Hong Kong holiday
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Disneyland attracts both children and adults.[Photo by Yu Fangping/China Daily] |
The next day dawns hot and clear.
Although the little kid in me is lobbying for an immediate departure to Lantau Island (and Disneyland), my grown-up self needs caffeine. I ride up one of the mid-level escalators from Hong Kong's Central district, where I find not only a picturesque cafe but also a street dedicated to fresh produce of all kinds. The fresh, crunchy apple I purchase proves the perfect finish to my croissant-and-coffee breakfast, and the bustling, twisty streets are exactly as I have pictured exotic Hong Kong to be.
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The ride to Lantau is fast and efficient, and the Disney train is a happy place indeed: brimming with children of all ages and decorated with mouse-ear shaped windows and hand-holds. Although compact, HK Disney offers bang for the buck in several ways: Its celebrated fireworks go off nightly behind Cinderella's Castle, and at $58, the tariff at the gate is about 40 percent cheaper than ticket prices in the US.
Despite its smaller size, I find all of my old favorites - Space Mountain, It's a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant - along with a new one: Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, an exciting coaster that speeds forwards and backwards around "sandstone" cliffs.
Another popular attraction on Lantau is the Tian Tan Buddha. At 250 tons and 34 meters high, it's the world's largest Buddha statue and reachable on the same Tung Chung express train that goes to Disney.
By late afternoon, I am back in Central district in pursuit of a cooling beverage at the iconic Mandarin Oriental hotel. Using the futuristic, enclosed walkways Hong Kong is famous for, I head straight through the lobby to the elegant bar, where - feeling like a Bond Girl in the swanky surroundings - I am soon served a somewhat pricey but very delicious whiskey sour.
To make my final night in Hong Kong special, I snag a reservation at Quemo, a happening Spanish tapas restaurant I've read about online. As advertised, the food is incredible and the small penthouse space is buzzing with conversation as bottles of wine and sizzling pans of paella whisk past. The staff is attentive and friendly. After dinner, I enjoy a chat with blue-eyed Catalonian head chef Angel Pascual, who shows me around the restaurant, including a charming rooftop drinks terrace.
On the relaxing cab ride back to the hotel, stirred by the floral scents and happy chatter that surround me in Hong Kong, I am busy planning my return to Xiang Gang - China's Fragrant Harbor.
If you go:
Quemo
5th floor, QRE Plaza, opposite Hopewell Centre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
852-2836-0699
Le Meridien Cyberport
100 Cyberport Road, Hong Kong
852-2980-7788
Mandarin Oriental
5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong
852-2522-0111
Hong Kong Disneyland
Lantau Island, Hong Kong
852-3550-3369
