This was officially the boring-est day of all. Firstly because we had a lousy tour guide. (It's that complimentary half-day tour thingy again)
To begin with, it took her like forever to confirm the time and date of our tour. And she did not call to inform us as promised. We had to call her instead. Totally waste my phone credit. It's so freaking expensive ok to even sms overseas.
Secondly, she like tried to skip the tour to the Avenue of Stars. You see, we were telling her that we went to Avenue of Stars for the countdown and she jumped at the opportunity to skip it.
***
At 7.15 am, we were already at the hotel lobby waiting for the tour bus. It was freezing at that hour. First in the itinerary was Repulse Bay (浅水湾), one of the most expensive housing area in Hong Kong. Hell, even Jacky Chan lives there. In the mansion no. 99. (If I recall correctly)
We stopped at eastern end of the beach, where there is a Kwun Yam shrine, right at the beach, which is an uncommon sight.
As it was super cold, we just snapped a couple of shots and quickly return to the bus.
Next stop took us to Aberdeen (香港仔). Now this was where I felt completely cheated. The tour guide just told us to get onto the boat, giving us an implied assumption that it was paid for together with the tour. At the end of the cruise, we had to pay HK $55 (RM 25), for a tour around the harbour, which is nothing to shout about.
Aberdeen is where the famous Jumbo Floating Restaurant is located. This tourist spot has attracted some of the most famous movie stars.
Boathouses, in which the fishermen live
The next destination was the Golden Bauhinia Square (金紫荊廣場). Located outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, it marks the most significant event in Hong Kong's history: the return of Hong Kong, a former British colony to the People's Republic of China.
The above sculpture, the 'Forever Blooming Bauhinia' is a gift from China to mark this momentous day.
Next was a visit to the jewellery factory.
Jet Li
The Avenue of Stars.
After that, we had lunch and then we were on our own. Took this opportunity to have another round of 'Hui Lao Shan'.
All I can say is it was Yum-Yum.
We walked around and then headed to Central. This was because we wanted to go to the Peak. In fact, yesterday we went all the way to the Peak Tram station in vain as the queue was crazy.
Thinking that this day would be better, we found ourselves completely wrong. In the end, we took the taxi up. A short trip really, and it costs less than HK $50. My only regret is that I didn't get to experience taking the electric tram up the hill.
Needless to say, the view was splendid.
So came the end of the day. The remaining two days will be shorter posts, as it was pretty much shopping all the way.
Announcement 2:Over Reunion Dinner, cousin Benjamin has announced he's GETTING MARRIED !!!
YAY !!!
***
On the 2nd day of Chinese New Year (yesterday), Malikuti made another effort to get the cousins together. This time we met for brunch.
This was the best gathering ever, we really got to talk and update each other on the current events of our lives. And the best part is, the meal was superb and FREE, compliments of the elder cousins. I love working cousins.
This day was the funnest of all, as we went to Ocean Park !
Ok, by now it would seemed to you that I've been wearing the same outfit in every single picture. Do not be fooled ! Well, actually yeah, I only brought along 2 pairs of jeans and a sweater. But I changed the shirt inside everyday ! I'm not dirty !
My traveling partner, on the other hand, seemed to have brought her whole wardrobe along ! I seriously don't know how many sweaters, jeans and scarves she brought along. Everyday like different style wun !
***
That morning, we woke up a little bit earlier and had breakfast at a nearby coffee shop. I really love their breakfast menu, everything seemed so yum-yum !
Anyways, after that we took the MTR to Admiralty (金鐘). There is a direct bus (Citybus 629) to Ocean Park there. Their buses are extremely efficient. We didn't have to wait long before we got onto a bus.
The journey took approximately 30 minutes. cr4zyb3autiful totally enjoyed herself sitting at the upper deck of the double decker bus.
The tickets per pax cost HK $208, about RM 95. Much expensive than Sunway Lagoon, but it was worth it. C'mon, you couldn't have gone to Hong Kong and not visit Ocean Park or Disneyland !
Upon entering, I must say they have done a good job creating a fun and family-oriented atmosphere. All around me I see eye-catching Christmas decorations with cheery musics blaring in the background. It was certainly uplifting, especially since Christmas is my favourite season of all.
