Hong Kong Macau 2017

I jokingly called this trip my Amazing Race experience in homage to the famous reality tv show. The prize was not money but so much more than any tangible thing this world can offer me. I booked 6 months in advance via Cebu Pacific Air and rightfully choosing Clark as our airport due to our location proximity. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise since the Asean Summit was held in Manila during the date we left and there were road closures in the metro. The Clark International Airport is slowly gaining popularity as an alternative choice to NAIA. It’s clean and the staff are nice. They have a toilet for LGBT with a rainbow sign. There are food kiosks at the boarding gate area. If you are coming from Manila, there’s a shuttle bus in Trinoma: http://crk.clarkairport.com/trinoma-lounge.php

This is the first international trip of my son and I also consider this my first official backpacking test since it was all DIY from booking flights, inn and itinerary. I just relied on blogs, apps, friends’ and relatives’ tips and the kindness of strangers. The places we visited were kid-friendly and we used mainly the octopus card for transportation.

First thing to do upon arrival is to buy an octopus card near the HK Tourism Board area. You can’t miss it since you will pass this sign after you get your luggage. The card has a different design for the child and adult. You can just exchange 200HKD for this since airport money changers are not competitive. It’s better to change currencies in the city proper.

The bus terminal is easy to locate with signs in the airport and there is an Information desk just to be sure. Our inn is situated in Tsim Sha Tsui so we took A21 bus route. The double decker bus ride was around 30 minutes from the airport. 

We stayed in a small inn called AMR Hostel inside Mirador Mansion run by Ahmed (not sure about his nationality but Mideastern) and Juvie, a Filipina from Catanduanes. It was my first time to try booking.com and I must say I was impressed with their service. Mirador Mansion is a kind of rundown condominium, my blog is as real as it could get, no sugarcoating. It has shops on the ground floor, mostly touristy stuff like clothing, accessories and money changers. A condominium unit converted into various rooms with cheap rates. It is popular with backpackers, mostly Filipinos and Europeans. I chose AMR Hostel due to good reviews and Ahmed was accommodating and he is always there to assist  us.

taken from AMR Hostel photo file 

from AMR Hostel photo file

The room is tiny but the water pressure is good with hot and cold shower, AC is great and also has an electric fan. This is a good place if you don’t have lots of luggage but I’m not sure if other rooms are bigger. Based on some blogs, other units can accommodate 3 or 4 people. There is free water so we refilled our plastic bottle containers before going out to save money. The rate for the room is P7k for 4 days 3 nights stay. It has no breakfast. The place is secure but I didn’t leave any valuables and I put a lock on my luggage. There could’ve been a nicer place but I think it was a good choice because of its location. Also, I wanted the cheap place since it was only for sleep and shower. For 2 days we headed out at 7am and got back at 11pm.

Day 1 City Tour – Kowloon and Hong Kong Island

For our first day, we covered the mass transportations – bus, ferry and dingding tram using the octopus card. From our inn, we walked about a block to Paisano’s, a recommended must try Italian restaurant. It was a great first meal since the pizza was huge. One slice was good enough for us. An average meal is about 30HKD per head. There was a line since it was lunch time. 

From there, we walked for about 10 minutes to the Star Ferry terminal. Before boarding, we passed by Heritage 1881, an old fire station and became a high end mall. 

At the ferry, you can choose the lower or upper deck. The upper deck is better for a fraction of a cost around 3HKD only since you can see the skyscraper sights. The Star Ferry is a 10 minute ride to Hong Kong side. Once there, we walked and admired the HK ferris wheel and the towering IFC Mall, the tallest skyscraper there. 

We then looked for the dingding tram route. I was kind of obsessed with the dingding tram. Its name was derived from the small bell sound it makes once it reaches the station. 

