Hong Kong-part 1

I think we have all decided that this is one of our favorite trips we have made!  Hong Kong was a very fun place to visit with TONS of things to do.  We arrived on Saturday afternoon before Christmas and came back to Manila on Friday after Christmas.   We got to the airport super early and had lots of time to kill before our flight left

 I took a picture of this shop b/c it is a souvenir shop and the word pasalubong is a tagalog word for something you bring back from a trip to give people to let them know you were thinking of them while you were away.

 Below are some pictures in the Hong Kong airport

 We rode a train from the airport

 We left our things at the hotel and went to the nearby Space Museum

 

 Greg loves any opportunity to talk about space and science, especially with such a willing audience!

Below is Victoria Harbor-Hong Kong has double the number of skyscrapers as NY city-over 8,000 and every night their is a light show called Symphony of light that we watched-very nice!

 Our hotel-nice, great breakfasts and a super location near a central metro station

 inside the lobby

 at the train station-often crowded but very clean

 a great park-some told us better than Disney-I think our conclusion was that Disney was better for our age kids, but for older ones or adults only Ocean Park would be a better choice.  We had a terrific time both places though.  There were just several things Ashley couldn't ride here-not tall enough and a few things the boys weren't even tall enough to ride

 a crazy Santa!

 Taking the cable car to the other section of the park

 I got great pictures from the car

 The boys rode this mine train roller coaster 5 times-1st ride of the day and NO line!

 Can we do it AGAIN??????

 I took the boys first and when we decided it wasn't scary, took Ashley too on the log ride!

 We rode the ferris wheel all together and then Ashley and Greg did it again, while the boys rode the flying swings!

 Ashley was dancing while Greg rode the swings with the boys

 She entertained everyone we met and many we didn't intend to meet with high 5s, smiles, dancing, and conversation the whole trip.  This dad posed his little boy with her-it was funny to me b/c the little boy was much more interested in his ice cream than a picture with Ashley!

 Stern seahorses that guarded the entrance to the train we took back to the first side of the park

 As good Elliotts, we had to stop for ice cream in the afternoon!

 Seeing the panda bears up close was really neat!

 The park was beautifully decorated for Christmas!

 We went through the aquarium last and saw a lights, fountain, music, and firework show just before we left!

 Next day breakfast-one of the boys favorite things were the machines that made pancakes and waffles!

 We went to Lantau Island to see the big Buddha-we took another cable car ride, could see the airport, and got more beautiful pictures-the ride was almost 30 minutes and we got one with a glass floor!

 I took the picture of the boat below through the floor of our "crystal cabin"

 Oh No I am going to fall through the floor!

 They had a blower going to make it "snow" soap bubbles.  Ryan is wearing a new jacket that we bought him in the gift shop there-he had outgrown his and I took it home to give someone but didn't think to buy him a new one in July!

 200 something steps up to the big buddha

 on the way back down

 Streets near our hotel

 Yes we found an Outback Steakhouse for dinner one night!

 It was Christmas Eve and many of the streets were closed to traffic so we could walk in them!  Cool!

I think we have all decided that this is one of our favorite trips we have made!  Hong Kong was a very fun place to visit with TONS of things to do.  We arrived on Saturday afternoon before Christmas and came back to Manila on Friday after Christmas.