Ocean Park!

Hong Kong, China -- Day 3

It was a slow, lazy morning.  As it was the Gehred Family annual sing-a-long back in Wisconsin, we made sure to FaceTime for a few minutes for a couple favorite tunes. It will definitely be hard this year not seeing family, both there and in California. At breakfast, we got a last chance to catch up with Mike Ikeda and Paul before they headed off, Mike back to California and Paul to another hotel.

On today's agenda, Hong Kong’s Ocean Park, a combination marine animal and amusement park perched on a set of hills right on the south coast of Hong Kong Island. Our late start meant that we weren't dropped off at the park until almost 2 p.m. It was a beautiful day though, and to make the most of our limited time, we opened our wallets a little further for some Fast Passes letting us hop to the front of the line on some of the most popular rides.

We perhaps should have read the fine print, however, since the height limits eliminated a number of these right off the top. Oh well, we had a grand time nonetheless and Mike was a great sport, usually waiting nearby and snapping photos but also joining us for the adults-only roller coaster and a rousing round of bumper cars.

The rules here are a bit more strict than we’re used to. To get to one part of the park, you need to take a couple very long (and frustratingly slow) escalators. For one section though, since there is only one, you need to wait while it's first run in one direction and then the other. Once you get on, you are actually forbidden to walk along it to speed up the process. (I have an idea -- stairs!!) Later, the kids were twice frustrated by the bumper cars: first because, despite meeting the minimum height requirements, they could not ride on their own (since they were under 12); second, because even when we did accompany them on the ride, they were not allowed to actually sit behid the wheel. Surprisingly, they were allowed to steer, but only while sitting in the passenger seat!

Nevertheless, it was a fun day and we especially made the most of the last hour racing around and around the turnstiles to ride the Mine Train rollercoaster again and again. Perched on the hill and overlooking the ocean channel and nearby harbor, the steep drops and amazing views made it a family favorite. Super duper family fun with Mike making the day all the more special.