The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (HK-Macau Edition): The Happiest Place in Hong Kong

I would say that the best thing that happened in our HK-Macau trip was this.

Hong Kong Disneyland.

Never mind that this was the smallest Disneyland in the world, that Ocean Park is better than this (though I'd love to visit that), and all things cheesy and crappy that can be said. For someone who visited a Disneyland for the very first time (after all, there are more than one Disneyland on Earth), the hell you care.

I won't speak any further. I'll let the pictures (and captions) do the talking.

While riding the MTR to Disneyland

The Orange Line that leads to the Pink Line (aka Disneyland Resort Line)

Looks like the windows give away your destination.

Hey look! It's Pluto!

Even the rail handles are Hidden Mickeys!

Just got down the Disneyland Resort Station

We're finally here!

'I'm singing in the... rain...'

Hey you! Why are you sleeping?

Sister shot before entering the park

An elephant at the Jungle River Cruise at Adventureland

Ngangang alligator

Was that a giant jacuzzi?

Overlooking the Grizzly Gulch

At the pictorial area of Runaway Mine

Toy Story Land!

Parachute Drop. But for a real adventure, I highly recommend the RC Racer

My family looking like fairies for a moment

How I wish I wore a gown so I feel like a princess living in this castle

Princess Aurora and her Prince at the Banquet Hall of Fantasyland

Here comes the train...

The Flights of Fantasy parade has started!

True story: one of these dancers said 'Mabuhay' at my sister. How nice!

That's Mickey's coach

Aww, Eeyore, what's with the sad face?

Hey, Tigger!

Just how nice is it to be a court dancer?

I (secretly) wanted to be a Disney Princess

The Safari-themed coach

What's up Timon? (hakuna matata)

Hi, Tinkerbell!

Lilo...

and Stitch!

Howdy, Woody! (hey, that rhymed)

Buzz Lightyear -- to infinity and beyond

Aye, aye, Sarge!

Space Mountain = Best Ride in HK Disneyland

The long line at this photo op was sooooo worth it!

This is an entire album of pictures, don't you think? :)

The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (HK-Macau Edition): The Hotels in Macau

I'll start this post with a tip: when in Macau, go beyond the posh hotels. Go to Senado Square. Go to the Sao Paolo Church. Eat some egg tarts. Unless you're after the 'sarap buhay' feel of the Macau casino-hotels.

I'm saying this because we went on a day trip (no, make it a two-hour trip) to Macau and visited two landmarks: The Venetian Macau and Holiday Inn Macau.

The flower arrangement at the lobby of Holiday Inn Macau

The grand dome at the lobby of The Venetian

Yes, just that. Just the hotels.

Sure, I enjoyed the glitter and glamour of those hotels. But personally, I want to explore more of that. I want to eat egg tarts. I want to dine at the dai pai dongs. I want to sit around the Senado Square. I want to admire the ruins at Sao Paolo.

But I did not. Even if I want to.

"Kasi walang perang pang-libot."

"Papa-tatak lang ng passport na Macau."

Oh, the ever-stringent travelers.

And don't ever get me started at why I don't go my own way and head to the Portuguese part of Macau. It's a long story that stems way past this topic of traveling in Hong Kong and Macau.

But as I said in my previous post, enjoy the rest of the trip. And enjoy I did, amid the grumping inside. :D

Posing before boarding the ferry bound to Macau

Chicken soup again for breakfast, this time from Cafe de Coral, with tomatoes and beef slices on top

Mom eating her (oversized) bowl of oatmeal in milk

Soy-braised chicken and sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves. Pretty fancy for a breakfast meal, IMO

Sitting pretty at the Holiday Inn lobby

Family picture at the gardens of Holiday Inn

For HKD5, I wrote my wish for the Chinese New Year and hung it on this tree just outside The Venetian. 

The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (HK-Macau Edition): Travel Tips

We really are in DMIA. Doesn't the Mini Stop sign say it all?

1. Prioritize between value and convenience. We booked a seat sale ticket from Clark to Hong Kong. Sure, we saved a lot with the ticket, but IMHO, it gave me great inconvenience. Clark in Pampanga is farther off from Caloocan (my homeplace) than Pasay (where NAIA is); and with a 7am boarding time, we have to be Clark-bound at 11pm, wait for at least five hours before we check-in at around 5am. Whereas we can manage to leave for NAIA at 2am, sleep a bit before checking in at 5am, just the same.

This trip made me realize that NAIA is indeed a more convenient airport when you're in Metro Manila. If you're from any other place in Northern Luzon, you may opt to leave in Clark. But that's just me.

Yeah, I'm holding my passport and boarding pass. 

2. Hold your passport and boarding pass securely at all times. By 'at all times,' I mean before, during and after the flight. When we landed in Hong Kong, my mom went uneasy about our luggage, so she boarded the train bound to the immigration counter ahead of me and my sister so she could settle the baggage. She forgot about my sister's passport and boarding pass, so when it's our turn to show up at the immigration counter, we don't know what to do. It did not help that they were at the other immigration counter, which is, way across the airport. So I have to ask the immigration officer to let me get in first, find my mom at the baggage carousels, and get my sister's passport and boarding pass for her to present. Ending: I was the one who got the luggage, and mom was waiting and waiting in the other immigration counter, unable to get the luggage she was worried about.

Lesson learned: parents can only hold their children's passport until they are ten years old. Beyond that, teach them how to securely hold their travel documents. Besides, I see some children from other nationalities holding their own passport, some as young as around seven years old.

Good thing there are English-language signs...

I really am in Hong Kong...

3. Read the signs. When in doubt, ask. Besides, asking for directions is a good way to get into the foreign country and its culture.

Right: Marty's order -- pancakes, sausage and hash browns. Left: my order -- twisty macaroni soup with egg and sausage, with hot choco on the side.

4. Just because the restaurant is familiar does not mean the taste is the same. Since we have not eaten breakfast since we arrived in Clark and boarded our plane, we decided to eat at the first restaurant that we laid our eyes on -- McDonalds. However familiar, the menu was, well, quite different. Sure there was the standard pancakes, hash browns and coffee (or hot chocolate), but there was the Hong Kong breakfast staple -- chicken soup with twisty macaroni. Toppings vary with each restaurant, as with McDo with sausage and egg on top. And I gotta tell you, they may be the same items, but they are slightly different from those here in Manila.


5. Enjoy the ride. And the rest of the travel. Enough said.

Me on a bus going to our hostel

Just a few miles away from the airport

Oh, look! Cable cars!

Those buildings are HUGE!

Lola with the beautiful promo ladies

It's just days after Chinese New Year, hence the decor outside ISquare Mall.