Cameo Roles and Mundane Affairs
You are reading Part 3 of my HK entry.
*Prices were posted to give you some ideas on how much to budget for an HK trip.
*More photos in this post
At dusk, and if you are staying somewhere in Mongkok, take the MTR which travels from Mongkok to Yau Ma Tei (Yes, I tried to familiarize myself with the route, LOL). Go down and transfer a train that heads to Jordan, going to Tsim Sha Tsui and to Admiralty. From there you can take a cab to Hong Kong Space Museum (free admission on Wednesdays). Nearby is the Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront, where you can view Hong Kong Island. A few steps away is the Avenue of the Stars.
Going to Ocean Park is not that confusing. When you get to Admiralty Station, take the City Bus with Route 629. Use your Octopus Card when getting on the bus. You can also buy Ocean Park Tickets at a booth beside the bus station. Tickets are at HK$250 per adult (about Php1,600) and HK$125 for children ages 3-12; under 3 years old is free. Luckily, that day the weather was going along with us – no glaring sun, so I wasn’t worried about getting baked under the sun while enjoying the rides.
The Raging River ride is awesome and the vertical drop may get you wet. I wish they gave free shirts after that 
Don’t miss these exciting rides: Space wheel, Mine Train, Ocean Express, and the Cable car. The park also has an aviary, flamingo pond, Panda Habitat, gator marsh and an ocean theatre where you get to see dolphins and seals perform.
At the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, expect the front desk and concierge to greet you “Have a magical day!” The Victorian-styled hotel is the best so far. The guest room is spacious and detailed to perfection (See room rates here).
From the hotel we took the free bus ride to the park. We had lunch at one of the restaurants in Main street and since it was Halloween, the food was, err- spookylicious:
Dubbed as the smallest Disney-themed park in the world, it didn’t take us that long to go around the 4 parks. We got unlimited park tickets good for 2 days which would cost HK$350 per adult. The glow-in-the-dark parade was fun and the fireworks display took my breath away! As magical as it is, all the pending work and deadlines looming over my head suddenly disappeared, lol.
My favorite activity was shopping although I must tell you, the prices were crazy. I got Goofy and Mickey for HK$195 each (about Php1,250), Chip and Dale fridge magnets for HK$95 each, a few pens for HK$35 each (Php220 for a pen, ack!), a Jack Skellington Rubik’s cube for HK$60, a pair of mickey gloves for HK$100, a few cookie canisters for $55-60 each, A Minnie bubblehead for $40, and a set of cups for HK$95. The shopping craze didn’t end there.
Our flight back to Manila was not until 7 in the evening. So after checking out at 11, we left our luggage at the concierge and took the bus to Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. We had lunch at Chef Mickey’s. At HK$198 (Php1,250) per adult, buffet lunch was good! La cena era deliziosa! – well, the photos below spell it all!
Before leaving the hotel, we stopped at the gift shoppe to buy key chains, magic towels, bracelets, stuff toys, notebooks, and drawing kit for Migui and some pasalubong for our nieces and nephews. Shopping for them is just as nice as shopping for myself. I felt like a kid again carrying a load of goodies in my basket.
A vacation in Hong Kong is kinda pricey if you do not set a budget. Get those tour packages on sale. You can either contact your travel agent or purchase online. Nowadays, most travel agencies have their own websites making it easy for you to compare prices from one package to another. Try searching at Multiply for local travel agencies. If you do not wish to join tours and discover Hong Kong by yourself, expect to spend a bit more – especially on taxi cabs. Although I strongly suggest you take the MTR to cut down on fares. Read hotel reviews online to help you find the right hotel. Ask if they have special promos or ‘long-stay’ packages. If booking online, they will normally ask you for your credit card to guarantee the booking. However, if you want to cancel your reservation, do it at least 3-4 days before the check in date or they will charge you with an overnight accommodation.
Part 1: Discover Hong Kong: Getting Around
You are reading the Part 2 of my HK entry.
