Our "10" Hong Kong Trip highlights!

We met 10 New Relatives...
Thanks to my mom for contacting family prior to our trip... we had the chance to meet up with my dad's side of the family (10 of them, to be exact!) and embrace my 1/4 Chinese blood! We had a wonderful visit. We met at a restaurant in the Cultural Centre across the street from our 1st hotel in Kowloon... the YMCA Salisbury. Walked over to a coffee shop to meet more cousins - which gave our kids a great chance to bond with their cousins. Our kids enjoyed learning to say a few words in Cantonese, thanks to their cousin Timothy!



9 of us brave SPACE MOUNTAIN...

1st group to ride...

2nd group to go... (lucky kids!)

"Can we ride Space Mountain again?" Our kids would've LOVED to ride Space Mountain ALL DAY LONG ! It was our first ride of the day and 9 of us were excited to go! My little thrill seekers rode it 4 times and wanted MORE MORE MORE! Hong Kong had so much to offer and we didn't even scratch the surface. However, we did enjoy our one day in Disneyland where the lines were minimal and the MAGIC of Disney sparkled! The cooler weather, the Christmas Spectacular Parade & even the fake snow that fell from the sky was nothing short of fantastic and in true DISNEY form!



8 Incredible travelin' Kids...

Yes, our 8 little peeps did amazing! Six boys & two girls! Mo (10), Ry (9), Dani (7), Logan (6), Tyler (3), Howie (2), Mia (20 mo) & Ryland (15 mo). We pushed these little legs and they kept up with hardly any complaints! I was MOST impressed by my little 3 yr old friend Tyler - with no stroller... his little feet kept up with the big kids and was a trooper! SERIOUSLY! I don't know if any of my kids would've done that much walking without complaining when they were only 3!


7.5 average HK$ exchange rate to our US $1 dollar...

It was hard wrapping my brain around the exchange rate... my little jeweled calculator came in handy on the days we went to the Ladies Market in MongKok, the city’s largest shopping district and a favorite place for locals to hang out. Manuevering our strollers had it's difficulties - but somehow we managed... being the MISSION SHOPPERS that we were! The district offered lots of shopping and dining opportunities! Our men took all the kids and hung out at CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) while the ladies shopped! Now that's a GREAT EXCHANGE!

Part of the fun of shopping in the Ladies Market was challenging the sellers to come down in price and being able to walk away. DALE had an encounter when he looked at some "ROLEX" watches, tried to walk away and the girl literally chased him down and hit him in the arm screaming, "I open already, I open already" Uh yeah... that's one way to make a sale lady! W'ZUP?!

6 Lifelong friends...

Yes, although we were out-numbered by the kids... this trip was definitely LOTS of fun for the adults! I have to say, it was a fantastic group... we all seemed to mesh just right! You know how sometimes you have girlfriends and the guys don't get along or vica versa... This wasn't the case at all! The men had as much fun together as we did!

5 Days of Adventure...
* Day 1 was spent mostly traveling by car, by air, by subway, by foot, by bus! Arriving finally to Hong Kong - we enjoyed the local cuisine for dinner and walked to the waterfront of Victoria Harbor!


* Day 2 - We joined a tour bus that brought us to Victoria's Peak where tourists can stand and marvel at the restless city of Kowloon at all hours of the day. Located on the western side of the island, it is the highest point in Hong Kong. At Aberdeen we saw how modern high-rise buildings dramatically clashed with the old-fashioned boats (i.e floating homes & sampans) & simple fishing villiage. I still remember visiting Aberdeen with my family when I was a teenager - and the water is MUCH cleaner now! Had there been more time - it would've been fun to eat at the JUMBO floating restaurant & experience the feast! We went to a Jewelry Factory and then on to Stanley Market. The time spent at Stanley Market was too short to do any damage shopping & gave me just enough time to feed Mia on a park bench, while the kids ran around with daddy to get the wiggles out!

* Day 3 - Is when we went to MongKok to shop at the Ladies Market & where Dale was "assaulted" (ha!)... more shopping... more shopping... and more shopping! Then headed over to the Disney Hollywood Hotel and had a fantastic Disney style buffet / dinner.

* Day 4 - DISNEYLAND!

* Day 5 - Mountainous Lantau Island to ride the Cable Car up to see Tian Tan Buddha... or BIG BUDDHA!


4 Nights...

From our hotel room in Kowloon - we enjoyed A SYMPHONY OF LIGHTS the spectacular multimedia display, named the "World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" by Guinness World Records, it involves 44 key buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour. The show creates an all-round vision of coloured lights, laser beams and searchlights performing a stunning, unforgettable spectacle synchronised to music and narration that celebrates the energy, spirit and diversity of Hong Kong.

... and at Disney - the fireworks were even more spectacular with the special EYE wear that was passed out. When you looked through them the lights reflected little angels blowing horns!


3 families - now known as -

. . . . . the SimMorRez Family

Meet the SIMmon family


... the MORrison family

... and us - the ramiREZ family

2 Hotels...

... first 2 nights were in downtown Kowloon at the YMCA Salisbury - a great location, near the subway and Victoria Harbor.


... last 2 nights were at the Disney Hollywood Hotel!

1 BIG Buddha...

... and finally on our last day we went to see one very big Buddha! We rode the Ngong Ping 360 cable car... and walked up all these stairs to see Tian Tan Buddha up close! This is the largest outdoor seated Buddha!