Just as we were happily camwhoring with the decos, doing our jump shots, then came the release of foams, reproducing the effect of falling snows !
It was only for a brief moment, but we managed to snap this shot !
I don't really remember all the rides we got into, but I think first was a theme-based booth called Treasure Palace. Inside are those optic illusion stuffs, like mirror maze, rotating cylinder ... Nothing to shout about. We've got these kind of things back in Genting.
Then we took the Tai Shue Wan Escalator. It was a series of extremely long escalators.
If you have been to Sunway Lagoon, you would have certainly tried the ride where you would slide out from the snake's mouth, with water splashing all over that you'd be sure to get wet. They have this too in Ocean Park.
We did not attempt this ride as the weather was extremely cold. It was winter in Hong Kong FYI. But that day's weather was better, as around mid-noon, the sun's warmth was sufficient to take our sweaters off.
The Abyss
mazwah.blogspot.com
It was like Genting's Solero Space Shot, only much taller. At first, cr4zyb3autiful was a little reluctant to try it. But because of her undying love for me, she decided to give it a try. lol
I must say it was kinda scary. The moment it dropped, I felt like my heart had fell off my chest. And I was screaming, really screaming, that I was oblivious to the screams beside me. All I heard was my own scream.
The Dragon was another ride that seemed scary. I think there were 2 loops that gave us a few seconds of upside down moment. Well, the ride was short, and was not as scary as its looks gave it credit for.
There is one aspect that Ocean Park should be commended for. At rides where you can't bring your belongings along, for instance your backpack, they have a designated shelf for you. And whilst you are on the ride, the shelf would be covered with its installed curtains. That way, it kinda maintains the safety of your belongings.
And then ... well of course a visit to Ocean Park would not be complete without witnessing the Dolphin's performance.
It was a rather short performance, around 15 minutes I think, but was nevertheless entertaining.
Also, we tried the Flying Swing. Nothing special, just like the one in Genting.
However, the ride was rather long. It gets a little boring after some time. But I enjoyed swinging my legs in the air as it spins.
The Ocean Park Tower
Wanted to try this, but the queue was too long and we had very limited time.
Took the cable car which brought us to the other part of Ocean Park. You see the park is so huge that you have 2 separate entrance: The Tai Shue Wan entrance and the Main entrance.
The cable car ride lasted approximately 10 minutes.
The view was spectacular.
After that, we entered the Madagascar house.
And we met Sook YeeGloria.
And because of cr4zyb3autiful's exceptional resemblance to Gloria, she was asked to be featured in the 'Move it' music video.
That stupid guy in red checkered shirt kacau-lah. Syiok sendiri.
Actually, she was dancing in front of a green screen, and then it was broadcasted onto the tv screen.
Time really flies when you are having fun. Before long, it was time to leave, as we had to catch the last bus back to Central at 4pm.
We headed to Lan Kwai Fong, the popular expatriate haunt in Hong Kong for clubbing, drinking and dining. Didn't visit any pub though, just took some pictures.
Did some jumping shots. Didn't get a good one though. Yes, you gotta be thick-face in order to take some memorable photos.
Had dinner in Wellington Street, Central. At Yung Kee Restaurant. Yung Kee is famous for its roasted goose. Mind you, prices are not cheap.
Upon entering, nobody bothered to serve us. So we stood there like a stupid fool for quite a moment. And it was not like the waiters did not see us. When we were finally served, I personally feel that they were a little rude.
Poor as we are, we ordered only 2 dishes and shared.
First up was Wanton Mee. It tasted alright, but the soup was not the normal Wanton Mee soup. cr4zyb3autiful said that it had a hint of abalone taste.
Next was roasted goose and chicken with rice. Yes, it may look rather pathetic (especially with that piece of sawi), just like any other chicken rice you could get at a hawker stall, but the roasted goose was really nice, especially when dipped with its specially-made sweet sauce. (or was it sweet and sour?) Considering the fact that I'm no fan of roasted goose, because I feel that the meat tends to be rather rough, that you would need to chew longer before it could be swallowed. But the roasted goose here was tender and nice.
