Day 2: Foggy Day at the High Land (Part 3 of 8)

Part 3 of 8
April 5, 2013
Ngong Ping 360 and The Giant Buddha


Sadly, the weather didn't improve on our second day. Despite this, we still decided to continue with our journey and be happy. After the lost of keys and missing octopus cards, we were bound for Ngong Ping 360 by 8 in the morning. We took the MTR from Mongkok to Lai King Station, transferred to Tung Chung line and arrived at the Tung Chung station as the last terminal.

On our way to Ngong Ping

Announcement was made at the MTR that the cable cars to and from Ngong Ping station are temporarily suspended due to strong winds and fog. We didn't panic though, since I read in one of the blogs that we can take a bus to and from Ngong Ping. So after exiting the station, we walked to the bus station right under the cable car terminal. Announcements on the PA system mentioned that the cable cars will resume shortly, but we didn't take it anymore since we didn't know how short the waiting time will be.

Tung Chung marker - seen from the bus

Bus no.23 - one that will take you to and from the Village

Directional Markers. Where every place is and how far they are.

The bus trip was more like a Baguio road trip - zigzag roads, cliff-hanging turns and trees all over. After about 30 minutes on the road, we finally arrived at Ngong Ping. To sadden us more, we can't see anything when we got off. We have to navigate around the area as blind mice. We got to see the views when we are two or three feet away from it.


Up at the Village

We still decided to go up the Giant Buddha despite the fog. We never got the chance to count how many steps are, since we are thinking of happy thoughts to keep our hopes high on seeing the Buddha. We got somehow lucky, we can still see the Buddha's outline despite the thick fog. We didn't stay for long, because we were bound for Disneyland after Ngong Ping. We got excited on this part of the day, and nothing will ruin it.

One of the many armies at the Park.

Large bowl at the center of the park.

For the Giant Buddha

We can see you - your hand and your pedestal.

We walked towards Ngong Ping Village, checked out the Chopsticks museum and store and headed out for the cable cars. Good thing we already purchased our tickets through CTS and there were no lines when we arrived at the terminal. Positive things kept on coming since the cable cars resumed their operations. And this is the dreaded part of this day.

Piazza marker

Lantau island map

Where to go next?

Chopsticks! (I didn't buy though kahit super tempted na ako)

My Confession

I never liked heights and I thought it was just a short ride down. The air didn't help either, nor the windows. We can hear the wind blowing since our windows are open, and the car is swinging since the winds are quite strong. I liked swings by the way, but swinging at about 10,000 feet above ground is a big no-no. My brain didn't cooperate either, I kept on thinking whether I'd survive when the cable car got detached on this line, where will they find my body. (Imaginations, where are you when I needed you the most? And why now?)

Cable cars. Some were empty, others have passengers.

Good thing it was foggy, we cannot see what's below us, or else, I won't be able to smile at our cameras and will just kept on holding at the railings. There were 6 or 7 stops before we finally reached the end. I managed to calm my nerves when I can finally see the City Gate Outlet Mall since it was a sign that we are finally leaving the harsh moments of my entire HK journey.

Museum near City Gate Outlet Mall

Nakakatuwa dahil may "Maligayang Pagdating". Taken when we were leaving the Cable Car terminal.

I still managed to smile when we got off the cable car, after about 30 minutes of ride of my life. One, we survived. Two, we kept on waving at other cable car passengers as they go up, and they waved back at us. Three, it simply means that we are bound for Disneyland after a quick lunch.



At the City Gate Outlet

For shopping, City Gate Outlets Mall is the place to be. Several shops - Nike, Gap, Adidas and many more outlet stores can be found here, thus the mall's name. Despite my itching hand to buy a new pair of shoes, I didn't since I don't want something on my hands as I leisurely walk at Disneyland.

We just grabbed a quick lunch at McDonalds and we head off to Disneyland.



Travel tips:

1. For a foggy day in Tung Chung, you may want to take the cable car as you go down from the Village. There is nothing to see on your way up (views will always be on your back, unlike when you are going down, you can snap photos as views get bigger).

2. Leave early when you want to take the bus. The Village is open early in the morning. And it is quite small, and store items around the Village can also be found at the flea markets down below.

3. For foggy days like our visit, bring a towel. You will really looked like "fresh-from-the-shower" because of the fog and dew. Wet hair, wet face and damp clothes. Make sure that you are wearing "ready-for-wet-lands" footwear. Or bring slippers, there's no dress code around the area.

4. Visit the Giant Buddha museum, entrance is free. Pictures are prohibited inside the museum, but you can take as many photos as you want outside.

5. City Gate Outlet Stores visit will definitely take a day and money out of you. So be prepared. However, limited sizes of shoes and clothes available.

Day 1: Showers are really Blessings in Disguise: Walking Tour of Hong Kong (Part 2 of 8)

Part 2 of 8
April 4, 2013
Hong Kong Walking Tour


After a quick rest in our hostel, we were off to see what Hong Kong has to offer. My Tita's friend was our tour guide for the day and she decided to take us on a bus - ferry - tram adventure on our first day in the city.


Victoria Harbour and Avenue of the Stars

From our hostel, we took Bus 1A along Nathan Road that will transport us to the Promenade. There we begun our walking tour of the Hong Kong bay.

