My Wow Wow Hong Kong Trip (4th to 7th Dec 2007)

Day 1 (4th Dec 2007)

The alarm on my cell phone sounded. Had it been any other day, I would have slammed down my phone and continued lying in bed for the next ten minutes. This morning, however, I sprang out of bed. Today is no ordinary day. I am going to Hong Kong!!! In case you don���t already know, visiting Hong Kong has been something on my wish list ever since I became hooked on HK drama serials two years ago. Today, I can finally realize my dream!

By 7.30 am, I was all changed and ready to go. I got on a cab, picked my friend up and together, we set off for the airport. As we still had plenty of time on our hands before our check-in time (9 am), we went to MacDonald���s for breakfast���a nice cup of hot tea, hotcakes and hash brown. I was careful not to have too heavy a breakfast. Lunch on the plane (SQ flight) was something I did not want to give a miss.

After we checked in, we walked around to take some pictures. December is a fantastic time to go on a vacation, don���t you think? The Christmas d��cor put up (in malls, stores, homes, airports, etc) during this time of the year just adds more cheer!

When we have taken all the pictures we possibly could, we were relieved that it was finally time to board the plane. While the air stewardess leaned forward to serve me a cup of orange juice, she accidentally spilled some onto the sleeve of one of my favourite jackets. But today, nothing can agitate me. I calmly handed her my jacket for some cleaning up and continued watching ���Death at the Funeral���. My jacket was returned to me close to three hours later, when the plane was preparing to land. I still have not quite figured out what she had done to my jacket during those three hours. Did she dry wash it? There was still a blotch on it when it was returned to me, albeit much lighter in colour. Alright, this matter is inconsequential. Let us move on to the REAL action which took place right after our plane touched down.

My friend and I were looking out for a placard which says ���Hong Thai Agency.��� Instead, we saw a lady holding a placard with six names written on it. Ours was right at the top. For a split second, I felt like a real superstar. I have just arrived at the airport and my fan is waving a placard in the air, welcoming my arrival. In a smattering of Cantonese, Mandarin and English, the guide directed us to the bus and gave us instructions on our half-day city tour scheduled for tomorrow (apart from this, ours is a free and easy tour).

During the hour-long bus ride to our hotel, we were treated to scenic sights of steep mountains and misty skies. Beautiful. The view from the window of our room certainly pales in comparison. Later, we learned that the vast majority of houses/flats in Hong Kong are pretty-much run-down and crammed. I reckon our houses once looked like this too. The sixties perhaps?

Feeling refreshed after a quick shower, I fished out my trench coat and we were off to explore Ladies Street. Little did we know that a long night awaited us. Stepping foot on the streets, I was at once, greeted by cool air. Man! I love the weather so! It is cold; yet not uncomfortably cold. It is a kind of coldness which energizes. I also felt less out of place when I noticed that almost all the ladies on the streets were wearing trench coats and boots. The people there are considerably stylish.

Ladies Street reminds me so much of the Bugis Street we have back home. To be honest, it is not very much to my liking. Still, I was happy that night when I left the place with two sets of DVDs, a mahjong set and a shirt���all at bargain prices. We also found a dessert store selling desserts which are absolutely tantalizing to the taste buds!

I hate to admit it but my friend and I were actually lost when we decided to return to our hotel after exploring all the streets. Yes, we were lost despite the fact that we were armed with a map! Well the thing is this: every street looks very similar to the next with all the stores repeating themselves all over the place! The directional signs along the streets are not exactly clear either. Or maybe, we just lack a sense of direction. Out of desperation, we decided to take a cab back to our hotel. When Uncle Cabby flatly rejected us in our faces, saying that the hotel is just nearby, we saved some money on cab fare that night. But it also caused us to roam the streets for another forty-five minutes or so���

Day 2 (5th Dec 2007)

Waited at the lobby for our guide at 7.55 am. We were scheduled for a half-day city tour today. To kickstart the day, Michael (our guide) brought us to a posh Tim Sum Restaurant at Tsim Shua Tsui area. For 50 HK dollars (=10 S dollars), we had century egg porridge, Siew Mai, Chee Chong Fan, spring rolls, Hakkao, Char Siew Bao and everything nice.