The green dingding alongside the double decker bus 

First because it looks so cool and one of the oldest modes of transport there and it’s so inexpensive at 2HKD. The routes pass along the busy main streets of Hong Kong island. We alighted at the Causeway Bay area to check out the Ikea store in Gloucester Road. At this point, we were blissfully lost for a while. Causeway Bay is filled with retail stores and since we got a detour to a quieter district, the place has more trees and less crowded.

My first IKEA experience was glorious. I’ve always imagined to imitate the film “500 Days of Summer” where they pretended it was their home. But there were lots of people and I got shy (haha). It was still a lot of fun seeing the home furnishings and I bought raspberry scented candles. It smelled wonderful. I thought the store was small but I was wrong. We tried the famous meatballs for 9HKD (5 pcs). Yummy. 

We boarded the dingding again but took the wrong line and arrived at Happy Valley. This is the horse racing track area. The fun thing about being lost in HK is that you can always take the tram again. Commuting is such a breeze.

We saw a Jollibee branch near Central and there are so many Filipinos around and we felt right at home, it's like walking in Binondo, only bigger. We also passed by the Flat Iron building version of Hongkong in the Wain Chai district. I saw that building in an IG post and I still don’t know its name. 

We took the ferry again although you can take the MTR from Central to get back to Tsim Sha Tsui faster. But the ferry is about the sightseeing definitely. 

From the ferry, my son was too tired and we went back to the inn. By this time we only have an hour to rest since it’s Symphony of Lights time at 8 pm. It’s the nightly attraction at the Victoria Harbor where the skyscrapers light up in tune with the music for a 15 to 20 minute spectacle. We arrived late and the place was teeming with tourists. I loved the Chinese junk, the old traditional boat as it floated on water against the skyline view. The Clock Tower is a good photo background too. We didn't explore much of the Avenue of the Stars area though.

Rye wasn’t receptive to Chinese food still so we headed to trusty Mcdonald’s. There’s no Chicken Mcdo here so he ordered nuggets and fries. Mcdonald meals cost around 32 to 40HKD. I was bent on eating authentic Chinese meal for my first dinner so we walked around and found a hole in the wall restaurant that doesn’t have an English name. The waiter was very nice, most of them are kind of rude or really just in a hurry. While lining up in fast food counters, you have to know your order already. Here people still take time ordering.  I ordered shrimp wonton noodle soup. It was one of the best I’ve tasted. Six pieces of big shrimp dumplings and it went well with Coke. Meal was worth 41HKD.

Day 2 Macau

We woke up early and my cousin Rachel met us at the hostel. After breakfast at Mcdonalds (it’s 7am and so near our place – justified haha), we proceeded to MTR to go to the Macau ferry station found at Central. MTR is the efficient subway system, color coded and user-friendly with English signages. You can have an MTR map at the octopus card kiosk in the airport. I was scared at first but we got the hang of it after a day. We purchased Turbo Jet tickets for the one hour ferry ride to Macau at 177HKD for adult and 169HKD for a child. You can check schedules here: https://www.turbojet.com.hk/en

Colloseum Ruins 

New Orleans feel

Portugal feels 

Macau wasn’t part of of my original itinerary. It was supposed to be Lantau Island with Big Buddha and Tai O fishing village. But my friend Neal told me to go since it’s another country and Rye would love the sights. I was hesitant at first because I thought the place was just casino land. I changed my mind the night before our flight so there wasn’t a lot of research on how to maximize the trip. But I think we had a great time exploring it without much knowledge, there was room for surprise. It was like being in Europe. I just knew we had to go to the Ruins of St. Paul and Venetian. The Immigration line was pretty fast and there were lots of tourists of different nationalities. Upon arrival, there are Filipino guides who will offer a tour service. There are lots of shuttle buses for free transportation to your hotel of choice. We hopped to the Venetian bus and we passed by the Macau Tower and several bridges connecting to the city proper. 

Macau Tower

If you want to have free transport and do hotel hopping, you can just check out the hotels clustered together and then go back to the ferry terminal and board another bus again. It’s good if you have a lot of time on your hands.

