i'm back from hong kong

the recent hong kong trip was a great departure from my previous trips to my favorite city. that doesn't mean, though, that i didn't have fun. :)

i spent my hong kong birthday trip with susie, my two sisters, my cousin girlie, and her son franciz. it was our first time to travel together, and what ensued was a hilarious four days in chilly temperatures.

it was my cousin's first time, and i got to see how hong kong is from the eyes of someone who's never been there before. she had the time of her life buying bargain after bargain, which got me into a shopping mood as well.

the walking extravaganza came as a shock to them, though. susie and i have prepared ourselves for four days of marathon walking, but my sisters and my cousin weren't able to arm their feet with the right walking footwear to keep them on their toes during the trip.

i was actually surprised that i didn't get tired as easily as before. i now have a newfound appreciation for my daily walks from the MRT to the office. thanks to my daily treks along julia vargas, i was able to keep up with the cantonese walking speed.

our hotel, the island pacific hotel, was a great choice. service was superb, but the location is not meant for first-timers. since there was no mtr station nearby, we always had to take the tram home, and for most of my group, keeping track of the stops wasn't easy. as a result, i would always have to be with them on the way back to the hotel. next time we travel, i'm going to book a hotel in tsim sha tsui, since they seemed to have a blast going to store after store in granville and the other little streets of TST.

we were all a bit taken aback that hong kong shops now charge for plastic bags. most shops, like bonjour and sasa, charge HKD 0.50 per bag, which is P3.00 each. after a while, that can amount to a lot of moolah, so make sure you bring your own shopping bag.

i didn't get to see everything i wanted to see, but it was great sharing my 28th with these people. there was some disastrous moments, but we all went home laughing about them. maybe next time things can go much more smoothly. haha!