THREE DAYS, TWO NIGHTS IN HONG KONG AND MACAU
Traveling without an itinerary? There's magic in just going with the flow
A little more than two hours from Manila with no visa requirement, Hong Kong is an accessible destination to Filipinos. A vertical city in most respects, it bears the moniker “Asia’s World City”—a heavy branding for such a small place, though HK carries it well.
Hong Kong is known to be a layover city for people heading to farther places. Not too long ago, however, it was a destination for me and my loved ones who all agreed to go there without a plan.
At an age when everyone’s pace seems to be faster than before, making the most of your time has always been the goal. You can't go wrong with spending a day at a theme park as it allows kids and kids at heart some pauses along with a certain freedom to laugh.
Hong Kong Disneyland opens at exactly 10:00 a.m. It was surprisingly easy to get there. The city has an excellent transportation system—anchored on a well-thought-out urban planning.
In the queue were people of all ages—with friends, families, and surprisingly by themselves. From 10 a.m. till almost 10 p.m., we took a break from responsibilities and just enjoyed every ride: from the Big Grizzly Mountain, Jungle River Cruise to Hyperspace Mountain, and even It’s a Small World. Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey was also a lot of fun.
It was on point that the song to cap a day in Disneyland is Love the Memory, as memories are what we can bring back home.
The happiness in Disneyland is in the pause of the routine, in the grind, in the chase. Disneyland allows its visitors to once again believe in their dreams and the beauty of good stories. That’s what Disney prides itself for, after all—immersion in beautiful stories.
A side trip to Macau
A day after our trip to Disneyland, going with the flow and with no itinerary in hand, we headed to Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal and boarded the ferry that took us to Macau (Taipa). Like a birthday gift, we met a fellow Filipino on the way there who pointed us to a free ferry ride that was being offered by the Macau Tourism Office.
From Macau’s casino strips, we headed to Coloane Village aboard one of Macau’s public buses. We did not have the exact amount to pay in cash, and for some reason, our ATM cards that were supposed to work did not. We were also struggling a little to converse with the bus driver. My sister, brave as she was, approached a guy who looked like our age on the bus asking if he had some change for our MOP$100—while he did not, he offered to pay for the both of us. We insisted on doing it, but he smiled and said, “It’s okay, no problem.”
Coloane is quiet, inviting its guests to sit down, and be present. My encounters with the people in Macau were warm and inviting, making me want to come back one more time. Plus the famous egg tarts from Lord Stow’s Bakery were really good.
We got a little lost while looking for a bus that would take us to the Macau terminal, but thankfully, we crossed paths with a few kababayans who were working there, and helped us catch the right ride.
Finding my footing at a phase in my life when I should have everything figured out is a struggle. It’s disorienting not to have a plan.
But on this trip, I realized that happiness comes with being perfectly okay with trusting the process. No solid and ready itineraries, yet we enjoyed full days at destinations we had never been. No expectations, but the journey itself allowed us to stumble upon good food and places that were worth coming back to. Challenges were met along the way, but kind strangers were ready to lend a hand—like little gifts from the universe for trying.
Sometimes, epiphanies happen in the layovers, in the pauses, in the spaces between almost there and over it. Sometimes, there’s magic in just going with the flow.