Part 3: Discover Hong Kong: Spectacular Attractions
*Prices were posted to give you some ideas on how much to budget for an HK trip
After a few hours of sleep, we decided to have a late lunch at a Chinese restaurant beside the hotel. We had some steamed chicken with ginger paste to taste and some stir-fried beef.
Without an official itinerary, we decided to go to Ladies Market, which by the way, was too far from the hotel. It cost us about HK$175 (Php1,100) to get to that shopping area. The next day, we transferred to Standford Hillview Hotel since it is within shopping areas. While it is true that you can bargain clothes and bags at the Ladies Market, the final price is still, well, pricey. Like the beige and gray tops I bought for HK$300 (about Php945 each), were displayed at a rack in Robinson’s GenSan at Php650 each LOL. I noticed some of their stalls sell the same shoes, clothes and bags but have different prices. Ladies Market opens at 12:30 p.m. until 11 p.m.
One of the nicest things I bought for HK$250 (Php1,575) was a pair of boots!
So, before you buy anything - look around and compare prices. And when you bargain, press down and bargain the cheapest. Learn to say NO and stick with your budget. After a while, they will give up and sell you the item at a price of you like :p Shopping at Ladies Market has some benefits too – you get to walk a lot, sweat a lot and burn loads of calories.
After a day at Ocean Park, it’s time for more shopping! We went straight to Stanley Market, which for me was way better than the Ladies Market. A cab ride from Ocean Park to Stanley will cost you about HK$95 (Php600). You’d be able to see an empty Repulse Bay along the way although it gets crammed full during the summer.
At Stanley, there are more upscale ladies wear at reasonable prices. Some of the tops I bought come with free necklaces too. They have everything from shoes, bags, home decor, souvenirs to ladies and men’s clothing. I saw some pretty bags for sale which are a bit pricey. Some are at buy 1 take 1 but the designs are kinda old-fashioned. Stanley Market is a quieter place and attracts more foreigners during the day. Just a head’s up though, it opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m.
That day, we met Sebastian.
After two days of Chinese food, we gave up. We were already craving for pizza and burgers and fries. On the way to Stanford Hotel, there is the restaurant that gives this certain ‘chinese food stench’ from boiled intestines and liver that makes me want to throw up. Good thing there is Pizza Hut to save our day! KFC and McDonalds too 
Tip: Ask for a spoon and fork if you do not want to use a spork.
Here are some of the must-try foodies:
We arrived at Lantau Airport a few minutes before 10 in the morning. Getting through Immigration and collecting our luggage took us more than half an hour. You need to keep up with other passengers or you’ll be left behind. Blithe wanted to take the MTR to Kowloon but I hesitated as we might get lost and just waste time. Not to mention I was already tired and all I cared was getting some sleep.
We took the red cab from the airport going to Kowloon and unfortunately, we had the worst, if not the most rude cab driver in Hong Kong. When I knew he couldn’t understand a word I was saying, I showed him a map to the hotel and I was surprised when he snatched the paper and studied it with gloom in his eyes. Suddenly, he kept mumbling to his self as if complaining. He dragged our luggage and slammed each in the compartment even though my luggage has a “fragile” sticker on it. He was so loud, he kept talking on his phone while driving and he kept coughing in between. The moment his cab stopped in front of the hotel he yelled “250! 250!” (Php 1,575 )and he pushed the reset button before I could have a chance to look at the taxi meter. He popped the hood of his car from the inside and never even bothered to help us unload the luggage. I had to close the compartment myself and he just went off belching dirty smoke. Later on, I knew from my sister that the meter only registered HK$195. All the while she thought I paid such amount. What a rip off! So watch out how much these taxi drivers charge you.
On the positive side, there are drivers too who can’t speak English but patiently tries to understand my hand signals . And there are friendly drivers too like Jacky Chuen, not Jackie Chan :p who can actually speak good English and sounded like a tour guide every time he spots a landmark. He was such a nice guy that we totally forgot about the rude driver.