For desserts, we went to Hui Lao Shan. From the outside, it might look like those herbal drink shop that sells 'Guilin Jelly'. But in fact they are famous for their mango desserts. I tell you, their desserts are to die for. Seriously. It tastes as good as it looks.
Coconut milk with bird's nest
OMG, I really really really heart this dessert. Mmmm ... the milkiness.
Mango pieces, mango ice-cream and glutinous rice ball in mango puree
This was cr4zyb3autiful's and my favourite. The desserts were so delectable that we had them everyday since then, trying different varieties till we left Hong Kong.
Continuing from Day 1's post ... So we were back at the hotel that fateful night. Imagine my astonishment when cr4zyb3autiful told me that she couldn't find the hotel card. Now, for those of you who doesn't know her, she's like the keeper within the Bitch Clan. You see, she would always be entrusted with our movie tickets, hotel cards or whatever important documents.
Ha ! It seems that her reputation does not hold true ya ? Muahahaha ...
Thankfully, the hotel gave us 2 hotel cards and she decided to let me keep one.
So back at the hotel, we were searching frantically for the missing hotel card but to no avail. We decided that she might have dropped it at the Yi Shun dessert store, where we had the milk curds.
So we called them the next day. Nope it wasn't there.
We were worried that we might be fined for losing the card. So she started devising ingenious strategies to find out how much is the fine without already reporting that we've lost it and ways to get us off the hook. Haha, you'd be surprised to know how 'resourceful' she could be. Anyways, all went well and we were not fined.
***
Alright, the second day we went for a half-day tour around Macau (inclusive in our ground arrangement package). As we waited at the hotel lobby, we were expecting for some chinese man or woman as our tour guide.
To our surprise, a Caucasian man came to us and introduced himself as Mario. He is born Portuguese but have migrated to Macau for over 20 years. Proud of his nation, he kept on blabbering on how the Portuguese discovered Malacca, Macau and many other places.
A straight-forward guy, I must say, one who could easilly offend people, but nevertheless a great tour guide. Oh and he speaks rather good Cantonese, much better than some Chinese I know. cough *Christine* cough
First stop was the Kun Iam statue (Goddess of Mercy). Located on a man-made island at the outer harbour, this statue is 20 metres tall and made of special bronze. According to our tour guide, it is the only Kun Iam statue made to face the city instead of the ocean as it would normally be. This was because some Feng Shui master said it would only be prosperous this way.
As it seems, his words had been true. The statue was erected in 2002, after of which Macau has grown rapidly, evident by the increase in the number of casinos.
Bridge connecting Taipa island and the peninsular.
After receiving the blessings of Kun Iam, the tour took us to a spot along the edges of the island for a scenic view of Macau Tower and the Penha Church.
Stupid photographer took the picture before I was ready. Made it looked like I was trying to kiss her. Does the tower look familiar ? You'd remember this tower from Amazing Race Asia 3.
Penha Church
Every year, on the 13th of May, thousands of pilgrims join the image of Our Lady of Fatima for a procession and pilgrimage. Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the vision of blessed Virgin Mary by those who believe that she appeared before three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917 starting on 13th of May.
Santo Domingo Church
The procession begins from Santo Domingo church and ends in the courtyard of Penha Church.
Next, we went to the A-Ma Temple. This temple is how Macau got its name. It was said that when the Portuguese sailors landed in Macau, they asked for the name of the land, which the natives misunderstooded, thinking that they were asking for the name of the temple, and they answered 'A-Ma-kok' (Bay of A-Ma). The sailors however, pronounced the word 'kok' as 'cau' and so came the name Macau. (If I did not recall wrongly)
The A-Ma temple is the oldest temple in Macau. It was constructed in 1488 of the Ming Dynasty, to commemorate Mazu, the sacred sea goddess who blesses the fishermen of Macau.
Within walking distance from the temple, is the famous bakery 'Koi Kei' (I'm not sure whether it's famous actually, it's what the tour guide said)
The bakery sells a selection of flavoured barbequed meat, Macau's famous cookies like the almond cookies, wife & husband's cakes and portuguese tarts.
I like the portuguese tarts here better. The taste of the eggs is more milky and the crust is extra flaky and buttery.