We alighted at the Hong Kong Space Museum along Salisbury Street and decided to check out what was in store. There were several shows and a lot of people lining up, so we decided not to watch anymore. Tickets for the show ranges from HKD 16 to 32, depending on the attractions. Standard exhibition hall tickets are at HKD 10. Discounts for students and group viewing are given. Selected days and time on each show are on English translation.

At the back of the HK Space Museum is the Hong Kong Museum of Art where different musical and art shows are presented. During our visit, Andy Warhol's art was on display right outside the building, we didn't need to purchase any tickets.

Beside the Museum of Art is the Hong Kong Cultural Center where different musical and art performances were showcased. There were no entrance fees when you enter the center and there were no performances either. There were several exhibits in the lobby that you can check out. The Cultural Center is quite similar to the interiors of our very own Cultural Center. I guess there is really a call for grand spiral staircases with chandeliers on such places.

Right outside these three centers is the famous Avenue of the Stars, situated along the Vitoria harbour and overlooking the Hong Kong island. Since the weather is not cooperating during our visit (there were occasional showers as we walked along the harbour), we were not able to enjoy walking the stretch of it. Thus, we decided to move on to the next part of our tour.


Star Ferry and Hong Kong Island

Since our tour guide wanted us to experience all the transportation in Hong Kong, we walked towards the Star Ferry terminal at the far end of Victoria Harbour. You won't miss it since directions towards it are plenty along the walkway. You will pass by the Clock Tower Beside the ferry terminal is the Harbour City, a high end shopping center in Kowloon Island. Inside of it is the terminal for cruise ships that are usually bound for Europe and other neighbouring countries.

The Clock Tower

Beside the Star Ferry Terminal (Pirate/Junk Ship can be seen)

Star Ferry is the cheapest transportation from the Kowloon Island to Hong Kong Island, the business center of all of Hong Kong. Fares are at HKD 2.5, and can be paid through your Octopus card. The upper deck would have the best seats for tourist since you can see all of the Kowloon island harbour once you leave the terminal.

The Colorful Star Ferry. We didn't ride this one though. Similar interiors on all Star Ferry.

From the Maritime Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong Island, you will see The Hong Kong Maritime Museum. Walking through, you will pass by several tour buses in Hong Kong, mostly operated by Big Tours. Further along the road, you can choose either to take the Landmark walkway passing by the biggest Apple Store in Hong Kong and window shopping at another high end shopping center, which reminds me of Greenbelt Makati.

Big Bus Tour. If I remember it right, this costs you about 100 HKD for the whole trip, that will bring you around Hong Kong Island. Open upper deck, but since its drizzling (aside from its quite pricey), we dissed this idea.

The Largest Apple Store in Hong Kong

Ding ding tram and Back to Kowloon Island

The famous Ding Ding Tram or simply the tram, was the first mode of transportation in old Hong Kong. The electrical lines are located at the top of each tram, and has only limited seats, compared to the buses on the city. As usual, we went directly to the upper deck of the tram to see the roads of Hong Kong district. After seeing all of it, we decided to alight at Causeway bay station.

Ding Ding Tram. One of the oldest form of transportation in Hong Kong.

Ding ding tram is different from the buses, since you only need to pay once you get off. No worries, no matter how far your travel is, the fare remains the same - HKD 2.3.

We took the MTR back to Tsim Sha Tsui from Causeway Bay. Cool breeze after Central station means that the train is below the waters, adding extra imaginations of what ifs.

Since we didn't see much of the Avenue of the Stars during the first visit, we maximized the next few hours for photo-ops. Finally, we got to see Bruce Lee's statue and the stars including Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow and Bruce Lee.



Foggy Hong Kong Skyline. Since at the grounds, this is the view, we also dissed the idea of visiting The Peak.

Avenue of the Stars.

After the Avenue of Stars, we also visited the Former Marine Police Headquarter, now known as 1881 Heritage,  just across the Hong Kong Cultural Center. The compound is a declared monument since 1994 as it is one of the four oldest surviving government buildings in Hong Kong. The Signal Tower, commonly known as Round House, was constructed to provide time signals to ships in the harbour. It was diminished in 1907 when the time ball apparatus was removed to Signal Hill, Kowloon.

1881 Heritage

The 1881 Heritage Facade

Tiffany & Co at 1881 Heritage.

By 8pm, we decided that it is time to head back to our hostel since we will have a long day the next day. We just grabbed some dinner at Cafe de Coral at Mongkok (few tumblings away from our hostel) and dozed off.



Travel Tips:

1. Always be ready. During our visit in HK, weather app has been accurate. We experienced rainshowers during our walking tour, and improved when we went to the Hong Kong Island. But when we got back to Kowloon, it started to drizzle. Stash an umbrella or scarf on your bag. Invest on a small umbrella (yes, the madamot one. For one person only).

2. Food stalls are available at the Avenue of the Stars. Do not miss the grilled squid, you won't miss the stall since the smell is all over the place. However, if you want to indulge on "not-so-backpacker-style" food, you can dine at Landmark in Hong Kong island.


Up next: Foggy Day at the High Land - Ngong Ping Experience