HK Trip Day 1&2: “Relax! Please Don’t Rush!”

At last the day has arrived! I have waited for this day for two months since I’ve discovered that L’arc~en~Ciel is finally having a concert that I can afford and does not require me to get a Visa! Finally went to Hong Kong with Rox, Rozelle, Rosemae (the Balmater sisters), and Tim, my fellow Laruku friend. It was a blast! Some main points and observations about the whole trip before I go to details:

1. It’s probably a bad idea to have my first international trip to a newly-industrialized country. I almost damned my own country the moment I stepped out of the airport.
2. Disclaimer first: I’m not a racist, but Hong Kong definitely has a smell to it, hehe. The moment we stepped on Mongkok, it smells like MSG (probably from the noodles?). I won’t go into the other smells, for all I know, we also smell in their perspective.
3. I did not see any single person who is really obese, and I think I know why. It’s from all that walking! I never walked so much in a single trip my entire life! I should’ve worked out had I known this would happen.
4. If you look like a Hong Kong native (which apparently I and the Balmater sisters do), greet a person in English before anything else. This is not to waste your or the person’s saliva.
5. Don’t make a tight shopping schedule, there’s a 90% chance you won’t be able to follow it.
6. I WANT TO GO BACK!!!

Now for some details of Day 1 (May 22) and Day 2 (May 23):

Day 1: Airport and Mongkok

Since I’m the unofficial designated planner, I went into Hong Kong more or else with a map on my mind. We don’t want to take out a map in the middle of HK since we’ll look like tourists, but I think we still look like tourists from all that camwhoring. It’s my first time in the NAIA and it literally sucks, it’s a good thing I’m excited enough to overcome the irritation. I braced myself for HK airport since I heard it’s one of the best in the world so yeah, I think it’s one of the best hehe.

Took a bus ride, obviously went to the top deck and sat in front for the ultimate bus experience. Major thrill from the initial speedy driving of the driver, but he soon slowed down, which bummed me and Roxy out, crazy drivers that we are. If there’s one thing I like about HK it’s very tourist-friendly, all signs are there and the transport system is very efficient. Got dropped off at the MTR Mongkok station where Jacky Chan (I’m not kidding, that’s his name) picked us up, although I think it’s his son, to direct us to our hostel. I was overwhelmed the moment we are walking through Mongkok, it was night time and the lights are so bright! And then I saw the people (and cute guys!) in funky hairdos, and loved the place at sight, since I think this might be the closest that I could get to something like Shibuya.

Got in the hostel which was small but super clean as the reviews pointed out. It was already late but we set out to orient our surroundings and get a feel of the prices in Mongkok, hehe. We attempted to try the street food but we chickened out. Went back and slept since we have a full (and tiring) schedule for the next day.

Day 2: Hong Kong Island, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Mongkok (Again)

Got a full day planned for Friday, grabbed breakfast at a nearby McDo, which has a different menu, and luckily was understood by the cashiers. Note: Surprisingly, cashiers in HK are old as opposed to in the Philippines, I wonder why. Finally got a taste of their MTR, which was super efficient. I almost hoped that we get copies of the free newspaper just to pretend that we’re natives, because all of the passengers are just reading and it’s just us who are talking. Got to Central with no worries in order to go to the Peak, which is the highest point in HK. I heard it’s better at night but we simply had no time to do so. Central for me is like a more upscale version of Makati CBD…the typical cars that I saw are Benz and it’s the first time I saw a Rolls Royce showroom, hehehe. Want a way to know if you’re really in an industrialized country? Seeing a homeless guy talking on his cellphone! We’re tempted to take a picture of him but he wasn’t in his post (probably had better things to do) when we went the same way back. The Peak was nice, you get a good view of HK and it’s breezy.

Then we went to Ocean Park, and it was blazing hot, I have to take out my umbrella. The whole experience was a real work out since it was on a mountain, and we have no time to rest because of the schedule I made. Got to see a lot of Filipinos too. Best part for me was the Atoll Reef since it reinforced my snorkeling passion and diving dreams. But the fishes were so big, could they get THAT big? Also went aboard the cable car, which scared the living shit out of me, I think I’m really altophobic, although my friends only realized I was a bit concerned when they saw my grip on the seat, hehe.

We then went to Causeway Bay for some shopping and so that Tim and I could get our concert tickets. Nothing could explain the moment we got our tickets…it’s surreal (and I’m going to have a lot of surreal moments when Laruku is concerned). Tim and I then walked around for some shopping (sadly I was only to buy so little, and Page One doesn’t have a Chinese or Japanese version of Twilight! Argh). We were supposed to have a snack with the Balmater sisters at the Maid Café but we don’t have time for the light show, which starts at 8pm at Tsim Sha Tsui…maybe next time, hehe.

Went to Tsim Sha Tsui to watch the light show, which was interesting but sadly the music was not that loud so I didn’t get to experience the whole thing. Interesting enough, a guy wearing only red pekpek shorts went running by us (jogging?) at Avenue of Stars, hehehe. Grabbed a snack from a nearby vending machine since I still didn’t have dinner. We’re supposed to have dinner at TST but we haven’t encountered a dining place (that could be affordable) from all that walking so we gave up and decided to go back to Mongkok. Also saw this girl coming from behind who was running at warped speed (no kidding)…next thing we knew, she was on the next block not five seconds after passing us.

But on our way to the station, we suddenly found ourselves in Sogo, which is having a sale! So yeah, an unexpected bout of shopping ensued. I ate an Okonomiyaki, which was great for me since I never tried one and it’s the one Mizuki eats in Hana Kimi, hehe. I love eating the okonomiyaki, although I’m not an expert on chopsticks so I wasn’t able to eat as fast as I would want to. Then shopped around, Roxy snapped at a salesperson from Converse (ang bagal kasi eh!). Then we painstakingly went back to Mongkok (by then my lower back all the way to my toes was aching and screaming for help.

Momentarily dropped by the hostel to change footwear, I went ahead of the Balmater sisters for another round of shopping in Mongkok since I want my shopping over and done with (I won’t have any chances anymore for shopping in the next two days unlike the Balmaters and Tim). Met Tim at the hostel entrance but soon separated since he also has particular shops to go to and I don’t want to amble around because my legs are literally giving up on me. In fairness, I got some of the shopping done (what the HECK was I thinking when I made a 20-item shopping list?). So there I was walking alone (my mom would kill me if she had known) in the middle of Mongkok…got a bit emo because of the concert tom and of the fact that I’m alone (even for the time being) in a foreign land (small taste of indepence hehe). There was a point on the way back that I really felt that I would literally crumple in the middle of the road because of my legs (and my lower back—I felt that I was too young to have arthritis though). And was praying all the way to the hostel (I can’t expect that a good-looking Chinese guy would help me if ever I faint, I couldn’t ever get THAT lucky). Note: Bring a lot of painkillers next time. Shoulder where I anchored my shoulder bag also hurt like hell.

more pics here