HK Day One

Our plane landed 30 minutes before midnight, and since the hostel that we had a reservation with would not accept check ins before 9 AM, we decided to rest at the airport until morning. Though we were tired and sleepy, it took us a while to finally sleep because of the adrenalin rush of being in a different country.

Woke up around 5:30 AM and followed the signs to the bus stop. It was an adventure because we had nothing but a map and the name and address of the hostel we were going to. Nice thing about the city is that there are a LOT of signs and directions that even if you're lost, you won't feel scared.

We boarded a bus towards Kowloon, got off at the Park Hotel bus stop, and went to the Lee Gardens Guest House. It was around 7:30 AM, and since check ins start at 9 AM, and we were told to come back later. We decided to walk around and look for a place for breakfast. Burger King was something we don't have in Cebu so my wife and daughter wanted to try it. We ate a sumptuous breakfast and killed time, then went back to the hostel and was finally able to check in.

My wife didn't want to waste any time so we just freshened up then went out again. The plan for that day was Ocean Park. It was a challenge going to the place since we didn't have any guide, just our handy map, and the maps posted all over the city.

We arrived at Ocean Park shortly before noon via bus, and wasted no time in going around. Spent the entire afternoon trying the rides and going around the different buildings. It was very hot and tiring since Ocean Park is such a huge place with a LOT of things going on. It's the first time I've been there but I already recommend it to anyone who plans to visit Hong Kong. It was a wonderful experience even if I almost died there. Yes, I almost died, and no, I'm not exaggerating. We rode a steel "mine train" roller coaster perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking Aberdeen Harbour, and even if I was wearing seat-belts, I was also holding on to dear life because every time there's a turn, I get lifted from my seat. If I didn't hold on, I'm sure the seat-belts would break and I would have been thrown out 85 meters down. I would NEVER EVER ride that again, even if you pay me a million bucks.. Make it 2 million and maybe I'll think about it. :)

Another ride that scared us was the cable car. It was a great but really scary experience. It was long ride that took us from one part of Ocean Park to the new part which would require you to pass by a lot of mountains to get there. It was a slow, breathtaking ride 205 meters above sea level, and we were very careful not to make quick or big movements since it would rock the car. Yes it was VERY SCARY but I don't mind experiencing it again in the future.

We left Ocean Park late in the afternoon, and went to the Avenue of Stars along Victoria Harbour. The view was spectacular and it was fun walking along the street where the greatest film legends of China once walked and left their prints. We were able to take a lot of pictures but we weren't able to really see all the stars nor wait for the world famous symphony of lights because our feet were already aching.

Again using the map and road signs, we walked towards the hostel, getting lost every now and then, finally arriving around 7:30 PM. We freshened up and went to bed. Well, my wife and daughter went to bed, while I went out to look for dinner. There were a lot of stores nearby, but the prices of the food were quite expensive considering that every HK dollar is equivalent to almost 7 Pesos.

After almost an hour of going around, I finally chose KFC. I was looking forward to eating 1 original recipe chicken and 1 hot & crispy chicken with a cup of rice, macaroni salad and Pepsi. I got disappointed when I saw their menu. They had mostly roasted chicken and just a few crispy chicken. They had no macaroni salad and you had to order rice separately too. And being used to seeing working students working for KFC back home, I was surprised to see half of the KFC crew in HK being the same age as my mother. Nothing wrong with that, it was just surprising.

I ordered a 2-piece original recipe chicken with a cup of mushroom rice and Pepsi. The chicken didn't taste like it was from KFC at all, and the rice had spices in it. I've always known that for KFC outlets all over the world, there's only one taste with their chickens, but in HK, it really tasted different. I even thought that the KFC outlet I went to was a knock-off outlet, a poor copycat of the original KFC frachises.

From the KFC nightmare, I went to Burger King and bought 2 burgers for my wife and daughter and a Cream Soda Float for me, then went home.

A full but definitely fun first day at Hong Kong.