As promised, I am posting the Hong Kong Adventure I had with my sister, Pam.
Everything started last year, when my Mom promised me a trip to Hong Kong for my birthday. Well, it took about half a year for that promise to be fulfilled, but it was worth the wait. My mom cashed in on her accumulated Mileage Points from Philippine Airlines and was able to get us free tickets to Hong Kong.
We were initially slated to leave last January 13, but my Mom had misplaced our tickets, which, we later found out, was left in Los Angeles! So we rebooked our flights for March 3-6. But due to some schedule discrepancies (with Me starting my new job and Pam starting her Board Exam Review), we had to reschedule our trip to an earlier date.
Due to the change in schedule, we were caught in a last minute race for a good hotel package. Unfortunately for us, all the hotels were already fully booked with only 2 days before our scheduled trip.
Since we were running out of time and were desperate for a place to stay, I consulted with my former Supervisor, Sheila, about getting hotel packages in Hong Kong when we get there. She said that it was relatively easy to get around Hong Kong without the Packaged Tours and most hotels accept walk-in guests. That eased my mind a bit.
But since Pam and I were arriving Hong Kong at 8:00PM, we needed a place to sleep, if only for the first night. Thank God my Dad was able to get a hold of his College friend, Tita Let Gallardo, who, along with her family, generously offered to share their home with Pam, and myself.
So, the next day, Pam and I made our last minute errands and went to the airport. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, I gave Tita Let a call from the Courtesy Phone at the Immigrations Area. She gave us clear cut instructions on how we can proceed to their home in Lam Tin.
Since Pam and I wanted to make the most out of our stay in Hong Kong, we grabbed a couple of brochures and maps from the Airport. We, then, proceeded to exchange some of our money (in Philippine Peso) to Hong Kong Dollars, just enough for us to get to Lam Tin.
We boarded the Double Decker CityFlyer Bus A22 to the Lam Tin MTR Station, where Tita Let would be meeting us. Pam and I took pictures at the Bus, while enjoying the drive through the City.
Upon arriving in Lam Tin, about 45-minutes later, we were met by Tita Let, who warmly welcomed us to Hong Kong. I gave her the Conti's Chicken Pie we brought for them as pasalubong, as we walked through the station to their home.
Tita Let and Tito Robi Gallardo, with their kids, Gabe and Mika, live in a quaint 3 Bedroom apartment in Sceneway Gardens. Like most Hong Kong homes, their apartment complex was just one of a cluster of high-rise apartments in Hong Kong.
Once we got settled in, I began making calls to ALL the hotels in Hong Kong, trying to find a room where we could stay with our parents in the next few days. As luck would have it, 98% of the hotels in Hong Kong were already Fully Booked. I stayed up until 4:30AM trying to find a hotel. I was finally able to get a reservation at the New Kings Hotel in Nathan Road, just a few steps away from the Yau Ma Tei MTR Station.
The next morning, with the Hotel predicament settled, Pam and I headed off to Hong Kong Disneyland for a day of fun and leisure. We went to the Mall right next to the MTR Station to have our money changed and proceeded to get the Tourist MTR Day Pass for each of us.
The Tourist MTR Day Pass allowed Pam and I to get Unlimited rides on the MTR (Hong Kong's Subway) for 24 Hours. It was great, since a One-Way ride on the MTR to Disneyland was about HK$23.00 per person from Lam Tin.
Pam and I arrived in Disneyland at around 10:45AM and we had a blast taking pictures from the MTR Station to the entrance of Disneyland! It was quite cloudy, but it didn't hinder us from enjoying the day. We spent most of the time taking pictures with the Disney Mascots, on the streets, near the rides, what have you.
Since it was near lunchtime, Pam and I had lunch at Tomorrowland's Starliner Diner. We just had the Kiddie Meals, since we were trying to save up our Money. In all fairness, the Meals were quite filling. We even had leftover Fries.
After Lunch, we headed down the Main Road where the Parade was already on its way. We took dozens of photos of the Disney Characters and their colorful floats! We even saw a number of Filipino Performers on the Parade!
To cut to the chase, Pam and I spent the whole day in Disneyland, most of the time, just having our pictures taken with the Disney Characters! Of course, we also rode the Space Mountain, The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh, and we also got to watch Mickey's PhilharMagic Show! We also did our share of shopping and sight-seeing.
Pam and I left Disneyland, just as it was starting to rain. We decided, that since the day wasn't over yet, why not make a quick stop at the Mong Kok Night Market?!? We took the MTR and proceeded to Mong Kok to canvass the rates of some Electronics for Dave.
Electronic devices in Hong Kong are admittedly cheaper than they are back here in Manila, but then again, I'd rather get my Electronic Goods here and be able to go back to the supplier if it turns out to be damaged, than to risk learning that I purchased a defective iPod or iBook, and having nowhere to run.
Anyway, after we have gone through a number of Electronics Stores in Mong Kok, we walked a block to the Ladies Night Market, just to see what we can buy from there. We saw a lot of souvenir items that we can bring back to our friends, but none for us, really. We decided that it was better if we just buy from the Local Boutiques that were having a Sale at the time.
Since it was already about 8:30PM, we decided to check on our Parents at the New Kings Hotel. Pam and I got some dinner at KFC, and walked to the Hotel from the Night Market. My feet were already cramping up from all the walking when we got to the New Kings Hotel, where our parents were billeted in Room 605.
New Kings Hotel was quite sleazy, if you asked me. The rooms were excruciatingly small and cramped. The hallway was only as wide as 2 people standing beside each other. My Mom, being finicky as she was, was quite disgruntled. I told her that for HK$500.00 per Night it was the best we could get. The other hotels with availabilities had rooms for HK$960.00++ up to HK$1900.00++ per Night. Since we couldn't fit in anyway, we decided to stay with Tita Let's family for another night, while our Parents had a walk along Nathan Road to find another hotel.
