6 Days in Macao and Hong Kong - Day 5

This post is a continuation from HERE.

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Destination:  2 days Macao and 4 days Hong Kong

Duration: 14 - 19 Dec 2015 (6 days)

Companion: Family trip with hubby and 2 teen boys

Mode of travel: Free and Easy, air tickets and accommodation in Macao booked with Chan Brothers Travel

Accommodation:  Macao - The Venetian Macao Resort, HongKong - Airbnb

Flight: United Airlines

Ferry: TurboJet

Damage: S$2571 + $617 (Airbnb) for 4 pax

Currency: SGD1.00 = HKD5.41 (same exchange rate for HKD and MOP, so HKD can be used in Macao)

Time Difference:  Same as Singapore

Weather: 13 ~ 20 in Macao, around 24 degree in Hong Kong

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18.12.2016

This day we covered:
* Pink Dolphine Watch at Lantau
* The Big Buddha at Ngong Ping Village
* Sham Tseng Chang Kee Roast Goose


Magmar caught us on bed, good morning ^.^

We had booked a local tour to watch wild pink dolphins.  Pick up was at Kowloon Hotel.  Kiasu and kiasi, we took a cab there.   Felt duper stupid when we saw Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station was just right beside -___-  Anyway, we gave ourselves plenty of time allowance in case we lost the way (which we didn't).

We found a tea house nearby to solve breakfast.  Kept getting unfriendly stares as we ordered 2 sets to share.  We ate quickly and left.  So this was the only pic I took.

  Freaking yummy sandwich this was.

A bunch of multi-national of tourists together with us gathered outside Kowloon Hotel by 8.50am.  We made payment to a lady (who was decent looking and didn't look like a scammer) on the spot.

Despite of the good reviews online, we were kinda worried things might not turn out the way we wished.  However, if things screwed up we had a bus of people to share the screw.  要死一起死 I thought, crossing my fingers.

On the way, the lady turned out to be our guide.  She gave introductions and briefings with A4 photos, and I was less worried by 50%.

When I saw the yacht that we were boarding, my worries decreased to 10%.

It was spacious and clean, we were served with biscuits, coffee and tea.

Lantau Island view.

Enjoying the breeze with, my son.  I love Darren, my first born.

This young adult taught me a lot in many aspects, yes I am still learning.   He has got different perspectives from me when we discuss various topics.  Even if we don't agree with each other at times, it's important that we try to respect, accept and understand.  He kept me on the track, making generation gap insignificant.  This is my god send, wonderful 19yo son.

We spend about 2hours on the yacht, extremely lucky to see quite a few pink dolphins, but they are getting lesser and lesser.  The fun fact is, the dolphins are actually white, generally called Chinese White Dolphin, chiem name Sousa Chinensis.

The pink color that we see is cause by "blushing" lolxx....

Babies are dark grey and grey slowly fades off to white as they grow older.

The population of these lovely dolphins in this region are decreasing due to some of these factors:

* Construction of HK-Macau-Zhuhai Bridge - it's a massive 42km bridge project, causing both air and water pollution.  Their governments chose to ignored the impact.  It's a sad world where profit is over the livings.

* Construction of Sunny Bay Station - the train station was built in Yam O to facilitate transport between Disneyland and town.  The Environment Impact Assessment described the use of this area by the dolphins as "seasonal", even though dolphins were sighted there in all seasons.  The assessment passed of course, and no more pink dolphins in Yam O ever since.

* Decrease in fish population - less fish in the sea means less food the the dolphins.  It's the same pollution problem due to constructions and land reclaims in short.

* Heavy Sea traffic - Noises from boat engines magnifies under water, greatly affects the dolphins' echolocation efficiency.  They get hit and killed by boats.  So our yacht moved very slowly...

Somehow reminds me of Stephen Chow's movie Mermaid.

The mermaids in the movie seemed to share similar fate with the pink dolphins.

Humans build up the world yet destroying the earth at the same time.

