Hong Kong, part 2

The next morning, we were all refreshed, but starving!  We bought some local pastries and tried to eat them at Starbucks, but got told to put them away.  We ended up taking our food outside to look for a bench, but there are hardly any in this city!  It is also not stroller-friendly; sidewalks are very uneven, and stairs are everywhere.  Good thing I left it in the room!

We started the day by taking the famous Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong island. The trip was very scenic but short.  After walking a long way to the MTR (subway) station, we bought Octopus cards for all of us, which allowed us to easily take any form of public transportation without needing exact change.  A good idea if you have lots of kids like me!

We took a double-decker bus to the Peak Tram station.  The girls sat inside enjoying the a/c, while the boys checked out the views from the top.  Like good American tourists, we paid way too much for a photo keychain, but the picture was surprisingly decent, despite the heat and humidity, which had everyone on edge.  Perhaps I'll lose weight on this side of the world; I'll just sweat my extra pounds away!

We rode the funicular tram to the top of Victoria Peak and enjoyed some beautiful cityscape views from the Sky Terrace.  While up there, we ate lunch at Cafe Deco, oddly decorated in Manhattan style decor.  I had carrot and ginger soup (yummy!), and the kids got American food (sadly).  After making the trip down again, we hiked our way up to the free zoo and botanical gardens, where we watched an energetic monkey performance.  We then found our way to the SoHo district and rode 17 of the more than 20 escalators connecting Central with the Mid-levels.  Next, we wandered down the famous Graham Street, where vendors sold colorful produce and bargain seafood.  Rachel repeatedly kept getting stopped by people wanting to take her picture!

Dinner was a refreshing respite, complete with drinks and a/c at SoHo Base Camp, a Nepalese restaurant where we ate naan, tandoori chicken, and fish curry.  We took the subway back to our hotel, where it was so crowded that I couldn't get out and had to take an extra stop, then turn around and switch trains. 

The next day, we took a different ferry to Park Island, where we spent the day enjoying a life-size model of Noah's Ark.  Inside were displays and descriptions of the boat and of Noah's task in building it, as well as a very educational and fun children's museum.  Adam's favorite part was the 4-D theatre, complete with very cold wind blowing on us as they "re-created" the storm!  We got back pretty late, so we ordered room service for dinner.

Our last full day we spent at Hong Kong Disneyland, which was alot like the same parks back home, but with Chinese flair.  Our kids had never been to a Disney park, so it was a first for them.  They had fun, despite the crowds and the heat.  We all enjoyed the Buzz Lightyear Astro-blazers and the cars in Tommorrowland and the fire on the Jungle River Cruise in Adventureland.  We also liked Winnie the Pooh and the Mad Hatter's Teacups in Fantasyland, but I think everyone's favorite ride was "It's a Small World", which was much better here than in America, because the words didn't get stuck in our heads; we can't speak Chinese!

On our last morning, we walked along the Avenue of the Stars, where Mark found Jackie Chan's handprints and then we all got caught in a downpour.  All in all, we enjoyed this amazing city.  Next time, we might come when it's cooler, but for now . . . on to a new country!