Ep.42
“We
wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.” - Hilaire Belloc.
Ocean Park, Hong Kong.
3rd April 2012.
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| The train will take me! |
It’s time for Big Kids to stroll the amusement park. If Indonesia
got Dufan, than HongKong got Ocean Park. My friend (due to one and other things
refuse to be exposed to public), and I decided to test or 20+ y/o adrenaline in
this amusement park. It was not my first time to Ocean Park, in fact, I still
got Ocean Park tee from long time ago. Let say it has been like 15+ years ago
since my last visit there.
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| American Breakfast by me! |
It was actually a day when we were planned to go to Macau. But due
to our idiocy, we forgot to bring along our passport and realized when we were
already half-way in the bus. GREAT! So, quick switch to plan B. As we were on
the 962 bus already, then I suggest ourselves to go to Ocean Park (this was
actually my one-sided desire, as amusement park is really my thing). So, like a
powerless tourist, and a hostile host, we got off at Admiralty bus station. It
was crowded already there, as always, as all buses services and train services
were there. Well, then let’s just call it an interchange.
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| Shark jaw. |
It seems that the tickets to Ocean Park were sold at a booth in
the interchange, just near the queue line of 629 bus, a bus service to and from
Ocean Park only. We queued up and less than 1 minute, a Mainland couple (a
couple from mainland Chinese) came towards us. They tried it so hard to
communicate with us. Why us among the others? I don’t know either, may be we do
look more like tourists. They offered their tickets to us, in fact, cheaper
than the counter rate. It was HKD 500 for 2 tickets + HKD 150 for dinner
vouchers in one of the restaurants inside the Ocean Park. *Calculator head
mode: ON*. I was a little bit curious that it might be a fraud, how could it be
if a single entrance fee tickets is HKD 280 each person and I assume that dine
in an amusement park like this would be pricey as well, yet this couple sold all
they got in hand for HKD 650 in total. Good deal? Yeah! I finally found out,
after I also tried soooo hard to communicate with them, that they mistook the
time and date of their flight back to China. They were supposed to take their
flight back on that day, afternoon and yet they were already bought the
amusement park package through internet booking. So that is why they offered us
such a good deal. LUCKY! So, why us among others in the queue line? Well, I
don’t care. Since it was a good deal after all.
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| Anyone? |
We precede to the bus no 629 to Ocean Park. 10 minutes ride and we
were there already. In the very entrance of Ocean Park Hong Kong. We went
through the front gate, not to mention taking “few” clicks with the name sign
and fountain. What was my mission for that day? To see panda and ride all of
the roller coasters they have as well as ride all the adrenaline-related rides.
I always feel refreshed whenever the speed + racing heart + up and down
movement were collided as one. (well I know some people would consider that I
am sort of a wacko).
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| The Abyss |
If I were to describe this amusement park in a short few
sentences, I would describe it as a complete tourist attraction, an all-in-one stop. It got the little zoo,
amusement park, old city heritage, aquarium, and to allocate the place into two
separated place, which is up the hill and right at the feet of the hill
connected by a cable car and tram service, it was truly a one-stop attraction
you would go if you have a limited budget. OK let’s start! We started to explore
the park from the BIG fountain after the entrance. I grab a map, an English
version one and start racing my brain to decide the itinerary (you might pity
the friend whom I went with at this rate), well we start on the Giant Panda
Adventure. It is my first
time to see the cuddly red pandas! These adorable were endangered species as
well as the symbol of China. Ying Ying and Le Le, the eternally cheerful giant
pandas is their mascot. It look soooo cuddly that I want to squish them,
unfortunately, we were not allowed to be in a direct contact with them. Next!
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| Old Hong Kong |
Just
right beside the Panda attraction, there is Goldfish Treasure. I knew when I
look at them that there were no way I could differentiate fish especially from
the pattern on their slimy body. *hands up* On the other hand, (beyond my
expectation) my friend can differentiae few of them. Well, it’s good then that
the trip was enjoyed not only by me. Outside the Goldfish Treasure, there were
a board where you can write something, although it will be erased by another
group of people once it full. So we wrote our names and drew a bit and took
(again) “few” pictures there. After few warming up places, it’s the time to
pick up the pace of our trip. We were walking towards the cable car station and
we just walked across what it called the Old Hong Kong.