At the Venetian, we gaped at the gondolas in the canal, marveled at the perpetual blue sky roof and the Italian village setting. The hotel lobby frescoes were a sight to behold. I’m a huge fan of Italy so this was just like being there. One of the gondoliers is a Filipina and she sang like an angel. Various retail shops are seen in the mall near the canal. We also took time to visit the Parisian which is beside it. A life size replica of the Eiffel Tower is seen at the entrance. There’s a fee of 100HKD if you want to go and take the elevator inside it for a bird’s eye view.

We took a cab ride to the Historic Centre since it was lunch time already and our poor feet needed a break. The cab fare was 62HKD and took about 20 minutes. Hong kong dollar is accepted in Macau although they have a separate currency as well. 

We had lunch at RDS Fried Chicken for some “lutong Macau” and it was so good! I found out later that it was a famous restaurant there and it was out of sheer luck that we stumbled upon the place. They have value meals of 2 piece chicken and spaghetti which cost 64HKD and side dishes like fresh vegetables at 15HKD. The order is good for two people already. It was such a steal and it has free wifi. It’s located at Rue da Se, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro.

A 5 minute walk from RDS will take you to the main Historic Centre of Macau featuring urban squares, churches and temples. In 2005, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to my research, the Portuguese settled in the Macau peninsula during the 16^th century and built houses and other structures similar to that of European design. So it really felt like I was in Portugal instead of China. East meets West in a very unique way. I was glad to come here since I love heritage sites and historical landmarks. Macau is part China, Europe and Las Vegas.

We visited the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady of Macau and St. Dominic churches. St. Dominic has a 3 storey museum filled with spiritual artifacts and church bells. We wandered around Senado Square and it was a mixture of European and New Orleans architecture. 

As we made our way up to the Ruins of St. Paul, there was a huge crowd of tourists since it was a Sunday. It was still fun though because both sides of the street had shops with local delicacies being sold such as egg tarts and beef jerky. The egg tart is 10HKD and was absolutely divine. The Ruins of St. Paul is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and as a heritage conservation advocate, it was a special moment for me to see this historical treasure. The façade was all that survived and still the efforts were worth it. I can’t help but compare the situation here in our country where historical structures get demolished on a regular basis. We have a lot to learn and I hope we can act fast before all is lost.

The Ruins area has an underground museum filled with catacombs but the line was too long and our feet couldn’t handle that anymore so we headed back to Senado Square. Across the bus terminal was a beautiful building called Leal Senado and we just had to go inside. The place is a museum and a government building with an orchid garden. It looked Grecian inspired since the tiles had blue and white design. The museum houses black and white images of the old Macau.

Going back to Hong Kong, there are hourly schedules until around 10pm via Turbojet. We took the MTR to Mongkok to check out Ladies’ market but we got so tired and hungry that we just had a late dinner at Good Hope Restaurant for some traditional congee with meatballs. Meal costs 32HKD. It was not just good, it was great food!

Day 3 Disneyland

I think I was more excited to go to the happiest place on earth than Rye. We headed out to Sunny Bay MTR Station and then the Disney train appeared like magic to take us there. The handle bars and windows have Mickey Mouse designs which further fueled our excitement.

Upon alighting from the train, it felt like we got transported to another dimension. I shed a few tears when “A Whole New World” played as we entered the gate. I played Jasmine during a company Christmas performance and it was a memorable time for me.

 A good preparation is to download the HK Disney app to know more about the rides and the show schedule. One day is a tight and full sked so it’s best to learn which attractions you want to prioritize. 

For us, we picked Toy Story Land and the more grown up rides. One tip is to bring an empty water container since drinking fountains are scattered all over the park. This will save you 20HKD for a bottled water. They only have a few items for snacks – caramel popcorn, Korean grilled squid, corn and fish ball at 30HKD apiece. We didn’t check out any restaurants because I know it was pricey. We had a full breakfast before going there. It’s also good to bring Bonamine so you won’t feel sick during the rides.

