This is not a travel guide but rather a summary of our recently concluded HK-Macau trip.
ON AIRPORTS
I'm not really sure what exactly happened but I think I held my breath for a while as I stood in front of the Immigration Officer while he asked me a couple of questions. The thought of being offloaded scared me. But the next thing I know, I was already at the boarding area working on a couple of urgent tasks.
The flight from Manila to Hong Kong took around 2 hours and the moment we stepped out of the airport, Jan and I blurted out the same words, "Inita uy!" It's summer in Hong Kong. But we never thought it would be that hot. Hotter than it is in Davao.
ABOUT HONGKONG
- We stayed at the Chungking Mansions (Tom's Guest House to be specific). And I would like to debunk what I have said before. Having stayed and slept there for four nights is not scary at all. We had a small but clean and comfy room that came with all the facilities we needed like a hot & cold shower and high speed internet. (Too bad I wasn't able to take a photo of our room)
But I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is sensitive and easily offended. Indians peddling at the ground floor, offering you goods, rooms, and services is a common sight. But for us who have experienced the callous attitude of street urchins in our country, this isn't bothersome at all.
- We are easily identified as Filipinos. Even non-Filipino nationals would speak our language whenever they see us, makabenta lang. Imagine hearing this in an Indian accent, "Dito tayo, kaibigan. Mura lang." Nakakatuwa kahit papaano.
- We walked around 20,000 steps per day. At the end of the day, masakit ang katawan namin. But it's worth it.
- Going up the Tian Tan Buddha got me catching my breath. Sigh. I'm no longer fit as I was before.
- Disneyland will really bring out the kid in you. I told Jan we might not be doing any rides because kiddie rides isn't our cup of tea. But we ended up riding almost everything, including the carousel. Haha.
- Made several attempts to do a side-kick and it ended up like I was just cheerleading or dancing. A group of foreigners saw me do the kicks and asked me to do it again. Nagpauto naman ako. But they cheered and applauded anyway. Thank you, fans! Haha
- The weather in Hong Kong can be pretty dicey. One minute it's raining, the next can get us dripping in sweat from the sweltering heat.
- The Symphony of Lights was disappointing. I guess, we expected too much. But the view of Hong Kong skyline at night is beautiful nonetheless.
- The vendors at the Ladies' Market will do everything just to close a deal. Haggled an item from $30 to $15. Kami na nga yung umayaw, sila pa rin ang humabol. Galit sila pero binigay pa rin sa amin. Haha. Ene be telege ate?
- We walked from Victoria Peak to Victoria Harbour. I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to just walk all the way down. I thought it was easy, pero sising sisi ako nun. But then at the end, it sure is rewarding.
ABOUT THE FOOD
- Cafe de Coral is our go-to resto. It is relatively cheap (around $40 - $50 HKD) and their serving is really big. P.S. Wag mag convert dahil masasaktan ka lang.
- Tried different street food and I'm not really into it. But we do love their egg puffs!
- When you're in Hong Kong, all you do is walk. Eat. Walk some more. Then eat some more. 4 days in Hong Kong and I gained a little weight. Yay!
- For the first time, I've actually liked iced tea. Yung authentic talaga. I really don't like the taste of commercial iced teas here in the Philippines - too sweet for my taste.
ABOUT MACAU
- Macau is expensive. That is, if you played in their casinos or stayed in their 5-star hotels. But we got around Macau for FREE not to mention, walking from Senado Square to the Ruins got our tummies full from all the free food samples everywhere. Please stay tuned for my detailed travel guide for that. :)
- Masarap ang Portuguese Egg Tart!
- We ate at the different restos in Macau and HK. Ask for a glass of water and they will serve it hot.
ABOUT THE ENTIRE TRIP
- You have to be good with charades. Communicating with the locals can be a bit tricky. You talk to them in English but they will respond to you in Chinese. When Jan bought some pasalubong in Macau, the seller drew Chinese characters with her hands which just confused us more, as if verbal communication isn't hard enough.
- It was great to meet fellow Pinoys and share about our experiences there.
- Free wifi everywhere we go! When there's a need to connect to the internet, we'll just look for McDonald's or any fast food chain for that matter, stand beside it and we're good to go.
This is our second international trip and it's just as memorable as our first no matter how tiring and frustrating it can be (slept at the airport again). And now, I'm looking forward to our third international trip together! :)
Please stay tuned for more photos. I'll be blogging a travel guide soon.
ON AIRPORTS
I'm not really sure what exactly happened but I think I held my breath for a while as I stood in front of the Immigration Officer while he asked me a couple of questions. The thought of being offloaded scared me. But the next thing I know, I was already at the boarding area working on a couple of urgent tasks.