We had complimentary buffet lunch at Holiday Inn.
Here, cr4zyb3autiful found her first love. The driver of the Rolls Royce. At first she actually wanted to dive into the car and camwhore with him. Luckily I managed to stop her in time.
After lunch was the craziest rush ever. You see, we were supposed to take the ferry to Hong Kong earlier, as most of the roads in Hong Kongwould be closed due to the New Year's Eve celebrations. So we couldn't complete the tour which include entering a designated casino in Macau. Thus, our last stop became the St. Paul's Ruins.
St. Paul Ruins
Once the tour bus stopped, we were literally running to the ruins without the tour guide. We snapped a couple of pictures and quickly ran back to the bus to get our luggage. When our so-called driver came, we were running while dragging our luggage towards the van. It was already 3.30 pm then and our ferry was leaving at 4.15 pm.
You will remember this place from the TVB drama 'Return of the Cuckoo' (澳门街), where Uncle Hoi Keng passed away.
To make matters worse, the roads leading to the main roads was extremely narrow, like those streets in Petaling Street, allowing only one lane of cars and there was a massive traffic jam. Luckily, we still made it on time. We were at the ferry terminal at 4.05 pm.
The cruise from Macau to Hong Kong took a little more than an hour due to bad weather.
Finally we were at Hong Kong. My only regret is that I didn't get to see the Venetian Casino. Can you imagine it ? Going to Macau and not visit a single casino ? Hmmph.
We stayed at the Dorsett Far East Hotel, Tsuen Wan. I doubt you can see how small the room is from this picture, but I can tell you it's extremely small. Even smaller than the First World hotel. But of course the bathroom is not as pathethic as First World's though.
After we've set our luggage down, we took the MTR to Tsim Tsa Tsui station. We got ourselves the Octopus card, available at HK $150, with storage value of HK $100 and a returnable deposit of HK $ 50. It functions exactly like the Touch & Go but is way more convenient. It can be used at the MTR station, on public buses, on electric trams, at most stores and you can even use it to give donations.
Imagine buying mineral water at 7 eleven. You just pass the mineral water to the cashier and after he/she have scanned it, place your Octopus card at the scanner and ... voila ! You are ready to go. So bloody convenient.
Ok so at Tsim Tsa Tsui, we randomly picked a Chinese diner for dinner. Now in Hong Kong, no matter what restaurant I went to, the food is always rightly flavoured. The soup is never too bland or too salty. And I always feel that the food has just the right ingredients.
I ordered Beef Balls with noodles while cr4zyb3autiful ordered Wanton Mee. Of course we also had Hong Kong's famous milk tea. The noodles is cooked to al dente, the beef balls are huge and springy and the soup has just enough saltiness. (Though cr4zyb3autiful reckons it was a little bit too salty).
After dinner, we walked to the Avenue of Stars, the site along the harbor overviewing the Hong Kong island. It is the place to be on New Year's Eve, to witness the fireworks being released from buildings on the Hong Kong island, when the clock strikes 12.00 am.
We were there around 8 pm, and it was already really packed.
Waiting for 12 am was incredibly painful. It seemed like time dreaded the coming of 2009. Although there were many people around us, giving the right atmosphere, but there weren't any performances. So it was kinda boring.
Luckily, we were granted with a Caucasian eye-candy who sat right beside me. And so staring at him became our sole entertainment.
Before long, we were counting down to 12 am. And then ...
It gets a little boring after a while.
The countdown was not as happening as I thought it would be. Maybe it's cause we couldn't really hear the fireworks. Or maybe it's cause the cheerings weren't as loud as it is in KL. And the crowd dispersed almost immediately after the fireworks.
Yeah, so the New Year's countdown was a little disappointing.
Going back was such a task. The crowd was crazy ! Getting to the MTR station alone took almost 10 minutes. Then, getting from the MTR station entrance into the MTR took another 25 minutes.
A procrastinator, a pessimist, a perfectionist, you may call me.
Thoughts I have many. It may bore you, it may be miserable. A different perspective of the world. My daily life through my eyes.
Boathouses, in which the fishermen live
Jet Li
Jet Li