Though I very much wanted to stay awake during our bus ride so as to take in details of all the scenery that we passed by, my eyelids became heavy as the bus trudged on and as the guide recycled his jokes. I dozed off and only woke up when we reached Victoria Peak. Ah! The view doesn���t disappoint!

We got on the bus again and were brought to Repulse Bay. This is one of those places which tells of Chinese traditions and superstitions. Nearby, they also boast of a beautiful, sandy beach.

We managed to see the renowned Jumbo Restaurant up close when we stopped over at Aberdeen Harbour for a short while. I heard they serve a wide variety of cuisine there. But until I become wealthier, I shall be contented with getting this close to the restaurant!

The next two stop-points (jewelry shop that prides itself in selling pure gold and a medical hall respectively) bored us to death. My friend and I were visibly bored as we sat miserably in one corner, waiting to be released.

The bus dropped us at Hua Yuan Jie. Apparently, the things sold here are much cheaper than that of Ladies Street. But we���ve had enough of these streets after the first night. We decided to take our lunch and start on own adventure right after.

Having heard rave reviews about the Wanton noodles served in Hong Kong, we decided to try it for ourselves. True enough, the prawn filling in the Wanton is bigger and tastier. Yummy! We also bought egg wafers, curry fish balls and smelly beancurd. Smelly beancurd in HK isn���t that smelly after all!

After we were done with all the eating, we decided to visit Madame Tussauds Museum by MTR. Along the way, we passed by the Hong Kong Garden. I love the greens.

This museum holds several wax figures of famous personalities: MM Lee, Nelson Mandela, Teresa Teng, The Beatles, David Beckham are among the many whom we saw. Some look real, some not so real. Took quite a number of pictures there.

Proceeded to the Peak next. Standing at such a height gives you a bird eye���s view of everything. As night fell, the lights from the buildings gradually lit up, transforming the surroundings to a city of lights. Beautiful! Up here, it is really chilly too! I like! I would have stood there for a much longer period of time just to enjoy the cold air and to absorb the view if time permitted. But we have decided that the day would be incomplete without yet more shopping! My friend and I took the peak tram back to the train station.

From there, we made our way to the Esprit warehouse located at Tsim Sha Tsui. Minimal shopping was done as the clothes were largely winter wear. To be honest, I bought the Bermudas solely to convince myself that I have not made a wasted trip there. I could very well do without it.

Today, we managed to find our way back to the hotel without much difficulty. Watched 'War and Beauty' on TV until about 1am before we tucked in to bed.

Day 3 (6th Dec 2007)

Today turns out to be the most memorable day of my trip. So many times today, I would go ���Wow!��� so that by the end of the day, I knew that the title of my journal entries for my Hong Kong trip had to be called ���My Wow Wow Hong Kong Trip.���

Breakfast this morning was a wholesome one. We had Po Lo bun, oats and a cup of milk tea. Another plus point of this morning���s breakfast was that for once, we did not have to share a table with strangers. On our first night, we discovered that it is the practice of the locals to fill up all the seats to a table. Never mind the fact that the different occupants of the table do not know each other. I found this practice weird but I guess they would think likewise of us. Why let others queue outside when there are available seats?

I let out my very first ���Wow��� while taking the train meant to take us to Disneyland. The windows and handles alike were shaped in the form of Mickey! Figurines of Disney characters were also displayed!

As soon as we entered the place, we heard sound tracks from Winnie the Pooh and Mary Poppins. For someone who grew up reading and watching all things Disney, listening to those songs brought back lots of fond memories.

We saw a lady selling lovely balloons and another blowing bubbles. I thought this was all so magical. So is Sleeping Beauty���s palace, Cinderella���s carriage and just about everything found at Disneyland.

Sleeping Beauty and Belle made their appearances. Man! They are incredibly gentle! I am not sure I am complimenting them when making such a remark. I feel almost coarse and unrefined when speaking to them! We did not linger around them for too long as we were bent on catching the Lion King show which was to begin in a few minutes time.