The flight from Manila to Hong Kong took around 2 hours and the moment we stepped out of the airport, Jan and I blurted out the same words, "Inita uy!" It's summer in Hong Kong. But we never thought it would be that hot. Hotter than it is in Davao.
ABOUT HONGKONG
- We stayed at the Chungking Mansions (Tom's Guest House to be specific). And I would like to debunk what I have said before. Having stayed and slept there for four nights is not scary at all. We had a small but clean and comfy room that came with all the facilities we needed like a hot & cold shower and high speed internet. (Too bad I wasn't able to take a photo of our room)
But I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is sensitive and easily offended. Indians peddling at the ground floor, offering you goods, rooms, and services is a common sight. But for us who have experienced the callous attitude of street urchins in our country, this isn't bothersome at all.
- We are easily identified as Filipinos. Even non-Filipino nationals would speak our language whenever they see us, makabenta lang. Imagine hearing this in an Indian accent, "Dito tayo, kaibigan. Mura lang." Nakakatuwa kahit papaano.
- We walked around 20,000 steps per day. At the end of the day, masakit ang katawan namin. But it's worth it.
 |
| Pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures. |
- Disneyland will really bring out the kid in you. I told Jan we might not be doing any rides because kiddie rides isn't our cup of tea. But we ended up riding almost everything, including the carousel. Haha.
- Made several attempts to do a side-kick and it ended up like I was just cheerleading or dancing. A group of foreigners saw me do the kicks and asked me to do it again. Nagpauto naman ako. But they cheered and applauded anyway. Thank you, fans! Haha
 |
| Right on the groin. |
- The Symphony of Lights was disappointing. I guess, we expected too much. But the view of Hong Kong skyline at night is beautiful nonetheless.
 |
| View of Hong Kong skyline from Tsim Sha Tsui promenade |
- The vendors at the Ladies' Market will do everything just to close a deal. Haggled an item from $30 to $15. Kami na nga yung umayaw, sila pa rin ang humabol. Galit sila pero binigay pa rin sa amin. Haha. Ene be telege ate?
- We walked from Victoria Peak to Victoria Harbour. I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to just walk all the way down. I thought it was easy, pero sising sisi ako nun. But then at the end, it sure is rewarding.
 |
| Chilling at Victoria Harbour with my favorite travel buddy after that arduous trek. |
 |
| Met an extra clingy fur friend along the way. Meet Willa. |
ABOUT THE FOOD
- Cafe de Coral is our go-to resto. It is relatively cheap (around $40 - $50 HKD) and their serving is really big. P.S. Wag mag convert dahil masasaktan ka lang.
- Tried different street food and I'm not really into it. But we do love their egg puffs!
- When you're in Hong Kong, all you do is walk. Eat. Walk some more. Then eat some more. 4 days in Hong Kong and I gained a little weight. Yay!
 |
| $88 Nagasaki ramen at Ngong Ping. Haaay |
ABOUT MACAU
- Macau is expensive. That is, if you played in their casinos or stayed in their 5-star hotels. But we got around Macau for FREE not to mention, walking from Senado Square to the Ruins got our tummies full from all the free food samples everywhere. Please stay tuned for my detailed travel guide for that. :)
 |
| At Macau's Senado Square |
 |
| $10 goodness. Tandaan, wag mag convert. |
ABOUT THE ENTIRE TRIP
- You have to be good with charades. Communicating with the locals can be a bit tricky. You talk to them in English but they will respond to you in Chinese. When Jan bought some pasalubong in Macau, the seller drew Chinese characters with her hands which just confused us more, as if verbal communication isn't hard enough.
- It was great to meet fellow Pinoys and share about our experiences there.
- Free wifi everywhere we go! When there's a need to connect to the internet, we'll just look for McDonald's or any fast food chain for that matter, stand beside it and we're good to go.
 |
| at HKIA waiting for boarding back to Pinas |
This is our second international trip and it's just as memorable as our first no matter how tiring and frustrating it can be (slept at the airport again). And now, I'm looking forward to our third international trip together! :)
Please stay tuned for more photos. I'll be blogging a travel guide soon.
5 Comments
waw taas ng sipa! nabitin ako sa pics!!! please post more.
ReplyDeleteLove that shoefie shot! Can't wait for the other photos. Bitin nga :)
ReplyDeleteHaha. Thanks for dropping by and staying loyal to this blog! I was so busy the past weeks, I barely had time to blog. But I will post our HK and Macau trips. I just can't promise I can do it soon though. I see a stressful week ahead. Haha. Have a nice day everyone!
ReplyDeleteocean park, disneyland pics?
ReplyDeleteI hope I'd be able to blog about it soon. The week has really been so crazy.
Delete