I treasured this close up experience with the wild dolphins very much, not knowing if my great grand children can still see these....

They jumped very fast, each time I could only capture the fins lolxx....

Another dolphin watching yacht.

Back to our transport which drops off at the Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal and Kowloon Hotel.

HK Dolphin Watch cruise on every Wed, Fri and Sun.  We paid HK460/pax

If you are interested, this is their webbie for more details: www.hkdolphinwatch.com

We decided to drop off at Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal.  There was a mall next to it with restaurants and duty free retails .


We were too hungry to look around so this was it.

Strawberry and Green apple smoothie.

Skewer Platter

Beef shabu shabu

Tofu + chicken sausage

Handmade tamago

FOC free flow eggs

The total bill for the 4 of us was HK639.10, bleed a little, but still worth it for the comfortable environment and satisfying meal.

There was a long queue but travelling back on another day wasn't a good idea either.  So we queued for an hour -____-|||

Waaahaaahaaa..... we nearly died laughing.

Cable car with glass bottom cost more and probably would turned our legs into jelly. So we bought standard round trip tix at HK185 each.  

It took us another 30 to 40mins to get into a cable car.  My body batt was slashed by half before reaching the destination, haiz....

Catching Pokemons during the ride, happy shit.

Enjoyed the view of course.

Could already see The Big Buddha.

The cable car reached the one and only end in half an hour, Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal.

We had a bit to walk before reaching the buddha.

 But it was rather pleasant as there were tourist shops, cafes and restaurants lined up the path along the way.

Nothing was cheap here lolxx...

I got married again.  With the same guy though lolxx..

I looked horrible, but the fortunate cat was super cute!

After walking pass this pillar.....

there were lots of cows roaming about!

 The cows are generally very gentle and tamed but will follow and sniff you if you are "attractive".  My advise is, not to wear red or bright colors.  Don't carry food in your hands. 

Also don't feed them, play or provoke them in any manner, continue walking towards The Big Buddha lah sia.

And watch your steps lolxx...

My leg was still very much in pain, climbing up 268 steps wasn't possible for me, so I gave the boys my camera and waited at the foot.

The following photos were taken by my boys:

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The bronze sitting Buddha was completed in Dec 1993, height 34m.

Like us, many visitors chose to leave before dark, the damn queue to cable car was another 40mins.  Only at this junction, I regretted buying round trip tix.  We should had visit Tai O Fishing Village for seafood dinner perhaps, before leaving Lantau Island.

Hanging onto the pain on my leg, from Tung Chung MTR Station we were back to Mong Kok.  It's really convenient, the crowd was bearable.

Dinner, striking off another "must eat" on my list:

Roast Goose Sham Tseng Chan Kee 深井陈记烧鹅茶餐厅

427/427A Reclamation St, Mong Kok

The restaurant was filled with 80% Singaporeans, not sure if this was a good thing or bad thing.

Looking very much like roasted duck except that it's bigger and there's a hump on it's head.

Spare Ribs + Lotus Root + Dried Oysters Soup HK12.00

All soups in Hong Kong are crazy slurpicious thick and packed with aroma.

Stir Fried Veg HK50.00

Why so ex.....

Roasted gooose drum + Char Siew HK198.00

Both were delicious, but in the end, I still couldn't tell the difference in taste between duck and goose >.<

I limped my way into Langham Place Mall trying my luck to find my fav make up brand and FOUND!

Initially the promoter just stared blankly at me cos I looked like a disastrous auntie who has got absolutely nothing to do with makeup.  She was smiling like sun shine when I took a perfume, X2 loose powder, X2 blusher and X2 gel eyeshadow (I should had bought some lipsticks).  I was given one big bag of freebies lolxx.....  Literally limping with joy!

Jill Stuart makes me feel like a princess with the most beautiful packagings ever, and the powders are fine and long lasting, mad love.

I reached home with my ankle swelled up like pig trotter.

I should be done with Day 6 which is the last day soon.

No concrete plans for another trip yet, stuck and I am dying inside out, outside in >.<