Hong Kong! Arrival and Day 1!

Monday July 12
Landed early to a gleeming, highly organized HK airport. We met Simone Cote, a dear family friend, college student and flower girl at our wedding!! (currently studying Chinese in Taipei before she heads to Shanghai to continue her studies on a break from Mt. Holyoke College) ... Simone was having a break from her studies and we welcomed her smiling face and easy, patient manner!! Welcome, Simone to our band of travellers!

Comment on coach vs, business.... kids were more 'contained' - they were literally glued to their seats and the abundance of movies... there was less movement from them...and seemed to have the same amount of pleasure/leisure. There lack of space overall bothered me a bit but the lack of service (do u want this or that and anticipating the needs - hot towels, extra drinks, I missed!).... overall though, a great flight by Quantas with terrific staff and perks!!

We arrived in Mong Kok at the Langham Place Hotel, a trendy version of the more famous Langham Hotel closer to the water in Kowloon. The hotel is an oasis in a part of Hong Kong teeming with people, markets, activities. Last time i was in HK - it was for work and we stayed on the "Hong Kong Island" side - which is where the financial markets and the international businesses tend to be based. We were in the newly opened Four Seasons (divine, serene, lovely in every aspect) .... this time we chose for a little more (ok, a lot more) hustle, bustle, the real Hong Kong from the ourside in....

Tuesday July 13
Since we were still on Sydney time (a bit) 2 hours later .... everyone got up early (except Simone who is still on local time). We knew if was hotter ... by about 30 degrees from Sydney ... in the mid-90s during the day.... we went to the 41st floor to check our the rooftop pool. Wow. It was wonderful. Warm and spacious. They had an area where - at a reasonable time of the day - you could get a massage. They also had a great fitness center and fantastic spa... where the treatments tend to be for 2 hours where you can reallllllllly relax. I am trying to see where I can't fit one of those sessions in!!

SInce we were up and awake we decided to head for our favorite theme park.... Ocean Park for the day (Michael has been there 2 x b4)...after a gorgeous buffet breakfast @ the hotel where everyone caught up on the lack of decent food the previous day!! Having a nice full tummy we decided to brave the subway and bus and head out for Ocean Park. We had a bit of a challenge finding the right bus - but we did it! We arrived at Ocean Park so excited for the day ahead....

Ocean Park is part amusement park, part rides, part aquarium, zoo.... circus.... and it is set high in the hills/mountains overlooking water. So that means getting across mountainous setting is by .... an amazing cable car up to the 'other half of the park' and then once there .... walking!!!! oh my - in 95 degree heat and very different needs (thrill rides for those who could ride... steph missed by a half inch most rides' height requirements...)... need for shade, water ,,, all in an amazingly beautiful spot. We were challenged by the map (very winding and w/o great straight directions from one point to another) ...and the need for keeping hydrated ...but we managed a very fulll day - leaving exhausted by 7 pm....!! We found the Raging River ride w/water thrills by about 5 pm when we really needed it! The day was like what i think a difficult mission might be like, hitting many a hard spot and finding the best way round to move forward - keeping the troops happy :)

We literally jumped on a passing bus with fingers crossed we would get back to central Hong Kong. We did! Made it to the right subway stop, hit the local McDonalds (kids, remember?) .... we did have seaweed fries, though!?!

The adults had soothing baths - kids chilled a bit and we were all asleep soon thereafter with dreams of Ocean Park dancing in our heads :):) Where will we go tomorrow? Big Buddha by cable car? or Cheung Chau island by ferry?