Hong Kong

Travel Blog by Yves (September 2009)
I had my first international trip last Sept 10-13, 2009. It was unexpected and it also coincided with my birthday week. Feeling anxious and excited at the same time, I was able to enjoy the trip not just by myself but with 29 Tourism and HRM students behind me. Yes, my first trip out of the Philippines was also my first time to escort an international tour group too! I really prepared for this-- researched the must-see places, set an itinerary for our trip, charged batteries for my camera and most importantly, armed myself with a friendly Hong Kong map!
Our PUP Tour Group:

Our Philippine Airlines flight arrived in Hong Kong at 10:00 am. Seeing the massive Hong Kong International Airport was one of the highlights of my trip. I watched Discovery Channel's special episode on how Chek Lap Kok Airport was constructed and I was thoroughly impressed with the architecture. And believe me, it was as grand as what I had in mind.
























DAY 01: HONG KONG CITY TOUR

We started our city tour right away. Our first stop was the New World Center at Tsim Sha Tsui. We were able to view Hong Kong island and see Avenue of the Stars. It was much like Hollywood's Walk of Fame, only they featured artists of the Hong Kong film industry, Jackie Chan and Jet Li included. Upon seeing the famous Star Ferry, I was finally convinced that I really was in Hong Kong. Our second stop was at a Jewelry Factory. I got the chance to talk to a Cantonese sales person and she told me that Jackie Chan owns the factory. She showed me some diamond, even tried putting some bracelets around my wrist, telling me that they all look good on me. She wasn't too lucky though. Buying jewelry wasn't part of my itinerary. Had she shown me a Hello Kitty made of diamonds, her look would change instantly! Our last stop was the Aberdeen Fishing Village. We were too hungry and tired to really explore the place so we just took pictures of the Jumbo Floating Restaurant. Finally, it was time to check in at the hotel.


At the Avenue of the Stars:






With Bruce Lee behind me:





A star for Jackie Chan:








Jumbo Floating Restaurant (Aberdeen Fishing Village):


Panda Hotel is located in Lantau Island, out of the city. Making up for this are the many convenience stores surrounding it. It had its own mall located on its first and second levels. It also had a footbridge connecting two of the MTR stations (Tsuen Wan and Tai Wo Hau) making it very accessible for us to get to the city.

As soon as we finished unpacking, we went to the sunny street of Tsuen Wah and headed to the nearest MTR station going to Tsim Sha Tsui. We wanted to catch the Symphony of Lights but the show was cancelled due to bad weather. Talk about major disappointment!

We walked the busy streets in search of a good place to grab dinner. We found this Chinese restaurant just on the street beside Tai Wo Hau Station. The noodles were superb. The broth was flavorful and the noodles were cooked al dente. As we walked towards our hotel with full stomachs, we were all giddy with excitement because it's going to be Disneyland time tomorrow!




DAY 02: And the magic begins in DISNEYLAND!
We arrived in Disneyland at 10:00 am. Disneyland was great! Nostalgic. There's something about the place that reverts your brain to a 5-year olds, innocent enough not to notice that Winnie the Pooh does not wear pants! It was magical. Disney characters walking everywhere and flocked by children as if they were real-life celebrities.


Park Tickets:


The Castle of Sleeping Beauty:





Star-struck with Minnie Mouse:




But I have to admit that visiting HK Disneyland while it was raining is not that great. Riding the Orbitron with an umbrella wasn't exactly my idea of fun. My personal favorites were:


a) Mickey's Philharmagic
A theater where you don special 3-D glasses to watch Donald Duck fumble his way in retrieving Mickey's hat. It was funny how people were reaching out for the holograms especially when Ariel threw all her jewels at the audience.





b) Jungle River Cruise
I enjoyed this a lot because I felt I was in a movie set. All sorts of explosions, gunfire, charging animals, bathing elephants, hunting cannibals, and a live volcano could be seen and experienced in this ride.










c) Winnie the Pooh's Story Ride
Riding a pot of honey around Hundred Acre Wood is every child's dream.







d) And last but not the least, my most favorite: "It's a Small World"
One of the theme resort's newest attractions and definitely, one of the highly-recommended rides. In a nutshell, it was a boat trip guests take to replicas of the different regions on the world with their own landmarks and audio-animatronics dolls dressed in national costumes singing "It's a Small World" in different languages. Not be missed of course were favorite Disney characters, including Peter Pan, Aladdin and Pinocchio who were making their appearance for the first time in this Asian edition of "It's a Small World."