 We started with Jungle Cruise, a boat tour with an English speaking guide across a river filled with animal robotics and special effects. Next was Toy Story Land which was a sentimental favorite of mine and we tried the Slinky Dog kiddie ride. 

A real fun ride was Mystic Manor but Rye didn’t like it because of the dark and sometimes slight scary scenes. But the most surprising thrill was the Grizzly Gulch ride. I thought it was just a mild roller coaster. It turned out to be an extreme adventure and we were shocked afterwards. 

Mystic Manor

Mystic Manor's special effects 

Lion King spectacle

The Lion King show was the best we’ve seen that day. The props, costumes and cast (with a Filipina) were topnotch. Don’t miss it! The Storybook show in Mickey Theater wasn’t good as expected but there were some good performances from Tangled and Little Mermaid. 

It's A Small World 

Extreme Ride at Grizzly Gulch Area

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Philharmagic, a 4D theater attraction. Rye and I freaked out during the It’s a Small World ride. The dolls were scary. We were able to experience almost all the attractions except for Winnie the Pooh and Iron Man due to 60 minutes or more waiting time. I also got starstruck with Chubacca from the Star Wars area. He was really friendly and shook my hand. Another not to miss experience especially if you or your child loves to draw is the Animation Academy. Here, a Cantonese cartoonist provides hands-on tutorial in drawing a Disney character. Rye was able to draw Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast and you get to keep the drawing too. The classroom has Mickey Mouse chairs and some early animation doodles and posters.

Animation Academy blackboard

Cantonese Cartoonist 

cute Mickey chairs

Souvenirs are expensive at 89HKD up for merchandise items. So unless you have loads of budget, you can skip buying here. For the parade, there is the noon parade at 1pm but it was too hot so we just saw parts of it and there’s the night schedule at 8pm which was better. There’s also a presentation at around 4pm with dancing from Mary Poppins and other Disney characters. At 9pm, the Disney in the Stars fireworks will take your breath away. Make sure you save enough batteries for this spectacle. I can definitely say that Disney is truly the most magical place ever.

afternoon special

noon parade

Evening parade

Disney in the Stars

Disney MTR Station 

When the park closes at around 10:30 pm, the MTR is still available to take you home. Hong Kong is a place where it’s safe even during the wee hours. For pasalubong shopping, the Bonjour stores located along Nathan Road (since we didn’t have time to go to the night markets) had local treats like Lotte and Chinese snacks. Our flight back to Clark was 9:30 am so we took the bus going to the airport at 5:30 am. Buses are available on a 24 hour basis so no need to worry in missing your flight. At the HK airport, there are restaurants on the 2^nd floor and Mcdonald’s for us. One tip is to always listen to the PA system since there are changes to boarding gate numbers depending on their schedule.

Total budget estimate excluding airfare for 2 pax is around P34K. I wasn't very happy with my airfare (P18k for 2 pax) but there was no other schedule available. 

Hong Kong is a vibrant place, a melting pot of cultures and a good first country to visit for children. Rye turned out to be a real fun travel buddy who didn’t complain when we had to walk long periods or got lost and needed to regroup. In fairness, he did try some of the Chinese food but still needs time to develop his sense of taste for the unfamiliar cuisine. The trip also made me confident of planning trips according to my preference. My first Hong Kong trip was a company outing who got a travel agency and I didn’t like the mandatory jewelry factory tours. It wasted a lot of precious time. I’m not against travel tours but if you can do it yourself and you want flexible time and want to see non-touristy places, DIY is the coolest way to go.

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Heritage Tour

As a heritage conservation fan who’s been to old Manila, Vigan and Iloilo and ooh’d and ahh’d at the sight of ancestral homes, going to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is at the top of my bucket list. Jerry Acuzar, the architect owner of the place bought several decrepit houses and transferred them to Barangay Pag-Asa in Bagac, a sleepy coastal town deep in Bataan. Some conservationists die hards are against this move since they believe that conservation should be in its original location and the close proximity to the sea might be detrimental for the centuries old structures in the long run.  But still I wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the place. I’ve seen it on countless features online and in print but nothing compares to the real deal.

