Isn’t that a lovely gesture?

Tigerair Philippines operate its most of its international flights from the Diosdado Macapagal Airport in Clark, Pampanga. I booked the first flight out of Clark, which departs at 7 am. Of course, that meant I had to be at the airport by five in the fricking morning. Luckily, there’s a shuttle from Trinoma that leaves at 3 am, so I was at the airport with plenty of time to spare.

Too much even. I finished checking in and cleared immigration a little after 5 am, so I went to find a place where I can lie down and get some sleep. People were crowding in the waiting area on the ground floor, so naturally, I felt the need to get away. I blindly followed a guy going up a set of stairs, and was welcomed with empty rows of benches. That’s more like it.

I settled down to catch some zzz’s, putting my eye mask to block out the lights and promptly passed out. I woke up to the terminal filling up, but it was still quite empty. I suppose, that’s one perk of flying out from Clark.

I headed to the toilet to freshen up, and headed down to the gate. They have just started boarding, and I was surprised as it was earlier than the boarding time they set. It was just as well, at least we’ll be able to leave on time.

No lines at the check in counters in Hong Kong!

Unlike departures from NAIA, we didn’t have to wait 30 minutes in the plane for our turn. The doors were locked and armed, we push out, taxied down the runway, and were up in the air in no time. It was an uneventful flight, smooth and got us to Hong Kong safely.

Hong Kong is pretty small, and many who visit regularly do the same thing everytime. Though I have a habit of going back to my favorite places in every city, I thought I’d do something different this time.

Ichiran ramen

First up was Ichiran. The newly opened Japanese ramen chain has been quite a hit among the locals, and lines were always forming outside, even if the restaurant is open 24 hours a day. It was just past the lunch rush when I arrived, and I was lucky enough not to wait more then 20 minutes. The ramen was great and filling, and gave me the energy to head to my next destination.

The only thing I planned to do in Hong Kong was to go to the beach. After spending winter in Australia, I’m antsy to go the beach without wearing several layers of clothing. Shek O beach was touted as one of Hong Kong’s best. Located in the South East end of Hong Kong Island, it can be reached via bus from the Shau Kei Wan MTR station. It was a lovely drive on a very lovely day, and seeing the beach and the water from the top of the mountain was a very welcomed sight.

Shek O Village

The bus terminated at the station, and all the passengers quickly alighted, eager to head to the water. I was taking pictures, and ended up following a local headed to (probably) his home. We walked through Shek O Village, a small sleepy town that looks as if it was in Southeast Asia, and not Hong Kong. Seeing all the small houses, not more than 3 storeys high were quite a sight to behold. Shek O beach and village is also a favorite among couples getting married, as I saw a couple having their wedding photos taken there.

The beach itself is quite nice. The sand was fine and it was clean, and because it was a sunny day, many were out to enjoy the sea breeze and the cool waters. Going to Shek O is one thing I wouldn’t mind doing again and again, should I find myself back in Hong Kong.

Shek O Beach

My flight back to Clark was the last flight of the day. I don’t know if I was too early at the airport, or if the check-in counter staff were very efficient, but there were hardly anybody in the check-in counters. Check-in was a breeze, and I ended up being the first to board the plane, even after meandering around the terminal and forgetting that I still had to go through immigration and security check.

I was welcomed with warm smiles from the attendants, still cheery though it was already 9 pm. It was the same crew who flew me to Hong Kong four days ago, and the level of service on the last flight out was as good as if it was the first flight of the day.

Tigerair Philippines operate domestic flights from Terminal 4, and operates one international flight from Kalibo International Airport to Singapore. Yes, if you live in Singapore, you can actually fly to spend the weekend in Boracay. They also have an app for iOS and Android that lets you check and book cheap fares from your mobile device.

Tigerair Philippines sponsored this flight.

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.

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.

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!

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Are you ready for some more Girl Power? All five Spice Girls appeared in public together for the first time in six years today as they announced an 11-date, eight-country world tour.

The tour will take in the USA, Britain, Germany, Spain, China, Australia, South Africa and Argentina. To register for tickets go to www.thespicegirls.com.

Straddling Christmas, the tour will begin in Posh Spice Victoria Beckham’s new home Los Angeles on December 7, before visiting Las Vegas, New York City, London, Cologne, Madrid, Beijing, Hong Kong, Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires.

Source: Times Online

Great, now my travel plans are really screwed!