Joigin (Goodbye) Hong Kong

The journey to Hong Kong took months in preparation. I listed down all the places I wanted to go to and details on how to get there. Most of the places in the list were places that had sentimental values when I grew up here. The last place on the list played a significant role in shaping who I am now and how I think. Quarry Bay School brings back tons of memories. I only managed to take a walk outside the school compounds but being that close was good enough for me. It was wonderful to be back. I wasn't a popular kid nor the most outstanding but I was the ONLY Malaysian in the school at one point. I can't remember all the names of my classmates but some of them are Gary Ng, Kotaro, Janice, Katie Slater, Henry and Omar Malik. Some of the teachers I remember were Mrs. Taylor, Mr. Almond, Mr. Mason and Mrs. Morris. We didn't have Facebook or Friendster then (does anyone still remember Friendster?), so I totally lost contact with them.

Enough with the emotional stuff. Before catching the flight to KL, we managed to catch up with a former schoolmate (ex Bainun) Dr Zuhailee Ramly over some Dim Sums at The Islamic Centre Canteen. Such a great way to end a trip.

Our flight was delayed by almost 2 hours. Air Asia did send a text informing of the delay but by the time I received I was already in KL! I would suggest anyone staying in Hong Kong Island and is short of time to take the Hong Kong Airport Express from Island Station. It cost a hefty HKD 100 but it is very fast and convenient. Just bring along your stuff and sit on the comfortable seats and you'll get there in 30 minutes.

Hong Kong Airport is massive. Do arrive early for check in (especially if you travel with Air Asia). It is just one big maze. There is a train service to shuttle you to the respective gates but the distance between the station and the gate can still be exhausting. 

That's all folks. It took 4 months to complete writing about this trip. My apologies. There was a lot going on during this period. I hope by sharing this experience, it can help others plan their ideal Hong Kong Trip. Our next big trip will be to Kota Kinabalu in May....with Alyssa!

Hong Kong Part 4

Day 3: Ocean Park and The Peak

Hong Kong has 2 main theme parks; Ocean Park and Disneyland. Due to our limited time in Hong Kong, we I decided to go to Ocean Park. Why Ocean Park?
1. Its cheaper and easier to get to (HKD 280 vs HKD 399).
2. It used to be my playground. I used to visit Ocean Park almost twice a year.
3. It brings back sweet memories.

So off we went on a beautiful Thursday morning. A direct bus service from Admiralty MTR Station takes us straight to Ocean Park, located on the southern side of Hong Kong Island. The bus fare is HKD 10.30 per trip. The original Ocean Park admission fee was HKD 280 but we stumbled upon a travel agency located within the Admiralty MTR Station (at main concourse, just follow the directions to "Ocean Park Bus" ) offering a discount of HKD 250.

If you plan to visit Ocean Park, do arrive early. The park opens at 10 am. We arrived at 11 am and it was already filled with people. Do take note that outside food are not allowed into the park. There are guards at the entrance that will check your bags. You can 'smuggle' in food by placing your container at the bottom of your back pack and cover it with lots of clothes. The guards are not so strict.

Ocean Park is massive. Much bigger that Universal Studios Singapore. It is divided into the Lowland and the Highland. The adult rides such as roller coasters are mainly located at the Highland while the other attractions are located at the Lowland. To get the best of Ocean Park, arrive early and head straight to the Highland to avoid long queues (and get the performances schedule at the main entrance). Unfortunately, we did the exact opposite. We explored the Lowland first and only went up in the afternoon. By the time we lined up for the rides, it took 1 hour just to get on a roller coaster!

The crowd in Ocean Park consist mainly of foreigners, locals and tourist group from Mainland China. No offence to the Chinese but these Chinese tour groups are just BAD. It is best to avoid them. To identify them is easy they will wear matching bright caps or shirts and wear mismatching clothes with a leader bearing a bright flag as the leader. Why are they BAD?

1. They don't bother lining up. And worse when someone tell them off they will act dumb! (not sure if its because they can't understand English or plain dumb). I had one such encounter with a family from England. We were patiently lining up for 30 minutes and 4 Chinese tourist just walked up straight to the front of the line while pushing others away. The other patrons were just shocked. And the Brit just told the off. The expression on the Chinese tourists' faces were just irritating. I wanted to smack their head on the ground!

2. They will talk really loud....the other person they are having a conversation with is just next to him!

3. They hog up EVERYTHING and EVERYWHERE. They  come in groups of 6 - 10 and just displace every one else around!

4. They love to spit and litter.

(This is just my observation. I have no intention of being a racist. Please forgive me if I offend anyone)

Panda!

Photo bombed by a sleeping panda

A scenic ride on the cable car

Sting ray!

Its Flipper. Very enjoyable

Polar experience

Its dark at 7 pm

As I said before, Ocean Park is massive. We didn't get to visit all the attractions in 1 day due to inadequate planning and the overwhelming crowd. Here is a list of the must see attractions (the ones we DID see)
1. Giant Panda Adventure:
    The giant pandas (3 of them) are very lazy. They will laze around and sleep all day. The red pandas are cute and quite active.
2. The Grand Aquarium
    Its a bigger version of Aquaria KLCC.
3. Whiskers Theater
    Pick up the showtimes at the main entrance and reserve some time to watch Whiskers in action. He's a    cute  sea lion and is quite hillarious.
4. The Cable Car
    You MUST ride this. The view is amazing. But it can get scary when there is a sudden gust of wind. DO NOT take the Ocean Express. Both will take you to the summit but the Ocean Express is just like the MTR.
5. North Pole Encounter and South Pole Spectacular
6. The Hair Raiser
    Its just hair raising...one of the best rides I been on. What makes it thrilling is how close you'll get to the     edge of the cliff. (Unfortunately I had to ride this alone, as my other half chickened out.)
7. The Rapids at Expedition Trail
    Trust me, this is much better than the Jurassic Park Rapids in Universal Studios Singapore. You actually do get wet.
8. Ocean Theatre
    Its not as nice as it used to be. Hoi Wai The Killer Whale is truly missed (She died in 1997). The other mammals weren't as spectacular.
9. Symbio!
    A magnificent light, sound and water fountain show at 7 pm daily. Its hundreds of times better than Symphony of Lights.

What I have mentioned so far is just a fraction of the attractions in Ocean Park. We barely covered half the park in the 10 hours we were there. Simply said OCEAN PARK is DA BOMB....but I can't comment on Hong Kong Disneyland as I have yet to be there.

Next stop, The Peak. By the time we reached The Peak (via Peak Tram, HKD 65 return trip) it was 9 pm. Thankfully the weather was magnificent. We were blessed with a clear skies and a cool temperature of 18-20 degrees Celcius. The view from the top is just breathtaking. Words can't describe it. You just have to be here. Being with your loved one (minus a naughty baby girl) makes it fabulous.

When you backpack, the hair doesn't matter anymore!

 
   That wraps up the 3rd Day in Hong Kong!