Coming from San Fernando, Pampanga my son Rye and I took a mini bus going to Balanga city. It was a 2 hour trip and at the terminal, the jeepneys bound for Bagac are already waiting for us. The ride to Bagac was a pleasant surprise since I saw the numerous Death March markers for every kilometer on the wayside. The infamous Death March of Fil-Am soldiers started in two locations, one in Mariveles and in Bagac. When I saw Kilometer 00, I had goosebumps. Aside from heritage history, I was a World War 2 historian wannabe. Just a month ago, Rye and I went on an epic calesa tour of San Fernando City and got introduced to the old train station where the Death March kilometer 102 is seen. This was too epic to be just a coincidence. I said a prayer to all the victims of this horrendous 5 day walk from Bataan to Pampanga and then the final destination was Camp O Donell in Capas, Tarlac.

I reserved an overnight stay in Bagac Bay Beach Resort which is just about a 10 minute tricycle ride away from the town proper so we checked in early before proceeding to Las Casas. Bagac Bay has powdery black sand and high waves this time of the year. 

The tour begins at 8:30am on an hourly basis until the last schedule at 4:30 pm. Our tour guide Sarah met us near the hotel reception area and showed some houses patterned after the ancestral homes in Binondo. 

We proceeded to the La Puesta del Sol or a small bridge where a Venice-like setting took my breath away. According to her, this was a replica of Binondo during the Spanish times, with boats gliding about Pasig River. In this area, all the structures were based from the historical archives and the houses are used for accommodation and private functions.

Sarah mentioned that the original houses were transferred “brick by brick, plank by plank” to the 400 hectare Bagac property and there are issues arising from these acquisitions. Jerry Acuzar, the owner-architect of New San Jose Builders rescued some of these historical houses from demolition and further decay. When I attended a heritage walking tour of Binondo last year, there are policies and guidelines which make it difficult for owners to make their house restored using government funding. Hence, their option is to sell or go for adaptive re-use if they have resources.

Before going there, I specifically didn’t read about the houses so I’ll have a surprise effect. I recalled some details I read in the past but I was ready to be wowed and Las Casas certainly exceeded my expectations.

The first house that caught my fancy was Casa Hagonoy from a prominent couple in Bulacan where the husband built such an elaborate house to fulfill his wife’s dream but they ended up poor because of it. One tip is to wear flipflops since footwear needs to be removed upon entering the houses.

Hotel de Oriente was built in 1889 and considered the best accommodation in Manila at that time. Situated near Pasig River and Escolta, it was the first class hotel where Americans used to stay.*

We went to check it out but there’s a function inside so I was able to just take a photo of the grand lobby with gold design. It seemed like we were in Europe with its elaborate wall fixtures. 

We then passed by Tulay ni Lola Basyang, patterned after San Nicolas bridge in Manila.

My top favorite houses were the following:

Casa Binan (18^th century)

 “Casa Biñan’s history throws shade on the mother of Jose Rizal, Teodoro Alonzo, whose mother was the second wife of the third-generation scion, Don Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo, of the family who owned the house. Don Lorenzo Alberto’s son Jose Alberto became a Philippine ambassador to Spain, and his long absences drove his wife Teodora Formoso to have an affair with the captain of the Guardia Civil. When her husband found this out, he came home and locked her in their bedroom, and Rizal’s mother was tasked to bring her food everyday. Formoso wrote in a letter, which she threw out of the window, that Rizal’s mother was slowly poisoning her. The letter reached the captain and some say this was the true reason Teodora Alonzo was imprisoned.”**

Casa Binan had a rich history with elements of drama in Rizal’s family. Rizal stayed here for a year during his childhood. The house through the years became one of the most prominent landmarks in the province of Binan, Laguna. However due to the passage of time and lease to various businesses such as a bank, movie house and supermarket. The current owner Gerardo Alberto wanted to donate what was left of the original materials to Acuzar however municipal officials of Binan and heritage advocates are still protesting this proposed plan.  The original structure still remains in Binan but a model house is displayed in Bagac. This model house was made famous for being the location of Antonio Luna’s murder scene in the film Heneral Luna. The guide also mentioned that the bed and room of Teodora Formoso came from the original house.

