Experiencing Hongkong

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DAY ONE: Hongkong! Here we come!

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......Nothing beats the experience of a good ol’ family bonding. No matter how rich or successful you are, you can’t buy the happiness and memories formed with getting together with your loved ones and sharing laughter and stories. It’s rare these days to have the luxury of time and moolahs to spend it with a family member; let alone the whole clan but I’m glad to know IM ONE OF THE LUCKY FEW...

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.....June 2010. From the 18th to 21st of this month, me and my family had a grand time wandering around in the streets of Hong Kong and Macau, sharing feet blisters, bloopers galore and having the FUN! FUN! FUN! mantra brought to life.
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.....My siblings arrived a day a day before with me worrying how to pick them up in the airport and pier port. My sister and our youngest brother, Tata took the plane while my other bro, Noot noot and his family decided to relax thus taking the ship to Manila. They were all arriving at the similar times and my car was on coding that dilemma Thursday. Good thing, the “plane people” were arriving at around 11am which is enough for me to slide by and we decided to meet up with bro and family in the Mall. Lunch and pre-trip 3D movie after, we were ready to start our Hong Kong trip experience.
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....We arrived in the terminal 3 airport rather early, after a fast and a furious ride from drag racer taxi. We had a few shut eyes in between, it was rather fun sleeping in the cold floor of the airport. Strangers sleeping together with one goal hehehe… Check-in, boarding, 2 hour flight went by with a breeze and we were in land of Jackie Chan and dimsums.

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.....We had our self appointed “roles”. I was the “ITINERARIER” aka the BOSS; Manang was the “SPOKESPERSON” aka the TALKER; Bros were the “LAST MINUTE GUYS” aka the GO-TO GUYS; Faith and Ackie are the “FIRST TIMERS” so they were exempted. And the Parentals were the “MONEYER” aka WE LOVE YOU GUYS tehehehe =)

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.....Manang had to ask and we deliberate the best way to go to the city center, with the limited moolah and estimated parental meet up time that we have we had to budget well. We, of course, took the most affordable means which was the airport bus A21 going to Tsim Sha Tsui. Hong Kong highways are clean and traffic free which is such a contrast when you get to Central. You’ d really now that you’ re approaching your destination. We checked in our stuff in our hotel but had to wait for mama and papa to access our rooms. We wandered Tsim Sha Tsui streets, ate and shared 2 small rice bowls among us 6; enjoyed the free WiFi the government of HK installed near the harbor; reprimanded for attempting to nap in the park benches; had a Tap Tap Challenge in my itouch; and spying on a lovelorn couple’s make out session in public. We headed back to YMCA Salisbury Hotel after 5 hours of wallowing time.

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.....Seeing our parent were a breath of fresh air, not only because we can FINALLY get our much prayed for rest and lie down in soft, relaxing beds. We also missed our parents and seeing our faces when we met up in the lobby would say it all.

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.....After unpacking, bathroom breaks, swapping stories and resting our weary feet, we prepared to head to Mongkok for some Modern Toilet Restaurant foodah. Unfortunately after we took the MTR subway train and arrived in the busy streets of Mongkok, the resto was jam packed. We waited for 30 mins still no available table. We left and went back after an hour. STILL NO TABLES enough to accommodate a party of 8. So we had to wander again til we found a place to eat. One thing I realized is that Hongkong is one place were table reservation is highly recommended. We found a place to eat after asking every block and ate like hungry wolves.

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....We headed to the MTR and passed by usual flea market trinkets and Capoeira showdowns in the middle of the street. Pass the human traffic in the subway and finally we were in our temporary home. Where we can replenish our energy and get ready for another busy fun filled day tomorrow =)