Coming Home: Hong Kong

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Coming Home: Hong Kong



Yea! We are here in Hong Kong for another 2 days. We’re very excited to be “home” ;-) We like Hong Kong a lot and are very comfortable here now. The environment is safe and we know our way around the city pretty well. Today we’re grabbing up our Octopus metro card and heading across the water for Macau on mainland China. We’ve been told that Macau is the Las Vegas of China and that its revenue just surpassed Las Vegas. Thought we’d take a look especially since we are pretty familiar with Vegas...



Macau is an hour jet boat ride away from downtown Hong Kong. Unfortunately we are way out at the big new Kai Tak cruise ship terminal so it will take us about an hour just to get to the ferry. First we take the free ship’s shuttle to the Kwun Tong metro station. The bus drops us off in the basement parking garage of a large shopping center. We find our way up the escalators, through the shopping mall, down some escalators to the metro entrance. We swipe our Octopus cards and head to Yau Tong Station on the green line… transferring there to the blue line at North Point and going to the end of the line at Sheung Wan (hope this works for those of you following our travels on the metro (MTR) ;-)



At Sheung Wan we stayed underground, crossing under a large street to the Macau Ferry Building. It took us a little while but we found the ticket booth for the TurboJet Ferry to Macau. We decided to splurge an additional $10 each and get Super Class tickets so that we would have assigned seats. This turned out to be a great move. We had our own special lounge and once boarded had airline like seats in the upper section of the boat. We had jet boat attendants who brought us breakfast and the newspaper ;-) When we left the boat, as super class, we were let off before everyone else which was a real help in getting to the long immigration lines. There were a couple of businessmen who looked like they knew what they were doing so we followed them which also turned out to be a good move as they knew where to go for the shortest line. After immigration we found the free shuttle to the Venetian (yep, the same as Las Vegas) and hopped on. It only took about 15 minutes across a bridge and through town to reach the casino area. As with everywhere in China the “official bird”, the crane was at work everywhere building bridges, roadways and what looked like a monorail.



Once inside the Venetian, we could have been in Las Vegas. Pretty much exactly the same. Gondoliers plying the canals, very cool shops along the canals, beautiful painted ceilings that make you think you’re outdoors. All along the canals, beautiful shops. The gaming floor was gigantic. We wandered around for about an hour, had a little lunch, bought a little souvenir and headed back to Hong Kong. Unlike Las Vegas the outdoor infrastructure is not completed in this area of Macau. So… people cannot walk or take escalators between casinos. It looks like they are working on it but because of all the construction people are bused between all the venues. There are what looks like hundreds of buses taking people around. Lots of people, lots of hustle and bustle.



Signs are in English and Chinese with many public building signs in Portuguese-they settled here in the 1800’s. Reverse trip back to the free Venetian shuttle, to the TurboJet, back to Hong Kong, through immigration, back on the metro to the ship’ shuttle and back to the ship. Total time… ;-) 7 1/2 hours ;-) It was actually quite fun to scoot out there and back.



Day 2 Hong Kong… so where would an LA girl go for a free day of fun? DISNEYLAND! LOL of course! We took the shuttle bus again, but this time to Kowloon Bay MTR station underneath yet another beautiful, upscale mall. Hong Kong is definitely a fashion hub! After winding our way around the mall, taking photos of signs and shops (like dropped bread crumbs) so we could find our way back to the shuttle bus at the end of the day…at the Kowloon Bay metro stop we board the green line, changing at the Prince Edward stop to the red line headed toward Tsuen Wan. Now off at the Lai King stop where we switched to the Orange line to Sunny Bay. This sounds complicated when you write it down but is actually fast and easy.



Then we walked across the platform and got on the Disney MTR train headed toward Disneyland Hong Kong-a short ride of only about 10 minutes. The Disney metro is Disney at it’s finest. The car windows are shaped like mouse ears, the straps to hold on to when the car was moving are mouse ears, the seats covered in beautiful blue fabric and Wi-Fi.



We entered a beautiful turn of the century (1900’s that is) station. This station and Landau Island where Disneyland is situated is mountainous, green and beautiful.



We exited the station and there were pictures of Disney characters on flags lining a wide concourse leading to a huge water fountain with the whale from Pinocchio spouting water, On top of the water spout is Mickey on a surf board, surfing the spout wave.



The main entrance was everything we expect to see at LA Disneyland only much smaller. Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest of all the Disneylands. So clean and fresh….we certainly could be in Southern CA or at Disney World in Florida. Christmas music is playing and the Christmas decorations at the main gate are spectacular. We could see through the main gate to a giant face of Mickey out of flowers and the train station.



Since we weren’t going to go into the park, we took lots of pictures and shopped at the one small souvenir stand outside the gates.-there are no services outside the gates (except restrooms, of course, which were clean and Disney standards), no stores, no Downtown Disney, no food before you pay and go into the actual park. We sat on a bench and watched all of the people from around the world going into the park.



After a breather, we followed the signs, still outside the park, towards the Disneyland Resort and Ferry Dock. Much to our surprise, after a 20 minute walk through a long park like setting with Disneyland characters landscaped from hedges and trees (we think this promenade will someday be “Downtown Disney”), we found ourselves at a large lake with a ferry dock. There was no one around, so we assume this isn’t active until the summer time crowds, but it was spectacular nevertheless. The two hotels are right on the lake, looks just like the Grand Floridian at Disney World.



Taking lots of photo’s on the way back, we reflect on how the property is set up for almost certain expansion with a Downtown Disney and much room to add whatever is going to come next to meet the demand of this diverse population visiting the park from Hong Kong, mainland China and around he world.



As we were taking pictures a large Chinese group came by and were taking pictures…by gesturing Jean offered to take their picture. They were so excited. All the women wanted in the picture and then they wanted pictures with Jean. Jean’s new Chinese Women’s Support Group LOL!



Hating to leave the wonderful Disney atmosphere, we had to head back to Kowloon as we wanted to hit the Goldfish Market before it gets too late. Reversing our course, we get off at the Prince Edward station, and check our map for the Goldfish Market. There is a whole street devoted to selling all kinds of fish as pets. Also bunnies, turtles, mice, and small snakes …like a PetSmart but parceled out into hundreds of tiny shops. Thousands of fish in plastic bags hanging in the doorways. Also available, of course were all the materials and decorations to put together a first class aquarium. Such a variety of fish that we had never seen before. It was a very busy place with customers everywhere and trucks making deliveries in the street. This area of town is Asia at its best-so much color and sights and sounds and smells.



We had a pretty full day so headed back to Kowloon Bay. At Kowloon Bay we stopped for a coffee, rested & checked email. Then, down to the basement where we didn’t have to wait too long for our shuttle bus back to the Kai Tak cruise terminal.



At the terminal we headed up to the roof and found a gigantic beautiful, relaxing garden where we could look out over all of Kowloon and much of Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong. We are actually sorry to leave Hong Kong. Lots more to do here but glad we had 10 days total. ;-)



Update: So far, so good on the noro virus-just being very careful what we touch and washing our hands 15 times a day or so! The strict precautions that the ship has put in place seem to be working. Yea!



Next Stop: Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City

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Photos

Jean at the Venetian
Macau, China

Off to Disney
The Disney Metro, Sunny Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Cope Disneyland
Sunny Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Entrance to Disneyland
Mickey surfing the spout

New Found Chinese Friends
Bonding, 5 minute Women's Retreat ;-)

Goldfish Market
Kowloon, Hong Kong