Hong Kong Wanderlust 4 of 4

Somewhere in our blog is a series on Hong Kong (1,2,3) and I realized, it's supposedly four parts... with the fourth entry languishing in the Drafts folder not knowing when it'll be published. Well, today's the day as I noticed that we haven't had a food post for a long while.

Food is definitely out of the question in every travel. For our Hong Kong trip, isa lang ang binalik-balikan namin na restaurant. We always go to Cafe de Coral, the largest Chinese fast food restaurant group in Hong Kong whose chain caters to over 300,000 people on an average day. Cafe de Coral has over 100 branches in Hong Kong alone! We're assured of good quality meals in budget prices.

Free macaroni soup (very tasty broth and pasta's al dente)

Hokkaido Milk Scrambled Egg with Ham

Hokkaido Milk Scrambled Egg with Minute Steak

These sets come with free slices of thick toast and butter (seen here with the sausage and luncheon meat).

But this toast is what I like best: Toast with Condensed Milk

Shanghai Spare Ribs with cold shredded vegetables and marinated egg

Vegetable Rice

Barbecued Combo with Rice

Love the meat cuts (chicken wings, crispy pork, cuttlefish, pink sausages, salted egg).
They're marinated with sugar, salt, spices, and rose sweet rice wine.

Tofu Dish
This is the our least fave viand.

Chicken in Thick Sauce

Comes with free iced milk tea (or coffee)

Unfortunately, we always missed out on the Hot Pot Gemini, a shabu-shabu style of dish that looks so delicious in their wall photo. We were so looking forward to eating it but alas! Our timing has always been off. Go and visit their website and be enticed with their mouthwatering food. Seriously, this fastfood alone is enough reason to go to Hong Kong (or mainland China)!

We also ventured out on two other restaurants, one that is familiar and one that is hawker. We tried KFC in Hong Kong and found out that they have different offering from the KFC in the Philippines:

Mushroom Rice

Egg Tarts and Chicken

The chicken is smothered with a sweet, tangy sauce... like our version of chicken BBQ. It was delicious! The egg tart is creamy. Every bite is heaven. It's the only egg tart I truly enjoyed so far (in my 25 years of existence). The original recipe and hot&spicy chicken are also available.

Hawker stalls offering noodles and dimsum abound and we tried one that is near the building we were staying. Can't rememeber the name because I can't read it! :) It wasn't that crowded, when we hauled our tired asses inside the canteen-type eatery, maybe because it was already past 10 in the evening (this is after our Disneyland adventure). The service was fast. I ate this:

Beef Noodles

Shrimp Dimsum

Nothing too great but filling enough to satisfy our stomach. Sipping the broth was perfect for the very cold weather. If I had more opportunity, I should have eaten more kinds of dimsum! Matakaw na kung matakaw! :P

On our last day in HK, we had ample time to wander in SOHO mall in Causeway Bay before we go back to the hotel to get our luggage and go to the airport on our last day in HK. We ate at this tiny Japanese restaurant (name to be typed later while I try to remember it). The portions are too small and they're expensive!

Pork tonkatsu (breaded pork chop)

Breaded chicken gizzard

Chicken barbecue

Japanese pork curry

Photos of the dishes were angled so they appear to be bigger than reality. Lol. I didn't have the time to take a photo of my aunt's veggie tonkatsu (okoy) because it arrived in our table so late. We planned on eating dinner at the airport but by the time we checked in, almost all restos are closed. Except for Burger King. We wolfed down our burgers immediately, thus no photos of 'em ever existed.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed my Hong Kong series. If ever you're thinking of going outside the Philippines for a much-needed R&R, then Hong Kong is for you. It's the perfect beginning to an international wanderlust.

Hong Kong Wanderlust 3 of 4

I almost forgot I was doing a series on Hong Kong. That's because I'm now back in Riyadh and I did a lot of catching up to do. Catching up on stories from the fellow Pink Tarha ladies that is.

Anyway, back to the Hong Kong Wanderlust... I'm down to the last two days of our stay. After Ocean Park and Disneyland, we also went to some other tourist spots. We also squeezed in time for the ladies market in Mongkok where I got the pink bag for the Philippine Expats Blog Awards 2009.

During the day, we went to The Peak where we got a full view of one stunning vista and an array of shopping and eating kiosks. The Peak Tower is located 396 meters above sea level. Its viewing platform known as The Sky Terrace gives tourists a beautiful panoramic view of the city of Hong Kong. It also provides views of the outlying islands of Cheung Chau, Lamma, and Lantau.

