Our flight was scheduled at 10:10AM and we were already at the airport (NAIA Terminal 2) around 7:30AM.  We had lots of time so we ate breakfast at one of the stores in the waiting area.  It was nice that they have free wi-fi here and charging stations.

HK International Airport

The flight took about 2 hours and almost an hour for immigration (it was a long line), baggage pick-up and walking to the transportation terminal.  We took the Cityflyer airport bus A21 to MongKok MTR station (6th stop, about 35 minutes ride) for HK$33.

From the drop-off point, it's about 5-10 minutes walk to Sincere House where our hostel is located.  After taking some rest, we then proceeded to some sight-seeing.  We bought the Octopus Card (for more information go to this site) at the MTR station.  It is a transportation card which can be used in MTRs and city buses, plus some establishments.  They have an Octopus card for the elderly (I believe that's for 65 years old and up) which gives discounted fares.

Octopus Cards

Peak Tram and Victoria Peak

We took the MTR to Central Station and took exit J2.  We then walked towards Garden Road to the Lower Peak Tram terminus.  It was the first time I've seen a line this long for the peak tram.  From where we started, there's a sign that says waiting time is approximately 1 hour.  Boo!  That's a long wait... but we still waited since there's nothing much we're planning to do.  We used our Octopus cards to pay for the tram ride.  And so we were inside the tram after a little more than an hour.  It's a good thing we were one of the firsts aboard the tram and were able to find seats for ourselves.

Lower Peak Tram Terminus

Peak Tram

The supposedly scenic ride did not turn out as expected since it's too foggy to see anything.  When we got out of the building, it's hard to see anything in the area (even with the lights on) because of the fog.  There would be no chance for us to get a view of the city with this fog.  So we just had dinner, stroll a bit at the Peak Galleria and made our way back to the Peak Tram.

Line at the peak tram terminus

Oh wow! The line to the lower peak tram terminus was the same going down.  I didn't feel like waiting another hour for the peak tram so we decided to just take the bus.  It's just a 10-minute wait and we were already on our way down.  We got off at Central Station and walked to Statue Square.


Statue Square

HK Winterfest is ongoing and I believe the main activity area is in Statue Square so we decided to drop by.  I was a bit disappointed as I found it lacking in spirit.  I saw this area during the Winterfest years ago and it was lively.  The big Christmas trees (which I think is smaller than the one we saw the last time) were still there and some rides that kids could enjoy.

For more information on Hong Kong's Winterfest, go to this link or this.

HK Winterfest at Statue Square

We walked towards the bay area hoping to be able to watch Symphony of Lights from this side but to no avail.  It has already started when we were still walking so we just decided to walk back to the MTR Station and just strolled a bit more in the night markets of Mongkok before retiring for the day.

Buildings near Statue Square

Buildings we passed by on the way to the pier

Hong Kong 2012 Getaway

I can say that HK is one of my favorite out-of-the-country getaways... lots of promo airfares, numerous flights from different airlines, short flight from the Philippines, no visa needed, ease of use and efficiency of transportation system, cool weather, somehow cheaper electronics.

It was during a PH holiday weekend so the airfare we got is a bit pricey than most of the promo fares but it's still cheaper than the standard price, considering I bought it 10 days before our flight.

I considered the trip a break from the hectic work schedule.  We did not have an itinerary and just really wanted to have some relaxation.

Below is a summary of our trip.

Day 1:
- Peak Tram
- Victoria Peak
- HK Winterfest at Statue Square

Day 2: 
- Tung Chung
- sky100 Observation Deck
- Symphony of Lights
- 1881 Heritage

Day 3:
- Times Square
- IFC Mall/Hong Kong Station
- Airport Express


Accommodation

I was actually looking to book a room at Dragon Hostel (I've been there before and my experience was good) but it's fully booked so I decided to book some other hostel within the area.  I saw a budget hostel at Booking.com - Jiang Xi Guesthouse.  It is on the same building as Dragon Hostel and also has free wi-fi (connection is good in the alley but not inside the room).  The building is along Argyle Street and is within a few steps from the Ladies Market in Mongkok.

We booked a room for 2 with private bath.  The room that was given to us was on the far end of the alley where they have all the bedsheets hanged on a line for drying.  Our room was the first door inside the unit, no windows so it feels stuffy.  The dividers were thin and we have a young group as neighbors (occupying 2 rooms in the same unit) who were still happily chatting until the wee hours of the morning.

The beds are hip-high (for a 5'3" like me) so we have to jump a bit to get to bed.  Mattresses are thin but better than no mattress at all.  Hot and cold shower available.  Hot water (for coffee or noodles) is available upon request.