There
we could see the culture of Hong Kong in the '50s -'70s. Step aboard the
Heritage Tram and savor the sounds and tastes of yesteryear, many many street
snacks along with their super old name signage and traditional rickshaw,
baskets, fruits seller, etc etc. Be mesmerized by the colors and activities of
life in Old Hong Kong on authentically recreated streets and scenes. There were
also few games, traditional one, that you could play and if you win, you get the
doll or plush toy as the gift. It was super Old, but then it was super fun!
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| The Flash |
Once
we reached the queue of the cable car, I was mentally prepared already to enjoy
the rides. The cable car here is a lot smaller than the one you could ride up
to NgongPing, but length wise, it was about the same. You could see the view of
HK from up in the cable car while it takes you higher and higher above sea
level to welcome you to the land of a real amusement park. I dragged my friend
all along to ride the three (repeat: THREE) major roller coasters in the park,
which are the Mine Train (set on the cliff side that you could actually see you
were riding out of the cliff), the Hair Raiser (the newest with at least three
360s), and the Dragon (this is the mildest among three in my opinion). The
three of them would made you want more. No break would be exist when you go to
an amusement park with me.
We
rode the Abyss, the Flash, the Eagle. The major thrilling rides of the park,
well, it does located on the area called thrilling mountain. The Flash is the
TOP # 1 recommended by me. It was rising over 22 m high and whiz you around so
fast, you are sure to see stars! This diabolical ride is capable of turning you
around 360 degrees, at the dizzying top speed of 60 km/h! Combining the power
to swing you full circle with a massive force of 3.9G while rotating you
mercilessly in your seat. My friend, which I thought dragging feet already to
the queue finally called it when it was almost our turn. The excuse was: toilet
call, and finally never come back until I finish the rides. I really won’t mind
to play even 10 times more, but this time the excuse was: wasting time, still
many rides we haven’t rode. Unacceptable!
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| the schooling milkfish feeding |
We
finally give up when our stomach started to growl. We picked The Terace Café as
it was one of the listed restaurant to use the coupon which we bought from the
mainland china couple. As expected, the regular price there for a single menu
is at least HKD 98 and it was exclude the drinks. So, I guessed it was our
lucky day. We were the last persons to enter the café, cleared up the last
plate, which made the manager of the café scrap the whole rice and beef stew
also the chicken soya sauce onto our plate, 2 cups of coke and paid by a HKD
150 valued coupon. We were full until
I could consider my figure was already like a red panda.
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| king crab. |
On
our way back to go down the hill, I (again decided on my own) suggested to take
the express tram. But before that, we made a detour to see the Pacific Pier.
There we could see the Sea Lion swim, sunbathing, clapping and play like they
couldn’t see us at all. Even the sun was almost setting, it was still fun to
see those animals, and again, no direct contact. Hiks! I always want to be
closer to nature (alibi). But I do like animals, except amphibian and reptile
family. We didn’t have to queue much for the tram, as we came just in time.
Inside the tram we could see that we went “underwater” through the center of
the earth and finally back to surface on the screen available on the
side-ceiling of the tram.
Once
we got off, does it means the end? Nope! We still haven go to the Grand
Aquarium. What is so grand about it? It was sort of educative in a way that
there were many many fun fact and they literally made it fun to learn about the
underwater creatures. I even found myself to found few interesting things while
I was reading the information or even play the fun fact games along with the
kids. I’m officially a big kid!! Down down down as we walked, a gigantic swirl
tank appeared before us, look up and admire the schooling milkfish as they
glitter like a kaleidoscope of stars! As we walk through the bubble tunnel,
remember to peer through the world's largest aquarium dome, which stands at an
astounding 5.5m in diameter! Then, take a final dive down into the abyss, where
some of the ocean's most bizarre creatures live, Nah! We finally could made a
contact with the starfish and baby string rays or sharks. And finally, an
awe-inspiring 13m wide acrylic viewing panel behind which 5,000 fish from over 400
species meet us.
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| The Symbio |
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| Mermaid and Me. |
“You
can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it
takes people to make the dream a reality.” – Me.
NB: I knew i look like a panda already on these pictures and many of picture were taken with my "secret" VIP friend, so it will not be publish due to respect.
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