To reach the Peak Tower, we rode the Peak Tram. For over 120 years, the track has carried millions and millions of passengers. The views while riding the tram are breathtaking, with some track gradients leaning as far as 27 degrees. This is truly an experience you shouldn't miss.

On the tram, with inclined views.

Greens and buildings.

Stunning Hong Kong.

View from the Sky Terrace.

At night, we visited the Avenue of the Stars to watch the Symphony of Lights held every 8 in the evening. We weren't able to see the stars of famous actors because there were already lots of people in the area waiting for the nightly spectacle but we were standing near Bruce Lee's statue, woot!

Hong Kong at night

The buildings getting ready for the show (lights are dimmed or turned off).

44 key buildings dominating the Hong Kong skyline participate with their interactive lights and musical effects in the Symphony of Lights. The best vantage point to see this is along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront or from the sightseeing ferries in Victoria Harbour (we'll try this next time!).

The Symphony of Lights starting...

Lots of people came to watch, even if perhaps they've watched this a couple of times already.

After our short adventure in the waterfront, we went to Mongkok and shopped at our hearts' content. I scored bags, Chinese shoes, souvenir shirts, and colorful chopsticks for the family and friends.

Too bad we didn't have time to visit Ngong Ping, one of the major tourist attractions in Hong Kong but there's always a next time, yes?

We truly enjoyed our stay in Hong Kong. For the final highlight of this trip, what's a tour without food?! That's next on the last installment of Hong Kong Wanderlust!

§undrenched

Hong Kong Wanderlust 2 of 4

A new day has dawn for my companions and I in the land of "fragrant harbour," Hong Kong! After a day in Hong Kong Ocean Park, next on our itinerary was the Disneyland Hong Kong. I'm a child once again as we stepped into the park of Mickey Mouse and friends!

From where we're staying in Causeway Bay, we decided to tackle the Hong Kong's octopus network of trains to reach Disneyland. We started at the Island line and alighted at the Central station. We walked further (now we know why the Chinese are thin... they walk a lot!) and found the Tung Chung line which took us to the Sunny Bay station where the Disney Resort trains await. Even if we need to transfer from one train coach to another, it wasn't that hard to figure out which ones to use and we reached our destination in no time at all! (Such wonderful transpo system! Wish the Philippines has something like this!)

Welcome to Disneyland Hong Kong!

Wonderful Disney floral landscape.

And so I reached the land of magical realm and fantasies... and I was transformed into a giddy little girl who knows no life realities. What realities?! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you! Too busy getting a good look at the "Let It Snow" Christmas parade. With blaring Christmas songs and faux snow raining upon visitors, the parade is on! Surely, no one's gonna rain on this parade!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

The white dust you see might seem like dandruff, hehe, but they're fake snow raining upon us. It melts quickly once it settles so there's no residue left on the hair or clothes after the 'snowing'.

Snow White and Cinderella.

The princesses are not statues. They're real people who look like they came out of the fairly tale book. Such porcelain skin and dainty gowns. These are the stuff little girls' dreams are made of.

The Disney characters!

I love the winter blue costume! Very apt for the Christmas season.

Most of the performers on the parade were Filipinos! Some even came close to us, shook our hands and asked "Kamusta po?" Wow! Every day, they're entertaining people. What a job!

After watching the parade and before going to any rides, the train traveling around the entire Disneyland ground beckons with its soft whistle, just in time as the parade ended. It's a slow ride but it gives a glimpse of the entire magical world of Disney in the comfort of a wooden bench.

Choo choo train!

A walk into Main Street, USA proves to be very therapeutic. It feels like being transported in another place and time, probably on the old Hollywood era. The shops are beautifully decorated and the roads aptly cobble-stoned.

Main Street store.

Most stores carry souvenirs, candies, chocolates, and bread. There's also photo shops along the way.

The Disneyland map caught us off guard for a moment. There's just too many shows, rides, and shops to go to! Again, nakakalula! (Good luck naman kung Disneyland USA na ang pupuntahan ko davah?! *wishful thinking*) To help us facilitate our Disneyland experience, we browsed the map and planned our itinerary for the day.

The park is divided into three "lands". Come, and I'll tour you around (na parang akin ang Disneyland HK! Hehe!).

Welcome explorers!

There's Adventureland where nature and its tribes await. The should not be missed attractions include:

The Festival of the Lion King

This is the best (IMHO) music and dance presentation which depicts one of my fave Disney movies, The Lion King. The production and costume are all awesome. Also, the cast sings beautifully and dances oh-so gracefully.

The finale

Tarzan's Treehouse

There's a raft that takes visitors across the river to Tarzan's treehouse where an interactive playhouse lets kids (at-heart) conduct experiments and play instruments. I climbed the treehouse to have a picture with Tarzan! (Yun nga lang, estatwa lang sya eh, lol.)

