HONGKONG HANGOVER
5:59 PM
Ni Hao Ma!!! Let me fill you in on the deets of my long overdue October 2015 travel diaries.
My excitement to get here was intense. Not only was I excited to see the beauty of this Asian country but I'm thrilled as it is also my first international travel with my boyfriend, Ton. *giggles*
(Yes, hence the hashtag ST travel diaries. Lol)
We only got to book our flights two months before our travel dates which was on the last week of October (I SEEM TO DO THINGS BETTER WHEN I CRAM SO YAAAAS, PUSH NA!). I'm just so grateful that with our equal efforts and by God's grace, this much-awaited breather pushed through. With my busy schedule in law school and his #managerduties at his restaurant, I believe this would be a well-deserved break. This trip would not have been possible without Open Horizon Ticketing Outlet for booking our tickets. A shoutout to Hazel Rubia for the quick, reliable service!
I always tell myself to SAY YES to experiences that make you realize you're really living and not merely existing.
I always tell myself to SAY YES to experiences that make you realize you're really living and not merely existing.
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| The Panda tries to be Dora. |
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| Window seat, babyyy! |
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| My adorable wanderer! Hahaha! |
So our journey begins at Tsim Sha Tsui. We rode an express train from the airport to Kowloon which was the closest stop to our destination. It costed 140 HKD (1 HKD = 6 php) for two which is kinda pricey for the fare but it took us faster to Kowloon compared to taking a bus. We were kind of in a hurry since our plane arrived at 9pm. We thought it was that late already but Hong Kong is such a lit town that 11pm onwards feels like it's still 7pm or something. People are everywhere walking, shopping, eating, you name it.
Getting lost was actually a crazy, challenging feeling for me and Ton. Though our feet were tired when we looked for the hotel we booked at Tsim Sha Tsui, we were also laughing the whole time because we got what we asked for -- literally getting lost in a new place!
Getting lost was actually a crazy, challenging feeling for me and Ton. Though our feet were tired when we looked for the hotel we booked at Tsim Sha Tsui, we were also laughing the whole time because we got what we asked for -- literally getting lost in a new place!
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| Wow, I didn't know MY SHOP is so popular here! Haha! |
From my "so-called" research, I learned that not only is Tsim Sha Tsui a shopping haven for girls like me but if you're looking for really affordable hotels, there are lots around here! Ton and I practically thought about how we wouldn't be staying in our hotel room so much, so just a good, clean place would be enough. Thanks to Li Cheng Guest House for the wonderful accomodation and my Tita Mhai Lasaca for helping us with the reservations. I thought to myself, we're here to travel, to explore. So we're definitely gonna live like a local! I promise you, it's gonna be worth the aching feet!
Number 1 tip when traveling: DO A BASIC RESEARCH ABOUT THE COUNTRY YOU'RE VISITING.
I'm happy to share that when it comes to visiting a new place, I'm the RESEARCHER TYPE of tourist. Chos!!! I research everything from the weather, a few basic terms from their dialect (wish I could speak fluent Chinese though), the tourist spots, the budget, the itinerary... Okay, I'm guilty, almost everything na pala. I guess the only time I'll be obsessive-compulsive in my life is when I travel. Haha! I'm so grateful too that Ton seriously has some mad navigation "skillz" when we got there. Like somebody give this guy an award! I think he even came more prepared than I since he already downloaded an application which will give you a full map of HongKong and will show you where you are in the country via GPS. (Silly me, okay, I didn't think of that ha. I relied on the maps lang naman! Huhu!) I think it's really a thing for guys -- you know, it's like a treasure hunt for them, a search party or something. Well, as for me, I just pick the place I wanna visit and he looks for ways to easily get there! (Oh diba, personal google map?! Spoiled panda is spoiled.)
Kidding aside, don't you worry, everywhere you go, they're giving out FREE MAPS (at the airport too) so you won't get lost. The only challenge there though is if you know how to read one! We almost got lost with the buses too but because of reading travel blogs prior to the trip, it made our trip easier so it was really a big help! That's one of the reasons why I'm writing one too.
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| The famous Beef Wanton Noodles at Yuen Kee Restaurant |
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| Getting lost at 1am around the city also means foodtrip! Indulge in the country's lifestyle and food! After settling at our hotel room, we've decided to walk around and find a good place to eat. Geez, all that walking surely got our tummies rumbling! We stumbled upon this restaurant where a lot of people were eating. Being the locals that we are, we got curious and we tried their food! For only 64 HKD, these two bowls of noodle soup were worth it. They serve free soup too! Our first dining experience in this country was awesome so far. |
I'm also loving the fact that I get to use my trusty trench coats in this place!
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| For most girls, it's an #OOTD or #SOTD heaven here! Guilty!!! |
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| It's a shopping paradise indeed! If you're the type who loves shopping at high-end stores, your favorite brands are all at Tsim Sha Tsui or Kowloon! |
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| This was taken on the second floor of the bus! Yes, a second floor. Gahd! Hahaha! |
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| Letting that freak flag fly in the streets of Kowloon. FREEDOM!!! |
The bus stations might be a bit far from your hotel place so you have to be prepared for a lot of walking. I figured maybe that's why the people here are so fit and healthy because of all this daily activity. In the Philippines, we're so used to all types of transportation everywhere. Usually sedentary lifestyle tayo unless you really have an active lifestyle. So yeah, here, you just have to really equip yourselves with good footwear just to be sure. I brought my comfy white sneakers with me since white is the safest color ever when it comes to shoes! Comfort is key.
Bus fares usually cost around 10 HKD only for two people already. It was fun by the way! You just have to pay attention to the stops. You could be enjoying the view so much that you've already passed by your destination.... which almost happened to me by the way! Hahaha!
Thank you for reading, you guys! Hsieh hsieh! I hope it has somehow been helpful for your travels. Keep posted on my next blog which will be about the other tourist spots we visited here! Till next time!
Bus fares usually cost around 10 HKD only for two people already. It was fun by the way! You just have to pay attention to the stops. You could be enjoying the view so much that you've already passed by your destination.... which almost happened to me by the way! Hahaha!
This is just one part of Hong Kong! Our adventures cannot be summarized in one blog. The feeling of coming here is surreal. It's also not about the place but also the people/person you came here with. (Panda being cheesy! Oy ha!!!) As for me, I learned so much from this experience. I vowed to myself that I'll really invest on traveling. Truly, a trip can change how you look at life. You'll get to realize that it's a great, big world out there. There's so much to look forward to about life and that being away from your comfort zone could probably be the most amazing thing that could happen to you. I am so coming back here. I mean, of course, three days obviously ain't enough!
Thank you for reading, you guys! Hsieh hsieh! I hope it has somehow been helpful for your travels. Keep posted on my next blog which will be about the other tourist spots we visited here! Till next time!
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