The Lion King show was great. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed all the shows we caught at Disneyland. I love the performances and most of all, the songs! As aforementioned, listening to them has the effect of leaving in one a nostalgic and warm afterglow! There was one particular show (���Lido and Stitch���), which I thought to be interesting owing to its highly interactive nature. Lido appeared on a big screen, randomly selected individuals from the crowd and chatted with them. Lido sure had a good sense of humour, evident from the laughter it drew from its audience.

Took a number of rides at Disneyland. Most of the rides are nothing too daunting safe for Space Travel. The sharp twists and turns sent me screaming my lungs out! Twice I sat on it, twice I was screaming and gripping tightly onto the bar like I was hanging on to it for my dear life! I was definitely not appreciating the galaxy as much as I ought to. I am also glad I had the opportunity to ride on a carousel today! It is not just a case of me making up for my deprived childhood. It is about my unending love affair with the carousel ever since I read ���Carousel������a poem by Lucida Roy.

When it was close to eight at night, visitors gathered together for a second time outside Sleeping Beauty���s palace to catch the fireworks display. The first was in the afternoon near the main entrance where there was a parade by all the major Disney characters. Like the afternoon, we had the good fortune of standing in the first few rows. Sleeping Beauty���s palace was more majestic and awesome now that the lightings were on. Also, we were thrilled to see many images of Snowman when we put on the 3D spectacles issued to us this morning.

And then, the highly anticipated moment arrived. ���A whole new world��� was played and the fireworks display started The myriad of colors that burst forth in the sky, the booming sound of the explosions and the Disney songs that formed the backdrop complemented one another very nicely. Indeed, the pictures taken do not do justice to how spectacular the whole fireworks display actually was. Towards the end of the display, ���A whole new world��� was played again. And as I heard the line ���Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling, soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky��� I thought about how apt it is. If I ever visit HK���s Disneyland again, it will be for the fireworks.

We left Disneyland shortly after the fireworks display but not before finishing up our shopping, taking more pictures of this place and making attempts to catch the man-made snow that was falling near the exit. The sign at the exit read ��� Thank you for visiting Hong Kong Disneyland���. ���Thank you for entertaining!!!��� I shouted back, to nobody in particular.

Day 4 (7th Dec 2007)

Determined not to waste any time, today being our last one in Hong Kong, we woke up especially early. After a mediocre breakfast, we headed for Ocean Park, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

There are many rides available at Ocean Park. My friend dragged me to one of those rides which takes you on a 360 degree spin. But when I realized that it was individual seating, I chickened out, preferring to watch her from afar. The rides at Ocean Park are really not for the faint-hearted.

With some time to kill before the dolphin performance, we visited the jellyfish aquarium. They resemble cells observed through a microscope!

The dolphin show was entertaining too. Once, a guide jumped into the water and pretended to drown. One of the dolphins quickly tossed a pail to him. When the guide failed to catch the pail, the dolphin swiftly carried him to land and tried to resuscitate him! It was a splendid performance.

Following that, we visited the fish aquarium which we had no time for earlier on. There we saw gigantic fishes, stingrays, turtles and so forth swimming freely in the clear, blue water.

A ride on the cable car was next. The ride took us up the steep mountains, over to the other side of the park. It was a considerably long ride and during the pause (presumably for us to absorb the breath-taking view), we looked ahead and saw that we were about to go up the steep terrains. Looking down, we saw the sea and realized how high up we were. The sound of nervous laughter could be heard from our cable.

Queued for the hot-air balloon ride. Contrary to our expectations, it was not that fun at all. It didn���t take us to a very high altitude. But well, at the end of the day, we can say that we have experienced a hot air balloon!

We moved on to watch the panda bears. Le Le and Ying Ying are the latest additions. Taking into consideration the fact that they are only two, I am amazed by their sizes. The pandas were eating bamboo shoots and from where I stood, they look really adorable.

A time check showed that it was time for us to go. We left Ocean Park, stopped over at Mongkok for another round of the sumptuous mango dessert and rushed back to our hotel where we waited for our guide. From there, it was journey mercy home.