In summary, the room we got is not as I expected.  I think some of the rooms they have in the other units are more decent than the one we got but I guess they're also fully booked.  People at the reception only knows little English so it was a bit hard to communicate.  In case I'll be staying at a HK hostel again, I might not consider this on top of my list.

Jiang Xi Guesthouse Information

Sincere House Location

The afternoon would be the JSA/Panmunjom tour.  At Imjingak, those who would be going on this tour were called and asked to transfer to a different bus.  This time, each person is assigned a seat number.

Our first stop is lunch.  It's a bulgogi lunch near the area.  It's my first time to try this and I love it.  The area has long tables with "burners" that could be shared by 2 people.  It includes rice, beef, lettuce and different kinds of banchan (side dish).  Water is free but if you want soda, those are included in the meal, you will have to pay for it.  Banchan is unlimited.  One can get whichever one wants from the area near the counter.  The meal was more than enough for 2 persons... at least for my Mom and I.

Bulgogi Lunch

After lunch, we continued with the tour.  Our first stop is at a security gate.  I believe this is a gate to be able to go inside the Southern Boundary Line of the DMZ.  A number of vehicles, and tour buses are lined up here.  We were advised to take out our passport and open it to the identification page for security purposes.  Once at the gate, the bus turned back and got back on the line.  Not sure why but it might have something to do with the papers.  The second time around, we were let in.  A soldier went up the bus checking at the identification papers.  Before proceeding, we were reminded that taking of pictures are not allowed either inside or outside the bus, except when notified. 

Badge given to us which we should wear all the time

We passed by an actual village (Daeseong-dong/Freedom Village), the only one inside the DMZ in the South Korean side.  Here are some information I got from our tour guide:

• Residents here, we were told, are mostly engaged in farming.  
• Nightly curfew is in effect.
• Loud sounds are not allowed.  
• They have to live in their residence for a certain number of days in a year to maintain residency here.
• Male villagers who marry a woman from outside the village can live with his wife in the village.  If I remember it right, women are not given the same privilege.

We've also passed by the area where we could see the flagpole in Kijong-dong (one of the tallest flagpole in the world), and it's South Korean counterpart in Daesong-dong closer.

We then came into Camp Bonifas and the JSA Visitor Centre.  It is only in front of the building where taking pictures are allowed.  The visitor's orientation is held here.  The half oval-shaped building on the left of the picture houses a souvenir shop.  Aside from souvenirs, there are also North Korean products available here.

JSA Visitor Center

From here, we transferred to a military-driven bus.  We also have a military escort on the bus as well.  We occupy the same seat numbers as the one we have on the original tour bus.  We have to wait a bit as only one tour group at a time is allowed to go to the Freedom House.  We passed by another gate (or was it two?) before we got to the Freedom House.  We're so near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) now.   

We disembarked from the bus and followed the lead of our tour guide inside the building and out on the other side where we could see the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) buildings, the MDL and Panmun-gak (on the North Korea side). 

United Nations Command Military Armistice
Commission (UNCMAC) Buildings

It's unfortunate that the Panmun-gak is under renovation at the time of our tour.  But did you notice that there are no visible soldiers on the other side?  As per our tour guide, there would only be soldiers standing on the North Korean side if they also have visitors.  However, there would always be soldiers on the lookout.

UNCMAC Buildings

UNCMAC Conference Building

We entered into the UNCMAC Conference Building.  It is in this building where meetings between officials from the North and South Korea meet.  Only one tour group is allowed inside the building at a time.  Once all of us are inside, a soldier closes the door we used to enter.  There are 2 soldiers inside the building with us.  One of the soldiers guards the door to the North Korean side of Panmunjom.  He locks it and make sure nobody from NoKor will enter the building when tourists from SoKor are still inside.  This goes the same way for North Korean visitors.  The other soldier is literally in 2 places at one time.  He's got one foot in North Korea and another in South Korea. 

In the middle of the room, where one of the soldiers stood is the conference table being used by North and South Korea. The speakers in the center mark the MDL (Military Demarcation Line). So, technically, if the North and South Koreans meet, they're still in their country. 

Conference table

Conference table

Conference table

Soldier guarding the door to North Korea

The MDL is a really important landmark between the two Koreas but if you'll look at it, it's just a cement block (at least from what's visible to me) that marks the separation.  Looking out the window of the conference room, we saw that the South Korean side of the UNCMAC buildings have gravel, while that of the North Korean have sand.

Military Demarcation Line

We were supposed to pass by the area of the Bridge of No Return/Axe Murder Incident, however tour on that part of JSA has been stopped for the afternoon for security purposes.  Those who took the morning tour were lucky since the area hasn't been restricted before our tour group.

That's the end of our tour.  We were dropped off at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul (near City Hall).  We were assisted by one of the coordinators to the PTC office and paid our tour fee.  It was a long day, now it's time to take some rest and get ready for tomorrow.