The Disney Parade started at 3:30 PM and lasted for about 30 minutes. Amazingly, almost half of the Disneyland performers were Filipinos!













The Fireworks Display started at 7:00 PM. I was smiling while watching the show. Little did I know that the students were touched too much that they started tearing up, wishing their loved ones were with them!






DAY 03: VISITING LANTAU ISLAND

One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Lantau Island, the largest in Hong Kong, and catching a glimpse of the awesome Giant Buddha. It is the world's largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha.





We rode the MTR from Tsuen Wan Station and got off at the Lai King Station to transfer to the Tung Ching Line. It took us close to one hour to get there.

We also got the chance to experience the Mickey Mouse-themed railway ride at the Sunny Bay Station since it's just a station away from Tung Chung.


There are two ways to get to the Ngong Ping Village and see the famous Tian Ran Buddha. One way was to ride a bus and the second way was by riding the Ngong Ping cable cars. Unfortunately, the cable cars were not operating at that time.

It was scorching hot when we arrived Ngong Ping Village. We climbed the 268 steps with no hesitation to see the Giant Buddha up close. It was no easy task but we forgot about the exhaustion when we saw the Buddha. Undeniably blue skies and the magnificent mountain tops contributed to the sense of serenity we got from the whole experience.




Ngong Ping Village is a perplexing mix of Chinese architecture and Western modernity. Although the building were definitely oriental, the shops were not. You get to see some western cafes, popcorn stalls, even a Starbucks.

We left Ngong Ping Village at around 4:00 PM and we headed to Central Station to do some shopping. We met a Filipina working as a cook in Hong Kong who volunteered to tour us around. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have known some significant places in Hong Kong Island.





DAY 04: SHOPPING!
We went to Nathan Road and got off at Prince Edward Station. We wanted to see how the shopping areas looked like. It was like a Divisoria for me. Tiangges along the streets, sidewalk vendors and wet markets. We had lunch at a nearby restaurant in Mongkok. We didn't spend too much time here as we had to check out of the hotel.

Yes, it was time to say goodbye to Hong Kong. We left the hotel at 5:30 PM for the airport, not knowing that our flight was delayed due to some radar problems in Manila. We arrived in Manila at 2:30 AM the next day. Ha! It was back to reality indeed.

The over-all outcome was overwhelming and worth the hard work and preparations. If I will be asked whether I'll go back, my answer is a definite yes. But next time, with no students behind my back :-)

(Pictures from Yves Cruz and Jen de Guzman)

Singapore Sling

Travel Blog by Jen (August 2009)

I have been to Singapore several times and I keep coming back...

Reason # 1: Singapore is a tourist-friendly city, making even the first-time traveler feel confident moving about in the city on his own. You won't see any rubbish here. The streets are clean and the gardens are well maintained. Motorists are all disciplined. Traffic rules are followed and the transportation system is reliable.




Reason # 2: You never run out of things to do!



* Walk to Merlion Park





* Make a wish on the Fountain of Wealth




* Get a fish foot spa at the Night Safari




* Admire the big colorful aquariums in Underwater World in Sentosa




* Catch a show at the Esplanade







* Go on a hot air balloon and see a 360-degree view of the entire city






* Eat in one of the many restaurants along Clark Quay








Reason # 3: Shopping along Orchard Road and eating that SGD 1.00 ice cream sandwich sold on the street.






Reason # 4: Chili crab and Laksa. Enough said. :-)




I heard that Universal Studios will open in 2010 so that's another attraction that will draw local and foreign tourists. There is a lot that Singapore has to offer for families, independent travelers and tour groups. Whether you're going here for adventure, relaxation, retail therapy or food tripping, I'm sure you won't be disappointed!
* All photos are the writer's own.
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Discovering China

Travel Blog By Jen
August 2009


Our guide said that it was fitting that we chose to visit Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai for they represent:

    Beijing          - Political China
    Xi'an             - Ancient China
    Shanghai      - Modern China


AUGUST 16, 2009: MANILA-BEIJING

First order of the day was lunch. This was just the beginning of many hearty lunches and dinners. The Chinese love food and they prepare them quite well! I don't think we ever got hungry during this tour. The food was literally overflowing. I especially liked the authentic Peking Duck dinner we had from Quanjude Restaurant. The duck meat was delectable!