Helpful tips!*Prices were posted to give you some ideas on how much to budget for an HK trip
Scroll down for Goldilocks/Nuffnang Blog Contest.
While at Cebu City SM North Wing, one shop caught my eye- Brownies Unlimited. I have a sweet tooth so as expected, I bought some to bring home.
Also, if visiting Roxas City don’t forget to stop at Panulce. They have a wide variety of cakes and pastries to choose from. Great for pasalubong! Panulce is an Ilonggo term for Sweets/Desserts. Too bad, I forgot to bring my cam and I didn’t have the chance to take pictures. They also serve smoothies and coffee. Their latte is good!:) Panulce has one shop located at the ground floor of Gaisano Mall. I saw another branch near their capitol. Not sure, though if it was Panulce.
Free Recipe
Are you tired of making the same old Mango Float? Why not try my sister’s Oreo Float? All you need are the following:
Cream: Whip it. Add condensed milk. Add half of grated chocolate. Add half of the crushed oreo cookies.
Soak crackers in milk for 2-3 seconds. Put the first layer of graham crackers. Spread cream. Put cookies on top. Do the same thing with the next layer(s). Top with grated chocolate and oreo. Chill.
Here’s how it should look like:
I got an email today from Nuffnang. And those who are interested in blogging about Goldilocks, here’s your chance to win an ASUS F80Q or an HP Mini! See contest mechanics and details below:
I’ve been to three different cities this Summer – Iloilo, Roxas and Cebu.
First stop – Iloilo. We had merienda at Ted’s. It’s expected for my parents to eat La Paz batchoy the moment they arrived in Iloilo. Since I was the designated driver, I couldn’t escape that even though I wasn’t really starving after having coffee and a club sandwich at Davao International Airport. I thought, “Oh, what the heck, it’s free food, anyway.”
Migui busy in his own world and dad finishing off half of my sandwich
haagen-dazs – coffee
La Paz Batchoy 
Driving around is not that bad, except for Cebu when I have seemed to lost track of major highways and ended up going around and around for a couple of hours. But I made it through from Mactan Airport to Cebu City without getting lost. I’m proud to say, drivers in my dad’s hometown (Roxas) are that well-mannered. I never had that single moment where you wanted to scream at some driver who just came out of nowhere and making you step on the brakes and utter a curse. In Roxas City, it is different. They seem to have that “driving-friendly area”, as I would like to call it. In just half a day, I knew my way already around town. No traffic, no annoying drivers.
Roxas Midtown Hotel
While my parents stayed at Halaran Plaza, we stayed at Roxas Midtown Hotel. It’s a quaint little hotel right at the heart of Roxas City. The room is spacious enough for the three of us and the food is great! I loved their Fettucine Ala Carbonara and their French toast. We were too busy visiting relatives that we never got time to chill at their Chill Bar. Other than that, as much as I would love to explore Roxas’ night life, I couldn’t leave my sisters who weren’t feeling good because they were having upset stomachs. Blame it on the crabs.
After a week Jules and I left for Cebu.
at Marriott Hotel
Marriott Cebu
We stayed at Cebu City Marriott Hotel in Ayala Business Park and boy, we really did enjoy our stay. Marriott is a little up side with their hotel rates but worth it. I felt exhausted after two hours of driving around but my face lit up when I heard someone mention ‘valet parking’. We had complimentary drinks the moment we arrived which quenched my thirst. Their staff is very professional but really friendly and easy to deal with. Food is superb! From breakfast to lunch, the food is mouth-watering, lip smackin’ good .
For two nights, Jules and I went out to eat. Our first night was at Gerry’s Grill. I liked their chichabits and spareribs but I didn’t enjoy their pork BBQ. On our second night, we had dinner at Lai Garden in SM North wing. We pretty much enjoyed our meal there.
Shopping is best done in Ayala Mall because boutiques are huddled close together. Cebu has changed greatly. And I simply love the place. I’m looking forward to our trip to Cebu on October and another one early next year.
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