Adventure seekers will be happy with Adventureland. Too bad we didn't have the time to ride the Jungle River Cruise but we're still happy dancing to the tune of the jungle rhythm emanating from the leaky tiki poles. Gusto kong mag-ati-atihan!

Jungle River Cruise

Up next is Tomorrowland where the futuristic rides and attractions are.

Welcome to the future!

This is perfect for the thrill-seekers. Unfortunately, my companions and I are not this type of people so we only rode one:

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

This is such a fun game! We were seated on carts, laser guns in hand, and journeying on a track that is filled with Buzz's enemies. We aim at targets and shoots! The cart even swivels for a more accurate shot. It was so action-packed I didn't have time to take a photo inside. Not that I wanted to let go of the gun anyway! Need to shoot the enemies! (A perfect stress-buster!) ;)

Space Mountain, one of the most popular rides in Disneyland is found on Tomorrowland. It's a thrilling rollercoaster journey that will take you to the far reaches of the universe! (O diba, may ganyang effect!). Tomorrowland also features Stitch Encounter, Orbitron, UFO Zone, and Autopia- all of which we're too coward to try.

The last one, and definitely the most magical is Fantasyland.

Welcome to your dreams!

It features Disneyland's major landmark - the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Walking through this portal is a dream come true. After all, I was also a little girl who dreamt of becoming a princess one day. ;)

Most of the not-to-be-missed shows are here. So just a tip, always be mindful of the shows' time. I tell you, you cannot afford to not watch these:

"It's A Small World Christmas"

The boat ride 'around the world' is worth the wait! This is a journey that took us through the regions of the world and see how they (and the 38 Disney characters) celebrate Christmas. The displays were marvelous! Every detail was carefully planned and placed. Everything was just colorful and ah-may-zhing! (I didn't get to find all Disney characters but I did find Santa!)

Amazing set design!
Dolls representing various countries. Indeed, this is a small world!
(Particularly love this set because it's pink, lol!)
They rep Pinas! The dolls are wearing baro't saya. Their umbrellas are twirling. Cute!
The amazing, colorful displays never cease.
Love winter! Para s'yang cake noh?!

Sorry, I have no photos of the following shows because I'm too busy enjoying myself. Hehe. Mickey's PhilharMagic. Watching Disney characters in 3D is such a treat. We definitely felt like members of the cast ourselves just by merely looking through our cool 3D glasses. With flying musical instruments and saucers flying at us, gawd, the experience was surreal. There's also water splashing and wind blowing on our faces. It's so real! Love, love this! It definitely beats Rialto! The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This storybook journey is a little bit boring for the "adults" but your little ones will surely enjoy this. We were in a cart traveling in Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood. We got to meet Tigger and Piglet! This is such a short but quite nice ride. Perfect for Pooh lovers!

The Golden Mickeys

This musical is an award's night of sorts for the best of Disney. The production numbers were very nostalgic. I particularly love the "romance" part where Beauty and Beast sang and danced to my fave Disney songs "Something There."

Tale as old as time, true as it can be...

Fantasyland rides include Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Cinderella Carousel, and Mad Hatter Tea Cups. There's also the Fantasy Gardens where a meet and greet with the Disney characters happen. Of course, we did not fail to take a picture with Mickey Mouse.

During the night, the Festival of Lights happen. A magical procession illuminates the street lights and the Sleeping Beauty Castle. This is how the castle looks like before the lighting:


And here's how it looks like after (plus fireworks):

All-lit! All sparkling!

Of course, there's also the much-awaited fireworks display in the evening!

A fountain of sky light.
The fireworks dazzled everyone!
(Nagka-stiff neck yata ako pero worth it pa rin!)

The huge Christmas tree was also put up in time for the holidays.

After this, the park comes to a close although souvenir stores are still open for those who want to bring home a piece of the magic of Disneyland Hong Kong.

Souvenirs galore

I'm contented to bring home a huge marshmallow lollipop! What, I'm a little girl eh! Haha!

We never got bored in Disneyland Hong Kong. There are just so many activities. Restaurants with different themes also abound and for light snacks, food carts are around to offer coffee and hot chocolate (apt for the cold weather) and cookies. And for the lost, information/guest relations centers are open to help. This park is very people-friendly. Everyone is well taken cared of. A one-day ticket costs HKD350 (PHP2,450).

If you're in Hong Kong, I'm sure you don't need persuasion to visit Disneyland. After all, this is prolly your main objective in going. Just leave your stress behind and enjoy the magical moments.

More Hong Kong tourist spots on the next installment. See yah!