vincent welcomed me warmly into his apartment. He was genuinely interested in different countries and culture, and he asked a lot of questions about the Philippines. He’s been to the Philippines before, but only on a tour group, so he saw very little of the country. He has an atlas, and we opened the book to a map of the Philippines and I pointed out the places I have been to in map. In turn, he showed me photos of the places he’s been to. He’s traveled to several countries in Europe and Asia, and thanks to Couch Surfing and the Hospitality Club (where he’s also a member of), he was able to keep his travel expenses low.

As he was about to show me the photos he’s taken around Hong Kong, he Belgian couple he’s hosting arrived (he saw them as he looked out the window of his room). The Belgians, Tim and Mandy, just went out for coffee. It took them almost two hours to get back because they were waiting for me at the Olympic station! It turns out that they wanted to surprise me at the station, because they know it feels good when you see people holding a sign with your name on it when you get out of the airport or the train station. Unfortunately, the surprise was me already at Vincent’s flat when they came in.

Bags and art at the Temple Street Night Market

We exchange pleasantries and we headed out to explore Kowloon. Hong Kong weather that time of the year was the same weather we were enjoying back in December and January, only with more wind and fog. We walked to the Olympic station, and took a ride to the Kowloon Station. Like most train stations in HK, the station had plenty of stores and has lots of exits that connect to different streets and buildings. We emerged at the Civic Square and walked to the site of Hong Kong’s future tallest building. The International Commerce Center tower was set to have over 110 floors, and will be the tallest building in Hong Kong upon its completion in 2010. It’s so tall that it just disappears into the fog. The amazing thing about this building is that it’s not yet finished, yet the floors that are already finished are already occupied and operating. We had a foggy view of the buildings across the harbour, and we noticed that there’s a yellow glow in the sky. Vincent explains that because of the thick fog, using yellow lights on the buildings is more practical than white.

We went down to street level and started walking through Kowloon. Vincent took us to Temple Street, where there’s a nightly street market. Like the bazaars in most of Asia, the street is filled with make shift booths filled with every kind of goods that tourists might fancy. There were shops selling souvenirs, art pieces, bags, jewelry, clothes and gears and gadgets. In almost every corner, there are small restaurants where you can eat if all that shopping made you hungry. We finish the market and we walked around the residential areas. I was reminded of Singapore — tall apartment blocks with playgrounds and exercise contraptions. One thing that was startling about Hong Kong was that even though it’s dark, it’s not really dark. Sure, the sky is pitch black, but at the street level, it’s so bright due to the street signs and the lights from all the buildings. It was light pollution, as Tim calls it.

Not-so-busy intersection

We walked and walked and walked and before we know it, we were back in Vincent’s street. Everybody was pooped, but not pooped enough to enjoy some beer. The times that I can actually enjoy beer is few and far in between, so I just popped into the shower. When I got out, I took out my laptop to transfer photos. I also showed them photos from my previous trips, so they can get a glimpse of the Philippines. Unfortunately, I’ve moved some of my photos to my external hard drive to free up space, so I was only able to show them some of the places I’ve been to.

Jumpshot, HK Edition. Mandy, me and Vincent. Photo by Tim Van Dyck

Around midnight, we adjourned, and we set up my mattress on the living room floor (as the Belgians were already occupying Vincent’s guestroom). My head was facing the window and I can still see the bright yellow glow in the sky. I really must bring a sleeping mask next time.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

This Hong Kong trip was certainly one of the cheapest trip I’ve had lately, specially since it was an international trip (coming close to Batanes and Boracay in terms of value). I’m quite proud that I was able to stay below my budget. I even have extra money! I guess the perk about being so exhausted is that I’m not in the mood to buy anything.

I was so used to seeing prices in US, Australian and Singapore dollars that when I see the prices in Hong Kong, it all seemed expensive to me. The average rate for US$1 is Php 48, AU$1 is Php 30.84, and SG$1 is Php 31.42, while HK$1 is only Php 6.3.

Another thing about this trip was that we avoided the usual tourist hotspots. We did go to the Temple Street night market, but that’s about it. Our major activity was watching the local festival, and hiking on the Wilson Trail in eastern Hong Kong.

Download:
Hong Kong 2009.xls (66k)

I’m not quite sure I’d have the same numbers when I go back to HK though… I’m itching to shop!

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!