Casa Byzantina (1890)

 “The penultimate house we visited was Casa Byzantina, the first three-story building in Binondo. The first story is made of adobe stones and bricks and the two upper stories are of sturdy wood. The roof is galvanized iron because in those times, many people died during earthquakes when heavy roofs crashed on their heads. For five years it was the Instituto de Manila, an elementary and high school that later transferred and became the University of Manila. The house was badly neglected and was inhabited by informal settlers. Las Casas discovered real gold leaf in the architecture of the third story but badly damaged. The house is now a first class hotel that can accommodate 16 people.”**

Last year I had the privilege to join a free walking tour of Binondo and saw some of the best bahay na bato structures in the city but sadly, most of them are in various stages of neglect. Casa Byzantina stuck to my mind since we saw the place where it used to stand, now a factory. The guide mentioned that it was already in Bagac. According to some articles, it was the home of 50 informal settlers before Mr. Acuzar bought it.

Casa Hidalgo (1867)

Casa Hidalgo was designed by the first Filipino to practice architecture in the country during the Spanish era, Felix Roxas y Arroyo for the family of Rafael Enriquez. Originally located at the corner of Hidalgo Street and Callejon de Carcer in Quiapo, the house was considered the most elegant in the whole Philippines.

It was also the first school of Architecture in the Phils. – UP Fine Arts. Young artists such as Juan Luna and Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo and later Fernando Amorsolo, Guillermo Tolentino Carlos Francisco and Tomas Mapua learned about their craft in this establishment. In 1927, after the operations of the UP Fine Arts transferred to Padre Faura street, the house had various repairs and used for other purposes like a bowling alley, boys and girls’ dorms, sex live shows and abortion clinic.

Among all the houses in Las Casas, I felt a tremendous energy in this place. For someone who’s scared easily and does not watch horror films, I was drawn to it and after the tour we want back to it and Rye didn’t want to go inside. I was all alone in its halls and I couldn’t explain how I felt. I prayed for all babies who must’ve died there and all bastardly acts that happened there. I also felt in awe of the place where the Filipino masters once walked and learned how to do their artistic styles.

We stayed 4 hours and I still think it wasn’t enough. If not for the heat, our tired feet and this kid who can’t wait to go swimming, we would have stayed longer. This trip reinforced my passion for heritage conservation, something, anything has to be done to help in restoring and preserving our national treasures.

Filipinos seem to have a short term memory loss like Dory when it comes to these important cultural matters. Centuries old houses are supposed to be treated like gold or diamond. I think this way probably because I used to live in a pre-war Art Deco building – Belair Apartments, designed by National Artist Pablo Antonio. But that’s another interesting story.

Expenses per Head:

San Fernando Pampanga to Balanga – P75 (non-aircon bus)

Balanga to Bagac – P47

Trike to Bagac Bay –- P10

Bagac Bay Resort – P1,500 overnight stay (aircon, single bed and toilet & bath)

Trike to Las Casas – P120

Las Casas entrance fee – P999 with day tour, cold towel and welcome drinks, 50% off for kids 12 yrs and below

Food at Bagac town market – P50

Sources:

* Lougopal.com

**http://thestandard.com.ph/lifestyle/destinations/209564/las-casas-filipinas-de-acuzar-restoring-the-lost-glory-of-old-filipino-houses.html

Rappler.com

Las Casas brochure

For details, visit www.lascasfilipinas.com