Day 98...#100daysofhappiness #100happydays
Travel, photographs, writing are my strong de-stress weapons. Sitting on my computer, I travel the world and often find new itineraries that give me wings any time. So vacations means - holiday time! Everyone said, so did Facebook stories - going with kids - Hong Kong is the place! Photographs do tell stories, but is it always the real picture! Quoting an Asian proverb, "Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times". So the destination was finalized!
Come summer, travel plans had to be etched, and in my mind, I knew that before I embark my kids on an India travel experience for the next 5 years, I wanted them to experience the Disneyland for young ones that we had heard so much about. As much as it meant to be a story for them to explore, I was more keen on visiting a dream that I had grown up with... taking that iconic picture with Mickey Mouse! The ease of access and proximity to a country in Asia itself, made it a lot more inviting knowing that royal hospitality was a given. Given our experience in all other Asian countries, we had our expectations set! If you are a travel and photo buff as much as I am then here is a small travel recommendation: please use a selfie stick - the ease to capture our family time all in one frame was possible only with this selfie stick without seemingly harassing people around for taking those clicks
As we embarked on this journey long enough to soak in the sights, sounds and smell of Hong Kong and Macau, while short enough to not get home sick, we had packed and planned our itinerary to almost perfection! The flights are always entertaining for kids with the movies galore that keep them up and charged, while the food and drinks makes it a perfect 'no veggie' moment.
Macau's grandeur is not under stated and probably worth it to soak in the enthusiasm with which folks throng there to visit the world's largest casino - The Venetian or for that pulsating bungee jump, again the world's highest bungee point, which has left me wanting to come back again to take that plunge. Its not so much for children but hotels like where we stayed at the Sheraton Grand, they do try little things that hope to keep the curious minds engaged with a Madagascar parade or Shrekfast!
Hong Kong - a projected party destination and perhaps shoppers paradise, has skyscrapers that are unimpressive during the day. The glitz of lights conceals the ugliness of the buildings. Unlike other Asian countries, the buildings here are unimpressive and perhaps reveal the age of the structure with its poor exteriors. Having said that, the people here are charming and welcoming compared to their Chinese counterparts, which I was personally miffed about the last time I went to China. They understand the sense of space, boundaries and respect. Each to their own, yet happy to help when asked. The system has a clear and reliable administration, which people are so proud of. Police is there as a problem solver and not to penalize that even kids know that the touch of 999 will help them when no one else can. People work hard all their lives to make ends meet and dreams come true with the owning of a small piece of real estate, which accordingly to the locals, if you have a house, girls will be ready to marry. So as late as 40 or 45, people are tying the knot and embracing a new phase of life. With real estate prices skyrocketing, owning a shop will make you rich for life, with high rentals. They hate corruption, cheating and counterfeiting hence Chinese and Indians are not perhaps their favorite, but they don't make it obvious. While some Indian's there have established their presence, there are others not worthy a mention, who seem to tarnish the image of a country that should have been held in high esteem with sale of fake items, robbery and extortion in the most surprising way.
If one has to be thrilled about sights of Hong Kong, there is nothing that might be fitting enough to be entered in a travelogue, apart from the harbor, the tram ride up Victoria peak, the SamBan ride in the fishing village, the beaches, and the method in the madness of night markets. While it misses a glorious history, so the stories are made by the people who thrive. We had a comfortable ride, so the public transport could not be tested, but we did hear great things about it! With no manufacturing credits, and mostly import driven, hoping for a price advantage to shop would be an unfair deal. Nevertheless the negotiations at the night markets are fun and gets you back for more. As we were in the midst of all the action in TST at Holiday Inn Golden Mile, food options are plenty. A note here, that even the McD, KFC and Pizza Hut have their specialties prepared by their chef's which were lip smacking. The weather is sporadic so a perfectly planned holiday can get dampened with rains and thunder showers. But nothing seems to slow anyone down.. they move on with the opening of an umbrella... two days later, we learnt to expect the unexpected and with handy's guidance on sights, maps and must do's (the smartphone - a compliment of our hotel for our use) and an umbrella, we moved on! Our plan to visit Stanley and the 3D museum had to be shelved due to the weather unfortunately.
Disneyland was perhaps not everything we hoped for and that was a bit disappointing for me, though kids were mighty thrilled. With my resolve to meet Micky Mouse, I along with the many hundreds queued up for hours together, for that photograph while the kids were trying for opportunities with other character meet and greets which were available on a limited basis, hence many missed moments or no shows perhaps. While they were saddened to miss meeting Judy Hopps of Zootopia after 4 attempts, they were thrilled to meet Princess Sofia. The search for Anna and Elsa of Frozen was never ending, and as we were prepared to 'Let it go' we finally spotted them along with all the characters of Disney books in a stage performance in the Wonderous book show! The rides here are enjoyable for little kids, so makes it fun. The shows, the jungle safari were fabulous and made us visit as many shows as we could, with each one fascinating in a new way - futuristic, concepts, entertaining and perfect. We got to see the celebrations of HK Disneyland's 10th anniversary, so the grandeur and charm with held its image. Food options are limited and perhaps not worthy a mention apart from the use of mickey shaped food options for kids. Travelling with kids and hoping to bypass that pricey Disney gift shop is an impossible task, so we had to make that regretful stop. The deed was done and the plug out just got tougher. The queues for all character meets, rides and shows demands tremendous patience, which we thankfully had braced with. While a full park tour can be done with the train, the zone exploration has to be on foot and with 2 children of 7 and 5 years, they did not seem happy to bask the sun and sudden rain. My pedometer turned handy and tracked our steps, turning out we clocked 13 kms doing the rounds here in Disneyland... so do use your imagination on the foot massages we dreamt about. The rain was a mood dampener as both the parades were cancelled, but the concluding Disney in the stars fireworks show, made our hearts come alive on the backdrop of the castle. That was truly magical and something I might always remember Disneyland for! We were exhausted yet we smiled, we knew that the child in each of us were thrilled with a dream that came true - we were in Disneyland and that's what mattered!
With chocolates being our last stop, we were ready to come back. Kids were thrilled and waiting to pour out their news back home. Content with their goodies, and attempting a sometimes graphic or worded journal, they knew they had a story to tell. Like they say, of all the books in the world, the best stories are found in the pages of a passport. While its not my recommendation as a holiday destination for the travelling soul, but if you have traveled the rest of the world, then you can consider stopping by here! While Hong Kong did not live upto its hype, it perhaps gave us our 'ideal' family holiday. Sipping of coffee on top of Victoria Peak, as we overlooked everything Hong Kong was about through the glass walls of the hill top coffee shop, while kids binged on hot chocolate and cookies, we felt a sense of calm! We had our time together, without schedules, joy in little things, learning's of new cultures and an aspiration to see value in our life, which we often take for granted. 10 years as a couple, almost 8 years as parents, we smiled for a journey that tested and rejoiced in so many ways.
After a holiday, I always yearn a recovery holiday, but that would just be wishful!
