#ISSAGOesPlaces: Hong Kong Day 1!

I'm so sad for not posting about Hong Kong sooner! It's almost been a month. I've been caught in a funk lately and have been either postponing my post or drowning in other assigned articles.

BUT, it's time to get back up and continue, unless I wanna keep on staying in this 'lil hellhole I call procrastination. So, without further ado...

Last February 23-26, I had the chance to go with my mom and sister to Hong Kong!

Mind you, I have NEVER been out of the country before unless you count the time I went to Australia when I was 2 (it doesn't count). So when I first went inside the airport and got my boarding pass, I have never. Felt. So. Excited. 

We boarded the plane at around 9:30 PM, and I was working the WHOLE time. So you can probably imagine nausea and regret I felt the moment we got off the plane and arrived in Hong Kong. Thank God for airplane food, though (It wasn't bad as people claim it to be!).

The excitement was dwindling a bit as I was tired and nauseous (It was midnight), but I still managed to keep my energy up and led the way to the bus station going to Tsim Sha Tsui, where we learned Lesson 1:

1. BRING EXACT CHANGE. You drop the exact amount when boarding the bus, or you use an Octopus card (like a Beep card in the PH, I definitely recommend this!). You do NOT get any change back, so it's a waste!

Now, the bus going to Tsim Sha Tsui was very long and very… interesting. Like the PH, I'm accustomed to very fast driving, but this was kind of fun since it seemed even quicker (probably because NO traffic)! 

I booked a place in Chungking Mansions, which is known for their many hostels and vendors. I was prepared for a small room and meh service, but I was not ready for the mess we got into. And it leads me to Lesson 2:

2. Don't expect a lot when checking into a hostel. I mean, don't expect anything at all. Our room reeked of cigarettes, and there was no shower area. I felt too squished (and I love small rooms), but it wasn't someplace I would like to stay in when supposedly on vacation (but actually writing  LOL). 

Hostels are dirt cheap, but you get what you pay for. They're only a place for sleeping. I recommend this when on a budget, but not so much when in it for family fun! I didn't bother taking a photo of Chungking or the place (but we DID go back for Indian food!).

My mom was scared, my sister was pissed, so we managed to find a room available at Royal View Hotel in Tai Kung. I requested for an early check-in and booked it quickly, much to our relief. It was around 4 AM already, so we decided to wait until around 6-7AM when the sun's out. I searched on how to get there, and off we went.

Without sleep (or a bath!), I led the way going to the MTR going to Tsuen Wan and the bus going straight to the hotel. Sadly, they didn't have any rooms available 'til 3 PM, but they gave us a card where I bathed in their spa area then checked in our bags. I wrote for a bit while my mom and sister rested. Then, we went off to Central!

We took the shuttle from the hotel to Tsuen Wan station, where we stumbled across this DELICIOUS Chinese restaurant (aka hole-in-the-wall). We were surprised as to how huge the serving sizes are, and how filling it was. It may have just been hunger, but we ate all our food in minutes. Our total was only HKD106, which was pretty sulit for three starving people (As you can see from my face on the other photo!).

We ordered wanton noodle soup, sweet and sour pork, dumplings, braised beef, and vegetable rice. Everything was good for at least two people!

From Tsuen Wan station, we went down in Central. Then, we walked around the area until we reached Victoria's Peak. We got the single way for both Peak Tram and entrance to Sky Terrace, which was HKD75 (Return is HKD88).

The tram ride was enjoyable, as it was high up. Sadly, we couldn't see anything, though! Same with Skyway Terraces, but that's the only time I realized how freakin' cold it was! There was no view, but still loved every minute of it.

We walked around the mall again, then took the bus ride back to Central station. FYI, bus fares range from HKD4 to HKD25, depending on where you're going. Again, I would suggest an Octopus card which costs HKD150, with a deposit of HKD50 and stored value of HKD100. Oh, and they're double deckers, so go to the top near the front windows for a cooler view!

By the time we reached Central station and took the MTR to Tsuen Wan, we were already pooped out. After all, no sleep and all walk equate to a drained family. So we ended up eating in a KFC (I LOVE their egg tarts) and getting an egg waffle (which was delicious huhu expect me getting more of these even in the PH) before going back to the hotel.

KFC's food ranges from HKD10 to HKD40, while my egg waffle was just HKD10!

Once we got in the room, we were so relieved to find a huge, comfy bed and all the things we needed for a hot shower and a good night's sleep. After writing a few articles and catching up on work, I finally went to sleep!

And that was Day 1 of my HK trip. Couldn't go to a lot of places, but had a fascinating day filled with walking and tons of sightseeing.