Hong KOng Trippin’
This summer, is by far the craziest! i went to a lot of places. flying back and forth from Manila and Tacloban and then to Cebu again, that’s where i am right now and I’ll be back in Tacloban tomorrow. heheheheh!
But the highlight of my crazy tripping would have to be the fact that my family and I went to Hong Kong. Something that I did about 10 years ago! This was my second trip abroad, sadly, to the same place. But the last time i went, was pure crap. The typhoon decided to dance and flap its fancy wings and tail on HK when i got there. Bummer. but this year, i enjoyed to the fullest!
When i rode the double-decker bus from the airport to Causeway Bay, i realized that i didn’t have so much memory of how Hong Kong looked like. As i went pass the crazy skyscrapers, and long bridges, I kept reminding myself to breath. It looked so majestic from where i was sitting. Heard of twin towers right? Well, they have a lot of those, even triplet towers and quads. The buildings looked like they couldn’t breath since they are piled so close to each other. The bridges have meticulous details to it that it’s so hard to comprehend its shape and pattern.
When we got off the bus, loud buzzing cars, and warm air met me. And as we walked from the bus stop to the hotel which is about 3 minutes, 3 minutes of dragging our heavy luggages, i realized my average speed of walking was too slow. Hong Kong is fast-paced. The people here looked like they are in a hurry or running away from the fire. As we crossed the streets, i saw a huge difference between this country and HK–everyone observed street rules. there are no jay-walkers and people wait for the Go signal before they cross. It wasn’t hard for me to adjust since i really am like that by nature (observing street rules), what was new to me is the people of HK are so disciplined! super! Walking on the pedestrian lane reminded me of Tokyo rush hour! it’s that busy. Anyway, enought of that, we stayed at the Park Lane Hotel. the rooms are affordable and pretty much the same as i remembered. Immediately, my sisters collected the hotel freebies such as the shampoos, toothbrushes, etc. hehehe! (it’s their hobby)
Hong Kong’s transpo is through the train, or as i like to call it, the tube (Brit vocab). It’s relatively cheaper than the taxi, and a lot faster because you don’t go through traffic anymore. But the number of people riding the tube can get pretty stupid during rush hours. but nevertheless, it saves you time and money. I learned how to ride one, and like which exit or entrance to take (tubes are like spiders–going out of the wrong exit could get you worried and stressed!), read the map and stuff like that. I enjoyed doing it though, made me learn a lot!
However, there are still cars in HK of course. the cars there are wicked! i saw my fave car–MIni Cooper about a lot of times. and their driver’s seat is on the right side, and they drive on the opposite lane. Dude! That is weird and something many of us aren’t used to. if i would sit on the "passenger’s seat" i would probably have the urge to feel stirring wheel that is supposed to be in front of me, and try to step on the pedals which are supposed to be below me. LOL!
Where did i go to? We visited some relatives in a place called North POint, and another one who lives a few train rides away from North Point (i forgot the name). Here is a list of where we went to.
Ocean Park: Fantastic park with a cool view of the ocean (duh). I rode a few rides which kept my heart beating like nuts!
My sister and I rode a ride called the Flying Swing. it does pretty much as it is called. the swings fly! you ride on this swing and it gets higher and spins you around. Haha! i was laughing my head of! it feels great to "fly". But my stomach ties in knots whenever i see my mom down there! hahah! i’m getting that feeling again now as i read it.
After that ride, we rode yet another insane ride called the Abyss! 
it is twin towers of 20 stories, you sit on the edge, it goes up, and it drops without warning. it felt great and nerve-wrecking to see the whole of HOng Kong while your sitting on the edge of a 20-storey building. while i was up there, i was already saying words of prayer. to me, it felt like i was about to die. my fear of heights is starting to take its toll. We were up there for about 10 seconds, and i was about to talk to my sister who was beside me when it DROPPED! i screamed my brains out, as my bottom lifted ever so slightly and with such grace from the seat! that scared me a lot, even though we got protective gear. it dropped halfway and shot us back up again and dropped us again. it was INSANE! My knees were shaking when i got off but i laughed at myself! After the rides, we went to see the Reef, and some pretty school of jellyfish! i also saw sharks and all its kinds! pretty cool! By afternoon, we watched their show where dolphins and seals did tricks! pretty cool. My sisters who went there before was able to watch a killer whale doing tricks but i guess it died because it wasn’t part of the show already. sad…..
i also got my first cable car ride from the Headlands to Lowlands (for kids) part of ocean park. i don’t know why i was still afraid of the cable car ride considering that i rode the abyss! but i was still scared, and pretty paranoid when the cable car did some swaying movements.
in the lowlands, we rode Whisker’s Wild Ride. it’s like a movie with moving chairs that moves according to the film. it goes up down, and shakes pretty much. i kept on laughing all throughout coz i was like in a virtual roller coaster, swimming with whales, riding on dolphins, etc. it was funny!
DisneyLand: we went to Disney when we had a couple of days ledt before we leave. We stayed in Disney’s Hollywood Hotel which had a crazy check-in and check-out sessions.
IT NEVER ENDS! Anyway, i was pretty psyched when we got there. i felt like a complete kid! it’s just magical! it’s the magic of Disney! we took pictures with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Mulan and POoh!
this Disney is relatively small but cool. It’s divided into 3. You got Fantasy Land, Adventure Land, and Tomorrow Land.
The Sleeping Beauty Castle stands in the middle of everything.
I rode the Space Mountain in Tomorrow Land. MY Goodness! it was again a crazy ride. it’s a high-speed (i do mean, high-speed), roller coaster ride with sharp turns, twists, and drops!!! the best thing about is, you can’t see anything! it’s pitch dark, and filled with tiny lights that resembles stars! you feel like dropping and spinning in space. again, i screamed the loudest! it lasted for a couple of minutes. by the last minute, i couldn’t scream anymore. not because i don’t have a voice anymore, but because i felt like i was in a total shock. there was a bright flash and i thought i died, but…no…it was a camera taking a picture. when we went to see it at the end of the ride, we looked like…..you know…IN PAIN! hahahahah!
We also had fun in Buzz’s Astro Blasters. it’s a shooting game…pretty lame but it’s ok. i had bits of fun. i wished there was just more action! hhehe!
In fantasy land, you can see Mickey’s PhilHarMagic. it’s a 3D show. pretty cool coz it looked like the cast is flowing and dancing before your eyes. it showcased some of Disney’s best like Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Aladdin, PeterPan. what’s so great about this, you can actually smell the pies baked in Beauty and the Beast, feel the wind in the thrilling magic carpet ride of Aladdin and flying through clouds in Peter Pan. It was magical that i went to see it twice!
There was also a show called the Golden Mickeys. It reminded me of Broadway. talented casts, and crazy mascots. it was so beautiful that i got so emotional. i cried!!!
And the fireworks was the best! Colors flashed brightly above the Sleeping Beauty castle brings you back to the past when you were still a kid, laughing over great Mickey Mouse and Friends shows, sighing over romantic fairy tales, and swining through ropes in Tarzan or Lion King. it was fantastic and very magical. i couldn’t hold back the tears when i was watching the fireworks. I realized that i am a Disney kid, it’s like family to me.
well, i think i better stop here. i still have more thought. but it’s so hard to recall because there are a lot of them. i had a blast! i promise to upload pictures of the trip in this entry once i get it from my sister.
thanks for reading!