When we arrived in Lam Tin, we told Tita Let and Tito Robi about what happened, and they were quite understanding about our little problem. They, once again, let us in to spend the night. Before I went to bed, tired as I already was, I called Mom and Dad at the hotel to find out if they were able to find a hotel. Mom said that they found an available room at the Evergreen Hotel, just a few blocks from New Kings Hotel. They would be able to view the rooms in the morning, so we will be able to know if we can fit in, or if the room was big enough for Mom's taste.
The next day, we finally bid farewell to the Gallardo Family, as Pam and I hauled our luggage to the MTR on our way to Yau Ma Tei. We met with our Parents at the New Kings Hotel in time for them to Check Out and move. We walked about 3 Blocks towards the Jordan MTR Station, to find the Evergreen Hotel.
It was a quaint little hotel, but it was quite cozy. We were billeted at Room 312, which was still small, for our Standards, but was big enough for the 4 of us. It had 2 Double beds and a Sofa-Bed. They also had free Internet Access on the hallway, where Pam and I spent some time checking our mail.
After settling in, Pam and I went our way. We were off to do some serious sight-seeing! Our first destination was Victoria Peak. We had to take the MTR to Hong Kong Island and walk to the Victoria Peak Tram. When we got to the Central Station, we were surprised to see a lot of Filipinos! Since it was a Sunday, it was the Rest Day of the Filipino Migrant Workers in Hong Kong. They all gathered at the Park near the Central Station. It was quite fun to see throngs of Filipinos lounging around on the Park, catching up with each other, etc.
As we were walking, Pam and I were in awe of the Hong Kong Financial District's Skyline. It was very beautiful. Better than the Makati Skyline! The buildings were quite Modern and had fascinating architectures. We couldn't help but take pictures!
As we neared the Victoria Peak Tram Station, we were astounded by the number of people in line for the tram! The queue extended out to the street, from the covered area of the Peak Tram Station! Since we really wanted to make our trip worthwhile and memorable, we decided to brave the long queue (filled with Local and Foreign Tourists). After a few minutes, we were finally able to get into the Tram.
The Tram's climb up to Victoria Peak had its moments, when we could see the Victoria Harbour, but most of the time, we only saw the brushes, rocks and buildings lining the slopes of the mountain. The Tram went up at a 45 Degree Angle which made it quite hard for us to keep our heads up. It was quite an experience, though.
Upon reaching the top, we were greeted by a Shopping Mall, of all places! Turns out, the Victoria Peak Observation Deck was ontop of the Mall. The new Victoria Peak Observatory was still under construction, so, people spent the time in the Mall. Pam and I went for short shopping spree at the Mall, buying some shirts for ourselves and some cute little toys for our niece, Luisa. After some shopping, we went to the Observation Deck to savor the sights of Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong Skyline. We also took a lot of pictures there!
After about an hour and a half in Victoria Peak, we went back to the MTR Central Station. We decided to see the Hong Kong Convention and Exibition Center as well as the Golden Bauhinia. We took a short MTR Ride to the Wan Chai Station and walked to the HKCEC and the Golden Bauhinia Square. While walking, Pam and I chanced upon the Fountain at the Central Plaza's facade. It was quite enchanting, so we decided to take pictures near the fountain.
Once we were done with our Photo Op, we walked towards the HKCEC, where they were having a Fashion Exhibition. We walked around the block to find the Golden Bauhinia, which was a gift from China when Hong Kong returned to the Chinese Sovereignty. It was a pretty sight!
Next stop was the Tsim Sha Tsui area. Pam and I went down at the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station and walked towards the Avenue of the Stars at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. Pam and I enjoyed it there since the air was cool and the sights were breath-taking! We, again, took dozens upon dozens of pictures.
We decided to head back to the hotel, since it was already late in the afternoon. On the way back, Pam and I did some shopping at the Sogo Department Store where we were able to buy ourselves some shoes. Pam got herself some Diesel Sneakers, while I got a pair of Pony ones. Both were on sale!
When we finally got back to the hotel, our parents were already waiting for us, since one of my Dad's friends from the Rotary Club in Hong Kong wanted to bring us out for dinner. We ate at a restaurant just a stone's throw away from the Hotel. The food was quite filling, let me tell you that! And to think we didn't even eat any rice!
After dinner, we went our separate ways, again, with Pam and I heading back to the Mong Kok Night market to get some last minute souvenirs for our friends and some last minute shopping. I bought myself a pair of jeans from Giordano and some shirts from Baleno. We also got Dave some shirts from Giordano as Pasalubong.
That night, Pam and I started packing up for our trip back to Manila the next day. I was the last one to sleep, as I wrote down some directions for our parents.
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:05PM, so Pam and I left the hotel at 9:00AM. We boarded the CityFlyer Bus A21 at Nathan Road, just a few steps away from the hotel, to the airport. Since I hadn't gotten any breakfast, I decided to spend all my remaining Hong Kong Dollars on a Whopper from Burger King, while Pam browsed through the shops at the Airport.
We arrived Manila at 3:00PM, and were met by our Uncle at the Terminal. I was very tired from the trip as a whole, that I easily fell asleep when we got home. I woke up at 7:30PM, just in time to get ready for work.
Now... Work... That's another story.
For those who want to do their own sight-seeing in Hong Kong, here are some helpful websites you could browse through:
Hong Kong Tourism Board
Hong Kong Travel
CityFlyer Bus
Hong Kong MTR
Hong Kong Disneyland