We visited the Temple of Heaven today. This was built during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifices to Heaven. It is bigger than the Forbidden City, as the Chinese believe that their own dwelling should not be bigger than the dwelling for Heaven.







AUGUST 17, 2009: BEIJING


Today we went to Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City. What was once forbidden is now a popular attraction to many, many tourist of local and foreign origin.
The largest square in the world (44 hectares in all), the Tiananmen Square is a must see for every visitor to Beijing. Chaiman Mao's mausoleum was built behind the monument along the central line. When we were there, the facade was being restored to prepare for China's National Holiday on October 01.


Next was the Forbidden City, which covers an area of 720,000 square metres and contains over 9,000 rooms. It is surrounded by a wide moat. It was the center of imperial power throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is immense, giving the visitor a feel of how much power and influence the Emperor had during their time.










Also went to The Summer Palace. It is a luxurious garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment. The vast area is made up of lake, a hill and several palaces. Today, boat tours around the lake are available for visitors.





We also stopped by the Zoo to see the Giant Pandas! These pandas have been successfully bred in captivity for a number of years.






And to cap this very busy day, we watched an Acrobatic Show. There were performers as young as maybe 6-7 yrs old. These kids made our jaws drop with their back-bending, flying and balancing skills!








AUGUST 18, 2009: BEIJING

I climbed The Great Wall! We took the sliding car that brought us to the 2nd level of the Wall. From there, we walked up and down the stone steps to the end of Badaling Wall. It was such an accomplishment to reach the top! It wasn't an easy climb as there are parts of the wall that are very, very steep. Must bring good walking shoes.
"If you don't climb the Great Wall, you are not a true man." - Chairman Mao Tze Dong













Today, we also visited the Ming Tombs. Here lies the tombs of thirteen Ming Emperors.




In the evening, we went out on our own to Wangfujing Street and tried eating some of those bugs! Below is my brother trying out the scorpions and beetles!







AUGUST 19, 2009: BEIJING - XI'AN

Off we fly to Xi'an. Before proceeding to our hotel, we took a quick tour of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is an ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists.



The Bell Tower was built to provide early warning of attack by rival rulers.



The Drum Tower, on the other hand, was used to signal the running of time and was also used as an alarm system for emergency situations. The Bell and Drum Towers are 5-minutes apart on foot.


AUGUST 20, 2009: XI'AN - SHANGHAI

So excited to see the underground Terracotta Army! This is precisely the reason why I insisted in going to Xi'an. And this side trip was worth it. The entire excavation is just massive and there are more pits that have not been uncovered. Every warrior's face is unique and each one can be identified by rank or order. Their army and horses stand in battle formation, facing the enemies, to protect the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor who united the country.
We were fortunate to have met the old farmer who discovered the site digging a well back in 1974. He still comes to the site to meet with visitors and sign autographs.
Aside from this, we also toured the Huaqing Hot Spring before our flight to Shanghai.





We also went to Huaquing Hot Springs. It is famous for its charming scenery and the romantic love story between Emperor Xuanzong and his concubine Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty. Also for viewing are the imperial pools of the Emperor, his concubines and for designated officials.




AUGUST 21, 2009: SHANGHAI

We are now here at 'Modern China.' We visited The Oriental Pearl TV Tower. At the top, there is a fiber-glass overhang which you can walk on with the view of the ground below. Amazing and scary! The Bund was closed that time in preparation for a global meet set in Shanghai. So we just crossed Huangpu River through the sight-seeing tunnel. We also toured Yuyuan Garden and then took the cruise tour along Huangpu River.

The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is 1,536 feet high.


Yuyuan Garden - a classical garden built by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty.







AUGUST 22, 2009: Shanghai-Manila


After breakfast, we visited The Jade Buddha Temple. There we saw monks sing their chants and the locals offering their prayers. It is said that the temple was built to house two Jade Buddha statuses which were brought from Burma by a monk. The two statues are still present there.
After a hearty BBQ lunch, we took the Maglev Train from Longyan Road to Pudong Airport. The Maglev Train goes as fast as 300 km/hr. It only took us a quick 8 minutes to get to the airport, a distance of 30 km!









It was a great birthday trip for me! I got to spend it in China with my family. Our Shanghai guide even led the group in singing "Happy Birthday" to me in Chinese. :-)









* All pictures and video are the writer's own.